[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6054572,"mediaKeyId","3335846-5abe460f658b6fcca34529f3e6777e84","parentId",3335846,"title","Advocates urge more supportive housing and easier access to prevention funds as evictions rise","audioSeconds",3066,"startMs",6750000,"endMs",9816000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3335846-5abe460f658b6fcca34529f3e6777e84&start=6750&end=9816","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3335846-5abe460f658b6fcca34529f3e6777e84/thumbnail_6750000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6054572/Massachusetts/Advocates-urge-more-supportive-housing-and-easier-access-to-prevention-funds-as-evictions-rise","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6054572-90f142843f8a1ac07e1468fb52bd1508/orig.mp4?Expires=1775633600&Signature=BJmVQ8lzqv9MI7LaaFD4J7I8Szu8Bl5ZRd4b-RFTakf16mz3k1d2Zkt2dJWf1ALFbVSp55EaQzM5NcgS6EdDl86mJJr-SyyKpDw3Ks9u-y-~tnhyMdURJQHGFmE-I4WLUSwFDd~ggpaMNmgcByTdQHDPdo7CLhGVdl5JE~Ea9CV8q6WhZmZx3uVXshPSNH~r7gJuo6kQ8wX11FbrOl4bYhCjkGth8Ub481FXIetQcW4IUVn-kqPEDlW48cwey62QqVBcLm5B-axSzhujF77ZID~ZnZ7wB94PiqfNeuy1YL2hkiVUpEVRGtV18qsGuBCFTFXv-fRWCqXX2ygzTfybaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Joint Committee on Housing","date","2025-05-15T00:00:00Z","article","Supportive‑housing providers, homelessness‑service advocates and legal aid described increases in visible homelessness and urged the Joint Committee on Housing to expand operating and service dollars alongside capital investments.

Joyce Tavon, chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (testimony used the organization name Mahasa), said chronic homelessness and the number of adults living on the streets have grown and that the state should “add and preserve supportive housing” and double the current inventory of supportive units from an estimated 9,500 units. She told lawmakers the Affordable Homes Act includes a flexible supportive housing pool but that the next step is funding that pool and coordinating capital, operating and services.

Chris Norris, executive director of Metro Housing Boston, described Homebase and RAFT as cost‑effective alternatives to shelter but said demand remains elevated. He said RAFT distribution during the pandemic prevented evictions for many households and that Metro Housing is still receiving hundreds of applications per week. Norris emphasized that vouchers and MRVP have kept families stably housed but noted wait lists are long and some programs have been frozen.

Hed Ehrlich, managing attorney for the Greater Boston Legal Services housing unit, urged permanent access to counsel in eviction cases, describing a case his office resolved where a family with a Section 8 voucher lost subsidy because of administrative error and would have lost their home if legal help had not intervened. Ehrlich said only about 1 in 20 tenants in eviction cases now has legal representation and that access to counsel helps keep families housed and landlords paid.

Witnesses asked the committee to fund a statewide supportive‑housing strategy (House bill 1552 / Senate 991 referenced in testimony) that would coordinate housing, human services and data across agencies, and to extend or preserve Medicaid 1115 waiver supports that pay tenancy‑support services. They also urged lawmakers to expand or codify RAFT and the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, and to fund eviction prevention services, legal assistance and diversion programs to reduce shelter entries.

The hearing included no committee votes; the session was for testimony and questions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee on Housing - 5-15-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Supportive‑housing advocates, shelter providers and legal services told the Joint Committee on Housing the state should increase funding for supportive housing, expand RAFT and MRVP access, and make eviction‑prevention assistance more accessible to avert homelessness.","taxTitle","Joint Committee on Housing, Joint, Legislative, Massachusetts","taxId",23906,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6054577,"Housing authorities urge larger operating and capital increases as federal risks mount",814,2204000,3018000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3335846-5abe460f658b6fcca34529f3e6777e84&start=2204&end=3018","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3335846-5abe460f658b6fcca34529f3e6777e84/thumbnail_2204000.jpg","/articles/6054577/Massachusetts/Housing-authorities-urge-larger-operating-and-capital-increases-as-federal-risks-mount","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6054577-5344e07fe491abec4e1b7c8c24100752/orig.mp4?Expires=1775633600&Signature=BKShVijzbEMtUTXA2-1a5Qhk1jBk4YAbmd8xjtBfRCsWZEsrWwapksiGkx81po~wPEhqSJ4EfSh66tbvbHj2jWaWxWpdaWMckHJzM9WuWdWPObA7R6KRMbeyGBg13ufh~ZbScbJX8SWE7e-0BttrqGrqkVIMU74VNLLJm8vLB1G5liFyw9vSS8R-75rDVWMmRkdQF3r3wCLdFd5jmaLJbFLoLQK5mR6Eb3rsB0yHTiGmpYaA-dD35ThoSuFXC453HD~ULXJ0DERTs3~2bjAIoBz7A~h0vMve2UpwZ12-7eNh8NheqrzIYp2xTZVy3y2NRrVBuNapejQ4B3lebTV5xQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Leaders of Massachusetts public housing authorities and their statewide associations told the Joint Committee on Housing they have made progress on funding but still face critical shortfalls that threaten maintenance, services and turnover of vacant units.

Donna Rodrigo, executive director of the Massachusetts chapter of MAS MARO, and Michael Lara, president of MAS MARO, told the committee the association’s members operate 43,000 state units and face a public housing waiting list nearing 300,000 applicants. Rodrigo said state operating subsidy line items have increased in recent budgets but that “the proposed increases still fall short of our actual need,” citing labor and maintenance cost increases of more than 11% in the past year.

