Amendment #344 to H3600

Emergency Assistance Technical Amendment Data and Income

Representatives Vega of Holyoke, Decker of Cambridge and Madaro of Boston move to amend the bill in section 2, in  item 7004-0101, in line 6, after the word "level" and inserting the following: "for a sustained period of 90 days";

and in said item, in line 119, by striking out after the word "units;" the following:

"provided further, that on or before February 1, 2018 the department shall provide to the house and senate committees on ways and means a report of the most recently available monthly data on: (1) the number of applications for services provided for in this item and in item 7004-0108; (2) “frontdoor” entries into the emergency assistance system; (3) diversions as a result of HomeBASE household assistance; (4) exits through termination; (5)  through HomeBASE household assistance; and (6) exits to any other subsidized housing program; provided further, that the department shall report quarterly to the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing: (a) the number of families transitioned from shelter benefits to affordable, subsidized or otherwise assisted housing through this program; (b) the average, minimum and maximum cost per family of such assistance; (c) the number of families served who required further assistance at a later date; (d) the type of assistance later required and provided; and (e) the current housing stability of each family who received transitional housing or short-term housing assistance within the prior 12 months; provided further, that the report shall also include the following information from the department of children and families: (A) the number of families assessed in the previous quarter; (B) the number of families determined to be at a substantial health and safety risk; (C) the number of families receiving multiple health and safety assessments within the previous 6-month period; and (D) the standards used to determine a substantial health and safety risk”

and inserting in place thereof the following:

“provided further, that the department shall provide to the house and senate committees on ways and means a report of the most recently available monthly data on: (1) the number of applications for services provided for in this item and in item 7004-0108; (2) the number of applications that were denied and the reasons for such denials (3) “front-door” entries into the emergency assistance system; (4) diversions as a result of HomeBASE household assistance; (5) number of applications of families who timed off of HomeBASE; (6) exits through termination; (7) exits because the household is no longer income eligible; (8) exits through HomeBASE household assistance; and (9) exits to any other subsidized housing program; provided further, that the department shall report quarterly to the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing the number of families transitioned from shelter benefits to affordable, subsidized or otherwise assisted housing through this program; provided further, that the report shall include the average, minimum and maximum cost per family of such assistance, the number of families served who required further assistance at a later date, the type of assistance later required and provided; and provided further, that the report shall detail the savings realized by any such changes to benefits or eligibility;  provided further, that the report shall also include the following information from the department of children and families: (A) the number of families assessed in the previous quarter; (B) the number of families determined to be at a substantial health and safety risk; (C) the number of families receiving multiple health and safety assessments within the previous 6-month period; and (D) the standards used to determine a substantial health and safety risk; provided further, the report shall include the following demographic information regarding households served by the family shelter system 1) the  ages of the heads of household 3) the race and ethnicity of heads of households  6) the number of children served in the shelter system during the quarter broken down by age; 7) the average income and breakdown of income type of families served by the shelter system;  8) breakdown of educational obtainment of the heads of household”.

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #344 to H3600

Emergency Assistance Technical Amendment Data and Income