70040108 - Massachusetts Short Term Housing Transition Program

Account Description FY2012
Spending
FY2013
GAA
7004-0108 Massachusetts Short Term Housing Transition Program
For a program of short-term housing assistance to help families in addressing obstacles to maintaining or securing housing for: (i) families eligible for temporary emergency shelter under item 7004-0101; and (ii) families that received rental assistance under this item prior to July 1, 2012; provided, that the assistance provided under this item shall include not less than 12 months of housing stabilization and economic self-sufficiency case management services for each family receiving benefits hereunder; provided further, that the assistance may include, but shall not be limited to: payments of rent and utility arrears, a portion of the household's monthly rent, first month's rent, last month's rent, security deposit, utility charges and extraordinary medical bills; provided further, that except for a family receiving rental assistance, no other assistance from this item shall exceed $4,000 in a 12 month period; provided further, that, excluding families receiving rental assistance, a family shall not receive more than a combined sum of $4,000 in a 12 month period from this item and item 7004-9316; provided further, that a family shall not be able to receive cash assistance hereunder for 12 months from the last date it received cash assistance; provided further, that families that received rental assistance under this item prior to July 1, 2012 shall remain eligible for assistance greater than $4,000 under this item provided that the monthly rent for the housing does not exceed the amount approved by the department of housing and community development; provided further, that families eligible for rental assistance shall pay not more than 35 per cent of household income towards rent and utilities; provided further, that a family's eligibility for rental assistance provided hereunder shall not exceed a period of 24 successive months from the date the family first received rental assistance hereunder, not including time spent in temporary accommodations; provided further, that a family that is terminated from the program because it has received 24 successive months of rental assistance shall not be able to receive assistance hereunder for 12 months from the last date it received assistance through this program; provided further, that families receiving services through item 7004-0101 for 32 weeks or fewer from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013 shall be eligible for up to $4,000 in assistance over 12 months; provided further, that families receiving services through item 7004-0101 for longer than 32 weeks from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013 shall not be eligible for assistance through this item until 12 months from the date of exit from shelter; provided further, that so long as they meet the requirements of their housing stabilization plan, a family that received household assistance pursuant to this item who exceeds the income eligibility criteria pursuant to section 30 of chapter 23B of the General Laws shall not become ineligible for assistance due to exceeding the income limit for a period of 6 months from the date that the 115 per cent level was exceeded; provided further, that so long as they meet the requirements of their housing stabilization plan, a family that received rental assistance pursuant to this item prior to July 1, 2012 whose income exceeds 50 per cent of area median income, shall not become ineligible for assistance due to exceeding the income limit for a period of 6 months from the date that the 50 per cent level was exceeded; provided further, that the continued eligibility of the family shall be determined on an annual basis; provided further, that a family shall not be deemed ineligible as a result of any single violation of a self-sufficiency plan; provided further, that the department shall take all steps necessary to enforce regulations to prevent abuse in the short-term housing transition program including a wage match agreement with the department of revenue; provided further, that a family that was terminated from the program or did not make a good faith effort to follow its housing stabilization plan during the term of its assistance shall be ineligible for benefits pursuant to item 7004-0101 and this item for 24 months from the last date upon which they received assistance hereunder, including housing stabilization and economic self-sufficiency case management services; provided further, that a family's housing stabilization plan shall adequately accommodate the age and disabilities of the family members; provided further, that no family with a head of household who is over 60 years of age or who is disabled and who is in compliance with the requirements of a housing stabilization plan that accommodates disabilities shall be denied short-term housing assistance; provided further, that any such family with a head of household who is over 60 years of age or who is disabled shall not have engaged in, or be engaged in, any activity that threatens the health, safety or security of the family, other program participants or program staff; provided further, that families receiving benefits under this program who are found not to be eligible for continuing benefits shall be eligible for aid pending a timely appeal pursuant to said chapter 23B; provided further, that families who are denied assistance under this item may appeal pursuant to said chapter 23B, including subsection (F) of section 30, and regulations adopted to implement said chapter 23B; provided further, that benefits under this item shall be provided only to residents of the commonwealth of Massachusetts who are citizens of the United States or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence or otherwise permanently residing under color of law in the United States; provided further, that the department, as a condition of continued eligibility for assistance pursuant to this program, may require disclosure of social security numbers by all members of a family receiving assistance hereunder for use in verification of income with other agencies, departments and executive offices; provided further, that any family in which a member of the family fails to provide a social security number for use in verifying the family's income and eligibility shall no longer be eligible to receive benefits from this program; provided further, that the department shall administer this program through the following agencies unless administering agencies are otherwise procured by the department: the Berkshire Housing Development Corporation, the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance, Inc., the Community Teamwork, Inc., the Housing Assistance Corporation, the Franklin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Hap, Inc., the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, Inc., the Lynn Housing Authority and Neighborhood Development, the South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc., the South Shore Housing Development Corporation and RCAP Solutions, Inc; provided further, that the department of housing and community development shall reallocate financing based on performance based statistics from under-performing service providers to above average service providers in order to move as many families from hotel, motels, or shelters into more sustainable housing; provided further, that the department shall use funds provided for this program for stabilization workers to focus efforts on housing retention, and link households to supports including job training, education, job search, and childcare opportunities available and may enter into agreements with other public and private agencies for the provision of such services, and that a stabilization worker shall be assigned to each household; provided further, that all of this item shall be subject to appropriation and, in the event of a deficiency, nothing in this item shall give rise to or shall be construed as giving rise to any enforceable right or entitlement to services in excess of the amounts appropriated in this item; provided further, notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, 60 days before promulgating or amending any regulations, administrative practice or policy that would alter eligibility for or the level of benefits under this program, other than that which would benefit the clients, the department shall file with the house and senate committees on ways and means and the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, a report setting forth justification for such changes, including, but not limited to, any determination by the secretary of housing and economic development that available appropriations will be insufficient to meet projected expenses; and provided further, that the department shall submit quarterly reports to the house and senate committees on ways and means, which shall include the number of families served, the type of assistance given, the number of families assisted through this program, the average, minimum and maximum cost per family of such assistance and the current housing stability of each family who received assistance within the prior 12 months and shall include any obstacles encountered with the administration of this program
65,261,103 83,374,371