Budget Amendment ID: FY2013-S4-299-R1

Redraft ECO 299

Maintaining Access to Emergency Shelter for Certain Homeless Families

Mr. Donnelly and Ms. Spilka and Messrs. Eldridge, Michael O. Moore, Rodrigues and Joyce and Ms. Clark and Ms. Fargo and Mr. Brownsberger and Ms. Creem and Messrs. Finegold, DiDomenico, Rush and Keenan and Ms. Chang-Diaz and Messrs. Petruccelli, Rosenberg, Wolf and Montigny and Ms. Chandler and Mr. McGee moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, in item 7004-0101, by striking out the words “provided further, that those families that shall be eligible for assistance through a temporary emergency family shelter shall be: (i) families that are at risk of domestic abuse in their current housing situation; (ii) families that, through no fault of their own, are homeless due to fire, flood or natural disaster; (iii) families that, through no fault of their own, have been subject to eviction from their most recent housing due to foreclosure, condemnation or nonpayment of rent caused by a significant increase in expenses due to a change in household composition or caused by a documented loss of income within the past 12 months directly as a result of loss of a job, reduction in hourly pay rate, employment hours or unemployment benefits, documented medical condition or diagnosed disability; and (iv) families who are in a housing situation where they are not the primary lease holder and there is substantial health and safety risk to the family that is likely to result in significant harm should the family remain in said housing situation; provided further, that said health and safety risk shall be determined by the department of children and families through risk assessments;”

and inserting in place thereof the following words:-

provided further, that those families that shall be eligible for assistance through a temporary emergency family shelter shall include: (i) families that are at risk of domestic abuse in their current housing situation or who are homeless because they previously fled domestic violence; (ii) families that are homeless due to fire, flood or natural disaster; (iii) families that, through no fault of their own, have been subject to eviction from their most recent housing due to foreclosure, condemnation,  in the case of a family who was evicted from private housing or federal public housing, conduct by a guest or former household member who is not part of the household seeking emergency shelter and over whose conduct the remaining household members had no control, or nonpayment of rent caused by a significant increase in expenses or decrease in income due to a change in household composition or documented medical condition or diagnosed disability, or caused by a documented loss of income within the last 15 months, directly as a result of loss of a job, reduction in hourly pay rate, reduction of employment hours, reduction or loss of unemployment benefits or other source of income, documented medical condition or diagnosed disability; and (iv) families who are in a housing situation where they are not the primary lease holder or who are in a housing situation not meant for human habitation and where there is a substantial health and safety risk to the family that is likely to result in significant harm should the family remain in said housing situation; provided further, that said health and safety risk shall be determined by the department of children and families through risk assessments; provided further, that no later than 15 days in advance of implementation of this item, the department of housing and community development shall provide to the house and senate clerks, the house and senate committees on ways and means, and the joint committee on housing, the written criteria to be used to determine if a substantial health and safety risk “is likely to result in significant harm” under subsection (iv) of this item; provided further, that the department shall report to the house and senate clerks, the house and senate committees on ways and means, and the joint committee on housing, monthly beginning August 1, 2012 detailing: (a) the number of families who were denied entry into shelter who would have been eligible in fiscal year 2012; (b) for each family in subparagraph (a), a breakdown of the individuals affected by age and by gender; (c) the reasons for which those families were denied entry into shelter; (d) what other services those families were connected to; and (e) the resulting housing situation for each family; ”

and further by striking out the words “provided further, that families receiving benefits under this item shall have 30 per cent of their income set aside in a savings account;” and inserting in place thereof the words:-

provided further, that families receiving benefits under this item shall have 30 per cent of their income set aside in a savings account, subject to reasonable exceptions as set forth in departmental regulations in effect in fiscal year 2012;

and further by striking out the words “30 days before promulgating” and inserting in place thereof the words “60 days before promulgating”.