70040101 - Emergency Assistance - Family Shelters and Services

Account Description FY2010
Spending		 FY2011
GAA
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 family shelters; (ii) transitional housing that may include temporary rental assistance and stabilization services to bridge families to permanent housing at a lesser cost than shelter; (iii) short-term housing assistance; provided, that eligibility 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 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; provided further, that no emergency assistance expenditures shall be paid from this item unless explicitly authorized; provided further, that eligible households who are approved for shelter placement shall be placed in shelters as close as possible to their home community unless a household requests otherwise; provided further, that if the closest available placement is not within 20 miles of the household's home community, the household shall be transferred to an appropriate shelter within 20 miles of its home community at the earliest possible date unless the household requests otherwise; provided further, that eligibility for shelter by an otherwise eligible family shall not be impaired by prior receipt of any non-shelter benefit; provided further, that the department shall make every effort 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 3 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 3 that meets all state and federal safety codes; provided further, that notwithstanding any other general or special law to the contrary, the department shall immediately provide shelter for up to 30 days to families who appear to be eligible for such shelter based on statements provided by the family and any other information in the possession of the department but who need additional time to obtain any third-party verifications reasonably required by the department; provided further, that shelter benefits received under the preceding proviso shall not render a family ineligible under any regulation providing that a family who previously received shelter is ineligible for shelter benefits for a period of 12 months; provided further, that families receiving such shelter benefits who are found not to be eligible for continuing shelter 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 in promulgating, amending or rescinding regulations with respect to eligibility or benefits under this program, the department shall take into account the amounts available to it for expenditure in this item so as not to exceed the amount appropriated in this item; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, 90 days before promulgating any such eligibility or benefit changes, the undersecretary shall file with the house and senate committees on ways and means and the clerks of the senate and house of representatives a determination by the secretary of housing and economic development that available appropriations for the program will be insufficient to meet projected expenses and a report setting forth such proposed changes; provided further, that in fiscal year 2011, no such determination and report shall be filed prior to December 5, 2010; 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 provided further, that not less than $3,500,000 shall be expended to directly reduce the usage of shelter, including hotels and motels, by the emergency assistance program; provided further, that funds shall be used to transition families served by the program to more rapidly move them into temporary or permanent sustainable housing; provided further, that the department shall develop a strategic plan detailing the expenditure of these funds and shall submit the plan to the office of administration and finance and the house and senate committees on ways and means not later than August 16, 2010; 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 that no funds shall be expended for personnel or administrative costs; 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; provided further, said report shall include the number of families served with transitional housing or short-term housing assistance, the nature of such assistance provided, 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, the Department of Housing and Community Development shall notify local school departments of the placement of a family in its district within five days of placement; and provided further, that upon receipt of a written certification by the secretary of administration and finance, addressed to the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means and the comptroller of the commonwealth, that legislation extending the commonwealth's eligibility for an enhanced federal medical assistance percentage pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Pub. L. No. 111-5, not in effect as of June 1, 2010, has been duly enacted and signed into law by the President of the United States or that the federal government has otherwise obligated itself to release additional funding not available as of June 1, 2010, to the commonwealth during state fiscal year 2011,the department shall expend an additional $500,000 to directly reduce the usage of shelter, including hotels and motels, by the emergency assistance program



General Fund 98.674%

FMAP Budget Relief Fund 1.326%

 151,693,012 115,360,773

Veto Explanation:   I am vetoing this language and reducing this amount because none of the enhanced FMAP funds have been received from or committed by the federal government.