Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1469 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1042 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1469
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Christine P. Barber
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 promoting housing stability for families by strengthening the HomeBASE program.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex1/14/2025Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex2/15/2025James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/11/2025Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth1/31/2025Mary S. Keefe15th Worcester3/4/2025David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester2/10/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1042 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1469
18	18	By Representative Barber of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1469) of
19	19	Christine P. Barber and others relative to housing stability for families by strengthening the
20	20	HomeBASE program. Housing.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 1297 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act promoting housing stability for families by strengthening the HomeBASE program.
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 30 of chapter 23B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition,
32	32	2is hereby amended by inserting after subsection A, paragraph (e) the following:-
33	33	3 (f) for re-housing, short-term housing transition program benefits, which shall be
34	34	4available initially for 24 months and then in 12-month, renewable allotments, to eligible families.
35	35	5 The executive office shall provide further allotments of household assistance from the
36	36	6Massachusetts short-term housing transition program to families that received household
37	37	7assistance in a prior period to prevent eviction from existing housing or to relocate to another
38	38	8housing situation in cases where a.) the family complied with their rehousing plan during the 2 of 3
39	39	9prior period of assistance and b.) continues to include a child under the age of 21 or a pregnant
40	40	10person.
41	41	11 The executive office shall not impose income eligibility restrictions on families once they
42	42	12are enrolled in the program.
43	43	13 The executive office shall not require families to be evicted from their existing housing or
44	44	14to otherwise establish that they fall into one of the four categories of affirmative eligibility for
45	45	15emergency assistance shelter currently listed in item 7004-0101.
46	46	16 Families in summary process commenced for a reason determined by the executive office
47	47	17to be a no fault or excused fault reason for eviction can apply and be found eligible for short-
48	48	18term transition program benefits in order to prevent eviction from existing housing or permit the
49	49	19family to relocate to another housing situation. The executive office shall allow families to apply
50	50	20and be found eligible for this short-term housing benefit after the summons and complaint is
51	51	21filed in court. Families shall be found eligible for short-term housing transition benefits if, but
52	52	22for feasible alternative housing, they otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for family
53	53	23shelter.
54	54	24 The executive office shall provide household assistance in an amount up to $50,000 in
55	55	25the first 24-month period, or a higher cap as established in line item 7004-0108, and up to
56	56	26$25,000, or higher cap as established in line item 7004-0108, in subsequent 12-month periods to
57	57	27eligible families.
58	58	28 The executive office shall allow families to combine and maximize benefits under the
59	59	29Massachusetts short-term housing transition program and residential assistance for families in 3 of 3
60	60	30transition funds from line item 7004-9316 if families are eligible for both programs, such funds
61	61	31are needed to promote housing stability, and the assistance is non-duplicative.