Budget Amendment ID: FY2014-S3-282-R1

Redraft ECO 282

HomeBASE Rental Assistance

Messrs. Eldridge, Rush, Donnelly, Kennedy and Wolf and Ms. Jehlen and Mr. Joyce and Ms. Chang-Diaz and Messrs. Brownsberger, Michael O.  Moore, Barrett and DiDomenico and Ms. Lovely moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, in item 7004-0108, by striking out the words “ provided further, that a family that is terminated from the program because it has received 24 successive months of rental assistance shall not be able to receive assistance under this item for 12 months from the last date it received assistance through this program;” and inserting in place thereof the following language:-

provided further, that the department will take all necessary steps to ensure that families reaching the end of their time limited rental assistance shall not become homeless again, including, but not limited to: (a) transitioning families to long-term subsidized housing, including but not limited to assistance given through housing authorities, the federal Housing Choice Voucher program, or rental assistance under item 7004-9024; or (b) providing families with assistance through this item and item 7004-9316; provided further, that, notwithstanding any general or special law or rule or regulation to the contrary, the department shall ensure that any such family who does become homeless again shall be provided access to emergency shelter under item 7004-0101 so long as such family meets the income requirements of item 7004-0101, meets the requirements of the family’s housing stabilization plan and all other options of housing assistance have been exhausted; provided further, that on the first day of each month beginning on September 1, 2013, the department shall provide a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on housing and the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities detailing how many families reached the end of the 24 month period in the preceding month and each family’s current housing status, including what additional forms of assistance are being provided to ensure that the family does not become homeless again;

And further amended by inserting at the end thereof the following language:-

, the number of households transitioned into federal funded public housing or rental assistance, the number of households transitioned to item 7004-9024, the number of households that exited the program into alternative housing, the number of households exiting the program and unaccounted for; provided further, that the report shall include the number of families served who required further assistance at a later date, the type of assistance later provided, the current housing stability of each family who received assistance within the prior 12 months, including transitional housing or short-term housing assistance, and any obstacles encountered with the administration of this program.