Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S961 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. 1162 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 961
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Brendan P. Crighton
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 upstream homelessness prevention assistance to families, youth, and adults.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Brendan P. CrightonThird EssexJohn F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth2/28/2025 1 of 3
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1162 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 961
18	18	By Mr. Crighton, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 961) of Brendan P. Crighton and
19	19	John F. Keenan for legislation to provide upstream homelessness prevention assistance to
20	20	families, youth, and adults. Housing.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE SENATE, NO. 856 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 providing upstream homelessness prevention assistance to families, youth, and adults.
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 Chapter 23B of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 30 the
32	32	2following section:-
33	33	3 Section 31. (a) Subject to appropriation, the executive office of housing and livable
34	34	4communities shall administer the residential assistance for families in transition homelessness
35	35	5prevention program for households whose incomes are at or below 50 per cent of the area
36	36	6median income and who are at risk of homelessness, eviction, loss of housing subsidy,
37	37	7foreclosure or utility shut-off within the next 12 months. For the purposes of this program, to
38	38	8receive cash benefits or other services, it is not necessary for a household to have received a
39	39	9shut-off notice from a utility company, notice to quit or summary process summons and
40	40	10complaint, or otherwise be subject to the summary process pursuant to chapter 239. Risk of 2 of 3
41	41	11eviction, loss of housing subsidy, foreclosure and utility shut-off may be determined by certified
42	42	12statements from the landlord, subsidy provider, mortgage holder, utility company, or the
43	43	13applicant household verifying outstanding rent, mortgage or utility costs and the household’s
44	44	14current inability to pay said charges. The executive office shall ensure that not less than 50 per
45	45	15cent of the funds be provided to households with incomes not greater than 30 per cent of area
46	46	16median income. Eligible households shall include, but not be limited to, families with children
47	47	17under the age of 21, elders, persons with disabilities, and unaccompanied youth. Services and
48	48	18cash benefits under the program shall be made available to households for the prevention of the
49	49	19loss of public, subsidized, or unsubsidized housing. The executive office shall not impose any
50	50	20additional access or benefit restrictions on households residing in public or subsidized housing.
51	51	21Cash benefits for arrearages shall not exceed the actual liability. Eligible households may receive
52	52	22benefits for short-term rental or utility payments to offset future costs, to pay for other expenses
53	53	23that otherwise would leave the household at risk of homelessness, and to pay for broker fees that
54	54	24otherwise would be the responsibility of the tenant. Funds from this program shall be available to
55	55	25cover up to 12 months in combined rental arrearage and forward rent payments for eligible
56	56	26households. The executive office and administering agencies shall make direct payments
57	57	27available to tenants or subtenants whose landlords are unresponsive or refuse payments. In
58	58	28administering the program, the executive office shall coordinate with the department of
59	59	29transitional assistance, member agencies and offices of the Massachusetts interagency council on
60	60	30housing and homelessness or successor body, and the agencies contracted to administer the
61	61	31residential assistance for families in transition program on behalf of eligible households served
62	62	32by those agencies and offices to streamline the application process, provide additional support
63	63	33services, and better promote upstream homelessness prevention and housing stability. 3 of 3
64	64	34 (b) The executive office shall annually, on or before December 31, issue a report on the
65	65	35rental, mortgage, and utility assistance program created by this section. The report shall be
66	66	36submitted to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on
67	67	37housing, and the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate. The report also shall be
68	68	38posted online in a timely manner in a searchable format so that such information is available to
69	69	39the public. The report shall include but not be limited to the following information:
70	70	40 (i) the referral source for each household and number of households referred by said
71	71	41source;
72	72	42 (ii) the number of applications requested, the number of applications completed, the
73	73	43number of applications approved;
74	74	44 (iii) the number of applications rejected and the reasons for denial;
75	75	45 (iv) the household income and demographic information for each qualifying household
76	76	46and its members. This information shall be provided by zip code and cumulatively;
77	77	47 (v) the monthly rent or mortgage liability for each qualifying household and the amount
78	78	48of each arrearage payment; and
79	79	49 (vi) the housing status of each qualifying household at 6, 12, and 24 months after receipt
80	80	50of services or cash benefits.