Advocates urge lawmakers to expand RAFT and HomeBASE to prevent homelessness earlier

Rep. Rich Haggerty, House chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, opened the hybrid hearing that focused largely on homelessness prevention bills before the committee. Dozens of providers, attorneys and advocates testified that two existing state programs — Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) and HomeBASE — must be redesigned so people can access help earlier in a housing crisis and with more flexible benefits.

Why it matters: Testimony at the hearing said Massachusetts has seen steep increases in family homelessness and shrinking shelter capacity, heightening the need for upstream prevention. Multiple witnesses asked the committee to place the programs into statute so rules do not shift year to year and to increase benefit limits so families exiting emergency settings can sustain housing.

Advocates asked the committee to remove RAFT’s “notice to quit” requirement that currently conditions assistance on an active eviction threat. Kelly Turley, associate director at the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, said the bills filed by Rep. Decker and Sen. Creighton would “put the RAFT program into statute for the first time in its 20‑year history” and ensure benefits are available earlier in a crisis so households do not need a landlord’s notice to access help. Tim Scannola, a housing attorney with Greater Boston Legal Services, told the committee that waiting for court action increases displacement risk and, in some cases, tenants have felt compelled to ask a landlord to serve a notice to quit to become eligible for assistance.

Speakers emphasized shortfalls in HomeBASE, the state’s targeted rehousing subsidy for families with children, and urged higher maximums and more flexibility. Jill Currier of the City of Somerville Office of Housing Stability said current HomeBASE limits — the program now allows up to $30,000 over the first two years in many cases — are often insufficient to stabilize families in high‑cost rental markets. “They have been able to increase their earnings. Their money is going to run out under HomeBASE next month, and there’s nothing that we can do about it,” Currier said, urging an increase to $50,000 for the first 24 months and flexibility for extensions.

Legal services and tenant organizers described the programs’ real‑world effects. Elizabeth Alfred of Greater Boston Legal Services and Carolyn Chu of Homes for All Massachusetts said RAFT functions as a safety valve for immigrant and other households that are often reluctant to seek help in court; they recommended simpler access, non‑English language supports, and expansion of fund amounts. Brianna Silva of the National Association of Social Workers (Massachusetts chapter) said RAFT is “a stabilizing program” and urged removal of the notice‑to‑quit requirement.

Details and funding: Witnesses urged codification of RAFT and HomeBASE, increased per‑household caps (HomeBASE to $50,000 over two years cited frequently), expanded eligibility earlier in a housing crisis, better multilingual access and stronger data collection. Several presenters noted that federal and state shelter appropriations alone will not stem rising need; written testimony cited FY26 budget actions but speakers stressed that statutory protections would make the programs more durable.

What the committee asked: Committee members requested follow‑up detail on data and budgeting for the bills; staff were asked to collect written testimony. No formal committee vote occurred during the hearing.

Next steps: Advocates asked for a swift, favorable report so the bills can move to committee markup. The committee accepted written testimony and asked presenters to submit additional details and data for staff follow‑up.