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7004-0101 - Emergency Assistance - Family Shelters and Services
| Account | Description | FY2011 GAA |
FY2012 House 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7004-0101 | Emergency Assistance - Family Shelters and Services For certain expenses of the emergency assistance program pursuant to section 30 of chapter 23B of the General Laws as follows: (i) contracted temporary emergency family shelters and (ii) congregate emergency housing programs, provided, that eligibility for any such assistance shall be limited to families with income at or below 115 per cent of the 2009 or a later-issued higher federal poverty level; provided further, however, that any family whose income exceeds 115 per cent of the federal poverty level while the family is receiving assistance funded by this item 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 notwithstanding any general or special law, or program regulation, to the contrary, (i) those families that shall be eligible for assistance through a temporary emergency family shelter shall be only (a) families that are at risk of domestic abuse in their current housing situation; and (b) families that, through no fault of their own, are homeless due to fire or natural disaster; and (ii) all families otherwise eligible for temporary emergency family shelter pursuant to departmental regulations, including those families otherwise eligible under (i) above, in which the head of household is not more than 21 years of age at the time of application for emergency assistance, shall be served only through a young families congregate housing program; provided further, that such facilities shall not be subject to licensing requirements of the executive office of health and human services; provided further, however, that any family receiving temporary emergency family shelter benefits pursuant to section 30 of chapter 23B as of June 30, 2011, shall not become ineligible for temporary emergency family shelter benefits provided that such families in which the head of household is more than 21 years of age shall transfer to the short-term housing transition program as such assistance becomes available, and such families in which the head of household is not more than 21 years of age shall transfer to a young families congregate housing facility as such facilities become available; provided further, that the department shall establish reasonable requirements for such families to escrow a portion of their income; provided further, that the escrowed funds shall be exempt from otherwise applicable asset limits; provided further, that the family may withdraw the amount placed in escrow upon transition to permanent housing or losing eligibility for shelter services; provided further, that benefits under this item shall be provided only to residents 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 shall take all steps necessary to enforce regulations to prevent abuse in the emergency assistance program including a wage match agreement with the department of revenue; provided further, that no emergency assistance expenditures shall be paid from this item unless explicitly authorized; provided further, that the department shall make every effort consistent with family safety to ensure that children receiving services from this item shall continue attending school in the community in which they lived prior to receiving services funded from this item; provided further, that should a family with a child under the age of 2 be placed in a hotel or motel, the department of housing and community development shall ensure that the hotel or motel provides a crib for each child under the age of 2 that meets all state and federal safety codes; provided further, that benefits received under section 30 of Chapter 23B and/or the short-term housing transition program shall render a family ineligible for emergency assistance and/or short-term housing transition benefits for a period of 24 months from the later of the date upon which the family exits a temporary emergency family shelter or a short-term housing transition payment is made to or on behalf of the family; provided further, that families receiving such shelter benefits who are found not to be eligible for continuing emergency assistance benefits shall be eligible for aid pending a timely appeal pursuant to chapter 23B of the General Laws; provided further, that the department shall not impose unreasonable requirements for third-party verification and shall accept verifications from the family whenever reasonable; provided further, that the department shall use its best efforts to ensure that a family placed by the emergency assistance program shall be provided with access to refrigeration and basic cooking facilities; 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, that any amounts appropriated in this item may be transferred to item 7004-0108 upon the approval of the secretary of administration and finance; provided further that the department shall submit quarterly reports to the house and senate committees on ways and means, detailing the number of families transitioned from shelter benefits to affordable, subsidized or otherwise assisted housing through this program; provided further, said report shall include the average, minimum and maximum cost per family of such assistance, the number of families served who required further assistance at a later date, the type of assistance later required and provided, and the current housing stability of each family who received transitional housing or short-term housing assistance within the prior 18 months; provided further, that no funds shall be expended for costs associated with the homeless management information system; provided further, that the quarterly report shall also contain the same data required in item 4403-2120 of section 2 of chapter 139 of the acts of 2006; and provided further, the Department of Housing and Community Development shall notify local school departments of the placement of a family in its district within 5 days of placement |
115,360,773 | 97,797,200 |
Transferred to 7004-0108.
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