Supportive Housing Pipeline Affordable Homes Act (AHA) Advocacy Goals
The Supportive Housing Pipeline Coalition is advocating for adding the language from HB.1354: SB.855: An Act to create and implement a Massachusetts Flexible Supportive Housing Subsidy Pool Program, the coalitions top bill, to the Affordable Homes Act SECTION 45, CHAPTER 121H SUPPORTIVE HOUSING POOL FUND, the original innovation and intent of the bill would be fully realized. Specifically, the inserting the language from H. 1354 back into the Supportive Housing Pool Fund section of the AHA would do the following:
Braid existing state line items for housing and healthcare into a unified, flexible funding stream, managed by a third-party nonprofit, to support trauma-informed service delivery, regional coordination efforts, and integrated services.
Strengthen the coordination and delivery of supportive services to individuals, youth, and families experiencing homelessness.
Ensure that existing state programs are deployed equitably to reach our most vulnerable residents.
Create a statewide Funder's Collaborative to End Homeless, tasked with securing private contributions to the MFSHP and seeding local innovations.
Improve outcomes and identify best practices for sustained investments
The coalition submitted a letter to the chairs of the Joint Committee on Housing to support this effort. Many members of the coalition, additionally included this change in their own testimony on the bill.
In the hearing on the January 18th, fifteen members of the coalition showed up in person to provide oral testimony in support of strengthening the supportive housing language in the AHA. We are optimistic that the bill will be released favorable from the Joint Committee on Housing with our requested change and make its way to House Ways and Means, then on towards the Senate where we will continue our AHA advocacy.
Read the press release from the Healey Administration where members of the coalition were highlighted for their testimony.
