Amendment #74 to H4601

Emergency Assistance Shelter

Ms. Decker of Cambridge moves to amend the bill by adding the following section:

XX. Chapter 23B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following sections:-

XX. A family shall be eligible for temporary emergency assistance shelter on the same day as the family presents as needing shelter and shall remain eligible for 12 months, with a six month extension for families with high-risk clinical profiles including, but not limited to, families with disabilities or significant medical needs, or families with children under 12 yrs old. The executive office shall place families in shelters within 20 miles of the school district of origin.

XX.The executive office shall allow families to reject no more than two housing options, using a standard housing suitability tool, which the executive office shall create. The executive office shall continue to fund housing support services, opt-in, for up to two years post shelter exit.  These services should continue to reside with the family shelter provider with whom the family was sheltered, unless the family moves out of the provider's service area, at which point they would be reassigned to the regional administering authority of the family's new residence.

XX. As it relates to families with a head of household, or a child who is disabled, the executive office shall align the disability definition to align with the federal ADA definition to ensure access to existing housing for families with disability. The executive office shall assess and eliminate any duplicative roles that exist with executive office staff, and what is contracted to providers in providing the direct care service and shelter to ensure a cost effective, efficient shelter system.

EOHLC shall provide data to the legislature on a monthly basis, it shall include but not be limited to: exit destinations for families, length of stay extensions, numbers of families who have disability, in addition to prior reported data

Lastly, this supplemental budget will fund an addition 50M to restore prior covid level funding for family shelter to 325M for the full FY.

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #74 to H4601

Emergency Assistance Shelter