Legislature Passes Final FY2019 Supplemental Budget

The Legislature passed the final FY2019 supplemental budget H.4246 in the final hours of Dec 11 to spend the $1 billion budget surplus. The House-Senate Conference Committee agreed upon a $541 million spending bill with $587 million to be deposited into reserves for a "rainy day fund". The budget bill now moves to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk for his review.

The housing highlights in the legislature's final version of the FY19 Supplemental budget as follows:

• The budget includes a $2.5 million allocation for the down payment assistance program (proposed for $10 million allocation by the Governor and the House version)
• The budget includes $ 2 million for a rental and mortgage arrearage assistance pilot program established under Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT). This program aims for more upstream prevention of homelessness.
• Unfortunately, the budget does not include the $10 million for ELI housing proposed in previous versions of the budget. 

CHAPA thanks Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, Senate President Karen Spilka, and members of the budget conference committee, including Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, Sen. Michael Rodrigues, Rep. Denise Garlick, Sen. Cindy Friedman, Rep. Todd Smola, and Sen. Donald F. Humason, Jr. for their leadership on this budget. Governor Baker now has ten days to review the budget.

The final spending amount proposed by the legislature is significantly less than the previous versions of the FY19 Supp budget that ranged from $723 million to $853 million.