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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2053 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1488
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Marjorie C. Decker
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act providing upstream homelessness prevention assistance to families, youth, and adults.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/15/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2053 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1488
By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1488) of
Marjorie C. Decker that the Department of Housing and Community Development be authorized
to administer a residential assistance for families in transition homelessness prevention program.
Housing.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act providing upstream homelessness prevention assistance to families, youth, and adults.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 23B of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
2section 30 the following section:-
3 Section 31. (a) Subject to appropriation, the executive office of housing and livable
4communities shall administer the residential assistance for families in transition homelessness
5prevention program for households whose incomes are at or below 50 per cent of the area
6median income and who are at risk of homelessness, eviction, loss of housing subsidy,
7foreclosure or utility shut-off within the next 12 months. For the purposes of this program, to
8receive cash benefits or other services, it is not necessary for a household to have received a
9shut-off notice from a utility company, notice to quit or summary process summons and
10complaint, or otherwise be subject to the summary process pursuant to chapter 239. Risk of
11eviction, loss of housing subsidy, foreclosure and utility shut-off may be determined by certified
12statements from the landlord, subsidy provider, mortgage holder, utility company, or the 2 of 3
13applicant household verifying outstanding rent, mortgage or utility costs and the household’s
14current inability to pay said charges. The executive office shall ensure that not less than 50 per
15cent of the funds be provided to households with incomes not greater than 30 per cent of area
16median income. Eligible households shall include, but not be limited to, families with children
17under the age of 21, elders, persons with disabilities, and unaccompanied youth. Services and
18cash benefits under the program shall be made available to households for the prevention of the
19loss of public, subsidized, or unsubsidized housing. The executive office shall not impose any
20additional access or benefit restrictions on households residing in public or subsidized housing.
21Cash benefits for arrearages shall not exceed the actual liability. Eligible households may receive
22benefits for short-term rental or utility payments to offset future costs, to pay for other expenses
23that otherwise would leave the household at risk of homelessness, and to pay for broker fees that
24otherwise would be the responsibility of the tenant. Funds from this program shall be available to
25cover up to 12 months in combined rental arrearage and forward rent payments for eligible
26households. The executive office and administering agencies shall make direct payments
27available to tenants or subtenants whose landlords are unresponsive or refuse payments. In
28administering the program, the executive office shall coordinate with the department of
29transitional assistance, member agencies and offices of the Massachusetts interagency council on
30housing and homelessness or successor body, and the agencies contracted to administer the
31residential assistance for families in transition program on behalf of eligible households served
32by those agencies and offices to streamline the application process, provide additional support
33services, and better promote upstream homelessness prevention and housing stability.
34 (b) The executive office shall annually, on or before December 31, issue a report on the
35rental, mortgage, and utility assistance program created by this section. The report shall be 3 of 3
36submitted to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on
37housing, and the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate. The report also shall be
38posted online in a timely manner in a searchable format so that such information is available to
39the public. The report shall include but not be limited to the following information:
40 (i) the referral source for each household and number of households referred by said
41source;
42 (ii) the number of applications requested, the number of applications completed, the
43number of applications approved;
44 (iii) the number of applications rejected and the reasons for denial;
45 (iv) the household income and demographic information for each qualifying household
46and its members. This information shall be provided by zip code and cumulatively;
47 (v) the monthly rent or mortgage liability for each qualifying household and the amount
48of each arrearage payment; and
49 (vi) the housing status of each qualifying household at 6, 12, and 24 months after receipt
50of services or cash benefits.