Bill > S16

This bill addresses fiscal year 2025 supplemental appropriations, with a primary focus on emergency housing assistance for families in Massachusetts. The bill allocates $425 million from the Transitional Escrow Fund to support services and safe shelter for unhoused families, with specific provisions for temporary respite sites lasting up to 30 days. The legislation introduces significant changes to the emergency housing assistance program, including stricter eligibility requirements such as mandatory criminal conviction disclosure, criminal background checks, and residency verification. Families with children or pregnant women will now be limited to 6 consecutive months of benefits, with potential extensions for specific hardship circumstances like veteran status, domestic violence risk, disability, or high-risk pregnancy. The bill also caps the total capacity of the emergency housing assistance program at 4,000 families from December 31, 2025, to December 31, 2026, and requires biweekly reporting on program details, including caseload, waitlist, and exit information. Additionally, the bill mandates a plan to phase out the use of hotels and motels for emergency housing by December 31, 2025, and requires a comprehensive report on preventing family homelessness and improving housing assistance programs.

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S16