Amendment #1671 to H5500

Rental Bridge Subsidies for Older Adults

Representatives Uyterhoeven of Somerville and Arriaga of Chicopee move to amend the bill in section 2 by inserting after item 7004-9316 the following item:

“7004-XXXX. For a short-term housing bridge subsidy program to serve households with individuals who: (i) are 60 years of age or older; (ii) reside in the commonwealth; (iii) are otherwise eligible for housing under items 7004-0107, 7004-9005 or 7004-9024 of section 2 of chapter 9 of the acts of 2025; (iv) have incomes of not more than 80 per cent of the area median income; and (v) are at risk of eviction due to their inability to consistently pay rent; provided, that households participating in the program shall not, while receiving such assistance, be required to pay more than 30 per cent of their monthly adjusted income for rent, mortgage or other housing financial obligations; provided further, that not less than 75 per cent of the bridge subsidies shall be awarded to households with incomes at initial occupancy that do not exceed 30 per cent of the area median income; provided further, that each participating household shall not be required to pay more than 30 per cent of its monthly adjusted income for rent; provided further, that the executive office of housing and livable communities shall provide assistance for housing units up to 110 per cent of the area or small area fair market rent based on unit size as established annually by the United States department of housing and urban development; provided further, that the executive office of housing and livable communities shall enter into performance-based contracts with designated older adult serving agencies to administer the program in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the commonwealth; provided further, that the program shall be administered in coordination with the executive office of aging and independence; provided further, that the executive office of housing and livable communities shall provide quarterly reports to the joint committee on ways and means, the joint committee on aging and independence, and the joint committee on housing on the implementation of the program; provided further, that such reports shall include, but not be limited to the (i) number of households screened for the program, (ii) number of households approved for the program, (iii) age, race, ethnicity, zip code, and other demographic data on households approved for the program, (iv) age, race, ethnicity, zip code, and other demographic data on households deemed ineligible for the program, (v) total number of households participating in the program, (vi) total number of households exiting the program and reasons for exiting, (vii) number of households that transferred to another affordable housing program, and (viii) average number of days that it takes for a household to utilize a bridge subsidy after receiving it; provided further, that such reports shall be posted simultaneously on the executive office’s website ………$7,500,000"