Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S87 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 190 FILED ON: 1/11/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 87
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Adam Gomez
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act providing for coordinated data and assistance to address family homelessness.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Adam GomezHampden 1 of 3
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 190 FILED ON: 1/11/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 87
18	18	By Mr. Gomez, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 87) of Adam Gomez for legislation
19	19	to provide for coordinated data and assistance to address family homelessness. Children,
20	20	Families and Persons with Disabilities.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE SENATE, NO. 110 OF 2021-2022.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
26	26	(2023-2024)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act providing for coordinated data and assistance to address family homelessness.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. There shall be an annual comprehensive report on housing instability faced
32	32	2by families in the commonwealth to enable the public to gain an informed understanding of the
33	33	3issue and to efficiently predict and better direct homelessness prevention and housing resources.
34	34	4The report shall be written cooperatively by the executive office of health and human services,
35	35	5the executive office of housing and economic development, the executive office of labor and
36	36	6workforce development and the executive office of education.
37	37	7 The report shall include the following information:
38	38	8 (1) the number of client households that have been identified as homeless and at risk of
39	39	9homelessness by each agency; 2 of 3
40	40	10 (2) the department of housing and community development shall provide the numbers of
41	41	11households receiving emergency assistance also receiving benefits and services from the
42	42	12following programs: (i) the supplemental nutrition assistance program and the transitional aid
43	43	13for families with dependent children program of the department of transitional assistance; (ii)
44	44	14workforce development programs; (iii) programs of the department of children and families; (iv)
45	45	15early intervention services of the department of public health; (v) MassHealth data on income
46	46	16sources for families in shelter and housing instability screening for patients.
47	47	17 (3) To better understand the level of housing stability among HomeBASE participants,
48	48	18the department of housing and community development shall provide the number of households
49	49	19that have received assistance from the HomeBASE program under line item 7004-0108,
50	50	20including, the number of households that were evicted, the number that returned to shelter, the
51	51	21number of households with involvement of the department of children and families and the
52	52	22number with incomes below 150 per cent of the Federal Poverty Level. The department shall
53	53	23coordinate with programs under the executive office of health and human services on matching
54	54	24data sets for the purposes of this report.
55	55	25 (4) The department of early education and care shall provide the number of contracted
56	56	26slots for homeless children and the current utilization, the number of childcare vouchers issued to
57	57	27homelessness households.
58	58	28 (5) All interagency teams or groups that are currently working on issues related to
59	59	29homelessness.
60	60	30 The report shall be filed with the clerks of Senate and House, the chairs of the
61	61	31committees on ways and means, the Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness and the 3 of 3
62	62	32Learn to Earn Interagency Working group annually on the day assigned for submission of the
63	63	33budget by the governor to the general court under section 7H of chapter 29 of the General Laws.
64	64	34 SECTION 2. The executive office of health and human services, executive office of
65	65	35housing and economic development, executive office of labor and workforce development and
66	66	36executive office of education shall establish a single joint telephone hotline for residents of the
67	67	37commonwealth to receive information and assistance on benefits, eligibility and application
68	68	38processes for all benefit and assistance programs managed by the offices and the connections and
69	69	39relationships between their programs and other programs of the commonwealth.
70	70	40 Each agency of the executive office of health and human services, executive office of
71	71	41housing and economic development, executive office of labor and workforce development and
72	72	42executive office of education shall publicly conspicuously post on their main internet site
73	73	43information on the benefit and assistance programs managed by the agency, including a link or
74	74	44information on how to access a benefits calculator and guide for calculating benefits in relation
75	75	45to incomes. The agencies shall distribute information about the programs, calculator and guide to
76	76	46homelessness service providers in a form appropriate for distribution to their clients. Each state
77	77	47agency of these offices shall provide training for staff and vendors on the benefits calculator in
78	78	48order to help families receiving assistance gain information on the programs to access the
79	79	49programs and optimize their benefits, including avoiding cliff effects due to the income
80	80	50eligibility rules.