Expiring Use Bill
An Act Preserving Publically Assisted Affordable Housing (commonly referred to as the “Expiring Use” bill. Filed by Rep. Honan and Sen. Tucker this bill creates a regulatory framework to preserve expiring use properties as affordable housing. The legislation establishes notification provisions for tenants within expiring use properties, establishes a right of first refusal for DHCD or its designee to purchase publicly assisted housing that is for sale, and establishes modest tenant protections for projects that have affordability restrictions that terminate. Click here for fact sheet and here for UU Mass Action testimony

Foreclosure Bill
On Tuesday, May 19th Rev. Judy Deutsch tesitifed in favor or the An Act Relative to Stabilizing Neighborhoods (aka “the foreclosure bill”). Again co-sponsored by Rep Honan and Sen Tucker, this legislation prevents the eviction of tenants in foreclosed properties that have paid rent and are in good standing until the foreclosing owner sells the property. The legislation also provides incentives for non-profits to return dilapidated foreclosed properties to productive housing. In addition, the bill increases the time a homeowner has to cure a default from 90 to 150 days. It also includes a provision to help ensure that foreclosed properties are properly maintained by having the foreclosing owner register the identity of the responsible property manager. Lastly, it gives the Attorney General much-needed tools to prosecute mortgage fraud.

Click here for 2010 Budget priorities. Thanks to the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and Advocacy Network to End Family Homelessness for this information.

Massachusetts took a major step forward last year to end homelessness with the completion of the Commission to End Homelessness in the Commonwealth Report and subsequent funding for the Homeless Prevention strategies laid out in the report. . The report lays out an exciting blueprint with recommendations for new policies and practices that will make ending homelessness a reality. With the $10 million approved for FY 09, the State is funding several pilot initiatives to identify families and individuals at risk of homeless and working to ensure they keep their current home. While the current housing and financial crisis has added to the challenge, the leaders remain confident that we can eliminate homelessness in Massachusetts in the next few years through these new efforts. No funding is being requested this year by the Commission.

Housing

UU Mass Action is supporting the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) and the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition Program (RAFT).

MRVP is the state’s rental assistance program. It helps low-income households with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line ($2,933/month for a family of three) to pay their rent in private apartments. MRVP vouchers are provided as mobile and project-based subsidies.

RAFT, a homelessness prevention program initiated in 2005 by the Massachusetts Legislature, provides up to $3,000 in flexible funds to low-income households in emergency situations to allow them to stay housed or move from a shelter into an apartment. Due to the huge demand for RAFT assistance, RAFT ran out of funds half way through the last two years. Increased funding will help more families avoid homelessness or reduce the length of time they are without a more permanent residence.

Adult Basic Education, ABE

Adult Basic Education provides literacy and English proficiency services to adults. ABE includes English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), General Education Development (GED) programs, and adult basic education (non-reader to pre-GED), with targeted services in Workforce Development, Family Literacy, and Transition to Higher Education.
The yearly cost of adult basic education is about $2,000 per person. Insufficient marketable skills are often the gatekeepers that prevent families from leaving a shelter more quickly or avoiding homelessness early on.
About 24,000 people are on the waiting lists for Adult Basic Education programs due to underfunding. Waiting lists vary from 2 to 8 months for Adult Basic Education and 6 months to 2 years for English for Speakers of Other Languages.
See below for Adult Basic Education fact sheet
State Budget Outcome: Funding was boosted by over $1 million in the most recent state budget (Fiscal Year 2008), allowing 1000 additional people to receive ABE training annually.