70049024 - Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program

Account Description FY2014
Spending
FY2015
GAA
7004-9024 Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program
For a program of rental assistance for low-income families and elderly persons through mobile and project-based vouchers; provided, that such assistance shall only be paid under a program known as the Massachusetts rental voucher program; provided further, that the income of eligible households shall not exceed 50 per cent of the area median income; provided further, that the department may award mobile vouchers to eligible households currently occupying project-based units that shall expire due to the nonrenewal of project-based rental assistance contracts; provided further, that with the exception of vouchers committed to initiatives prior to July 1, 2014 as well as vouchers provided through item 7004-9322, any new mobile vouchers distributed in fiscal year 2015 shall be distributed to households currently residing on existing housing waitlists; provided further, that not more than $2,500,000 may be used for the creation and administration of a statewide application system and waitlist; provided further, that the department of housing and community development shall report, not later than February 1, 2015, to the house and senate committees on ways and means on the timeline for the creation and implementation of, and the development of criteria used for, the statewide application system and waitlist; provided further, that with the exception of vouchers previously committed to initiatives prior to July 1, 2014 as well as vouchers provided through item 7004-9322, the method used to distribute or redistribute vouchers under this item shall not take into account participation in the state's emergency assistance housing program; provided further, that the department, as a condition of continued eligibility for vouchers and voucher payments, may require disclosure of social security numbers by participants and members of a participant's household in the Massachusetts rental voucher program for use in verification of income with other agencies, departments and executive offices; provided further, that any household in which a participant or member of a participant's household fails to provide a social security number for use in verifying the household's income and eligibility shall no longer be eligible for a voucher or to receive benefits from the voucher program; provided further, that the monthly dollar amount of each voucher shall be the department approved monthly rent of the unit less the monthly amount paid for rent by the household; provided further, that any household which is proven to have caused intentional damage to its rental unit in an amount exceeding 2 months of rent during any one-year period shall be terminated from the program; provided further, that if a mobile voucher's use is or has been discontinued, then the mobile voucher shall be re-assigned; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, each household holding a voucher shall pay at least 30 per cent, but not more than 40 per cent, of its income as rent; provided further, that the department shall establish the amounts of the mobile vouchers and the project-based vouchers so that the appropriation in this item is not exceeded by payments for rental assistance and administration; provided further, that the department shall not enter into commitments which shall cause it to exceed the appropriation set forth in this item; provided further, that the department may impose certain obligations for each participant in the Massachusetts rental voucher program through a 12-month contract which shall be executed by the participant and the department; provided further, that such obligations may include, but shall not be limited to, job training, counseling, household budgeting and education, as defined in regulations promulgated by the department and to the extent these programs are available; provided further, that each participant shall be required to undertake and meet these contractually established obligations as a condition for continued eligibility in the program; provided further, that for continued eligibility, each participant shall execute this 12-month contract on or before September 1, 2014 if the participant's annual eligibility recertification date occurs between June 30, 2014 and September 1, 2014, and otherwise on or before the annual eligibility recertification date; provided further, that any participant who is over the age of 60 years or who is disabled may be exempt from any obligations unsuitable under particular circumstances; provided further, that no funds shall be expended from this item in the AA object class for the compensation of state employees; provided further, that the department may assist housing authorities at their written request in the immediate implementation of a homeless prevention program utilizing alternative housing resources available to them for low-income families and the elderly by designating participants in the Massachusetts rental voucher program as at-risk of displacement by public action through no fault of their own; and provided further, that participating local housing authorities may take all steps necessary to enable them to transfer mobile voucher program participants from the Massachusetts rental voucher program into another housing subsidy program; prior appropriation continued
57,485,000 65,000,000