Massachusetts housing‑authority leaders described several recent state investments: in FY25 the administration budgeted about $157 million for public housing capital improvements (a 29% increase from FY24), an earlier $150 million in ARPA funds for capital repairs, and Affordable Homes Act capital awards to produce new affordable units. Michael Lara said vacancy‑turnover work done with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and planned vacancy turnover teams have reduced the number of operationally controllable vacant units to roughly 1,000 across the state.

Witnesses warned that federal proposals to cut HUD funding and staff would amplify state pressures. Rodrigo and Lara said Section 8 and other federal programs are already experiencing shortfalls and that a proposed federal “skinny budget” has raised concern across housing authorities. Lara said many agencies are planning more conservative voucher issuance and other measures to weather potential federal cuts.

Advocates urged additional state funding for resident services, including support for resident service coordinators. Rodrigo specifically expressed support for a Senate amendment (referred to in testimony as amendment number 83) that would add funding to the resident service coordinator line item, and told the committee that service coordinators “play a vital role in improving residents' quality of life, assisting them to become self sufficient, and allowing seniors to age in place.”

Committee members and agency witnesses also described steps to centralize technical assistance for small housing authorities, regional capital assistance teams (RCAT), and vacancy‑turnover task forces to speed repairs and unit turnover.

No formal votes or statutory actions were taken during the hearing; the session was informational and focused on agency testimony and questions.","Representatives of Massachusetts housing authorities and their trade groups told the Joint Committee on Housing that recent state increases are welcome but insufficient, and warned that proposed federal cuts to HUD and block‑grant funding could further stress already underfunded local authorities.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6054582,"State officials say Affordable Homes Act underway but far short of 222,000‑unit goal",621,302000,923000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3335846-5abe460f658b6fcca34529f3e6777e84&start=302&end=923","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3335846-5abe460f658b6fcca34529f3e6777e84/thumbnail_302000.jpg","/articles/6054582/Massachusetts/State-officials-say-Affordable-Homes-Act-underway-but-far-short-of-222000unit-goal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6054582-36fba231d52c5fb90fe1684bd6aef9a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1775633600&Signature=FjMAr2-c0UD~1IT5y43alGgZn3JtHwS87DFtg58WZC0nn2njCzh9zqk~JexEWoqOq3Yodl9qq1UFzGKHZHOprp91QMNQYFJqBS084~kNiReCIgYV-EHVujCj7xAedxfkxNaUHEpuJxQkEzYQR58rn4LQ5fB~Yb7BHMFP3dJWuwrvEwfS5pyu-rZVHth5cCh-3KJw~ohqM1OkNll0WiMPXkRIjM41MngEVfIFUuNH5sOR9c4ZhUlwtZM1-FJktt62OBPEuPu~1oKvQeTNheTE1AFeHY~Y6d1isy5H7fSVWn8hdyfKpt5W-7jur1EGE5TNXVtMKfsM7XzI5OC9ChOJqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joint Committee on Housing heard Thursday that implementation of the Affordable Homes Act is underway but will not by itself reach the state’s housing-production target.

“ If there is any takeaway from the housing plan, it is that the state needs 222,000 new units over the next 10 years,” said the Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, summarizing the administration’s 10‑year production goal and the executive office’s planning work.

That 222,000 figure comes from the administration’s first comprehensive housing plan, which the secretary told the committee identifies an undersupply problem that includes a statewide vacancy rate of 1.6 percent and a projection that Massachusetts needs at least 73,000 new units over the next decade to absorb households formed by younger generations. The secretary testified the administration estimated the Affordable Homes Act would “create or preserve about 65,000 units of housing,” but cautioned that rising construction costs and market uncertainty have reduced that projection.

Committee members heard specific implementation items the administration has already moved to put in place: statewide allowance of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by right; a newly created Fair Housing Office and the hiring of a fair housing director; capital awards and funds from the Affordable Homes Act including an administration announcement of roughly $158 million in awards to produce more than 1,100 affordable units and a Momentum Fund equity investment that recently injected $5 million to convert an underused commercial property into 92 mixed‑income rental units. The secretary said $157 million in capital improvements to public housing was budgeted for FY25, a 29% increase from FY24, and that 28 of the law’s roughly 50 policy initiatives have been fully implemented.

Committee members pressed the administration on near‑term production numbers and tools to accelerate building. The secretary said the administration originally projected 65,000 units from the law but that tariff‑driven cost increases and tighter equity markets mean “that number probably needs to be adjusted,” suggesting a reduced best‑case outcome of roughly 50,000 units over the coming decade unless other changes speed production.

On ADUs, the secretary said the administration is convening lenders and working with the Massachusetts Housing Partnership to make financing and model designs easier for homeowners, and is preparing technical assistance and model zoning bylaws to help municipalities adopt compliant local rules. The secretary described ADUs as a low‑cost production tool, estimating wide adoption “can create up to 10,000 new units over the next 5 years at no cost to the Commonwealth.”

Lawmakers and panelists also raised federal funding uncertainty. The secretary said the administration is watching potential federal cuts that could affect HUD programs the state leverages for housing, including concerns over reductions in block grant funding and staffing, and that the state is tracking realized federal cuts already reported to the governor.

The hearing included repeated calls from committee members and witnesses for additional policy changes at the state and local level—zoning, permitting reform, infrastructure funding—and for sustained capital and operating funding beyond what the Affordable Homes Act authorizes.

The committee did not take votes at the hearing; the session consisted of informational testimony and questions from members.","The secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities told the Joint Committee on Housing the Administration has begun distributing capital from the Affordable Homes Act and implementing policy changes such as ADUs by right and a Fair Housing Office, but the state still needs hundreds of thousands of homes to meet demand.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Advocates urge more supportive housing and easier access to prevention funds as evictions rise

Housing authorities urge larger operating and capital increases as federal risks mount

State officials say Affordable Homes Act underway but far short of 222,000‑unit goal