Bill > H3959

This bill aims to transform the Commonwealth's emergency response system and create housing strategies to end the homelessness of unaccompanied adults. Key provisions include: 1) Expanding eligibility for community support programs to include long-term medically complex persons experiencing homelessness, and seeking amendments to the state's Medicaid 1115 waiver to broaden tenant-based services to avoid high costs of emergency and acute care for these individuals. 2) Requiring the gradual phasing out of mass congregate shelters and their replacement with a regional non-congregate shelter system, while allowing for temporary congregate shelters in emergency situations. 3) Prioritizing the development of housing resources for elderly, disabled, and medically complex persons experiencing homelessness, including long-term vouchers, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing. 4) Exploring alternative organizational models, public-private financing, and social innovation financing to reform the current emergency homelessness system and promote permanent supportive housing. 5) Evaluating the effectiveness of existing pay-for-success programs addressing chronic homelessness. 6) Examining the feasibility of creating a flexible housing pool to provide rental assistance, operating subsidies, and supportive services for persons experiencing homelessness.

Health and Social Services, Housing and Urban Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H3959