Senate Ways & Means Releases Budget Proposal for FY2023
On May 10, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means (SWM) released its FY2023 state budget proposal. The budget would provide increased funding for many of CHAPA’s affordable housing priorities, including the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, the Alternative Housing Voucher Program, Public Housing, and RAFT. The Massachusetts Senate will debate its budget proposal in the last week of May.
CHAPA thanks Senate President Spilka, Chairman Rodrigues and members of the Senate Ways & Means Committee for making strong investments in affordable housing priorities!
SWM budget proposal includes $850 million in housing funding. Please refer to the CHAPA Budget Priority chart for funding amounts on affordable housing. Below is the summary of some of CHAPA's priority programs:
- Mass. Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) - SWM funds MRVP at $154 million ($4 million over the House proposal) along with language to carry forward $21.9 million in unspent funds from FY22 bringing the MRVP total allocation at ~$175 million. SWM also proposes language changes to move MRVP to a payment standard and a few other changes.
-
Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) - SWM funds RAFT at $150 million. This is critical given that the federal funding for rental assistance has almost ended. The increased allocation is in addition to the $100 million allocated for RAFT through the FY2022 Supplemental budget. SWM also includes language to carryover the $60 million carryover from the Supplemental budget bringing the total RAFT allocation to $210 million for FY2023.
-
Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP) - SWM allocated $13.6 million along with language to carry forward $5.6 million in unspent funds from FY22 bringing the AHVP total allocation to $19.2 million.
-
Public Housing - SWM proposes increased funding for Public Housing Operating line item at $92 million.
-
HomeBASE - SWM allocates increased funding of $56.9 million for HomeBASE with automatic renewal of benefits up to 2 years.
Full analysis of line-item language.
|
Line-Item |
Program |
FY2023 Requests |
SWM FY2023 Budget |
House FY2023 Budget |
Gov’s FY2023 Budget |
FY2022 Budget |
|
7004-9024 |
Mass. Rental Voucher Program |
$200,000,000 |
$175,000,000† |
$171,900,000†† |
$129,981,667* |
$150,000,000 |
|
7004-9030 |
Alternative Housing Voucher Program |
$19,000,000 |
$19,685,355‡ |
$19,285,355‡ |
$8,685,355 |
$14,200,000 |
|
7004-9316 |
Residential Assistance for Families in Transition |
$250,000,000 |
$210,000,000ˇ |
$140,000,000 |
$80,000,000 |
$122,000,000^ |
|
7004-3036 |
Housing Consumer Education Centers |
$8,200,000 |
$8,200,000 |
$9,700,000 |
$8,200,000 |
$8,200,000 |
|
7004-9005 |
Public Housing Operating |
$92,000,000 |
$92,000,000 |
$92,000,000 |
$85,000,000 |
$85,000,000 |
|
7004-9007 |
Public Housing Reform |
$1,000,000 |
$1,000,000 |
$1,000,000 |
$1,000,000 |
$1,000,000 |
|
7004-0104 |
Home & Healthy for Good |
$6,390,000 |
$3,890,000 |
$6,390,000 |
$3,890,000 |
$3,890,000 |
|
7004-0108 |
HomeBASE |
$56,911,201 |
$56,911,200 |
$59,411,201 |
$56,911,201 |
$25,970,612 |
|
7006-0011 |
Foreclosure & Housing Counseling |
$3,050,000 |
$3,050,000 |
$2,850,000 |
$1,500,000 |
$3,050,000 |
|
7004-3045 |
Tenancy Preservation Program |
$1,800,000 |
$1,800,000 |
$1,800,000 |
$1,800,000 |
$1,800,000 |
|
4120-4001 |
MassAccess Registry |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
$80,000 |
$80,000 |
$80,000 |
|
4000-0007 |
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth |
$10,000,000 |
$8,500,000 |
$8,500,000 |
$8,500,000 |
$8,000,000 |
|
7004-0106 |
New Lease for Homeless Families |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
† Includes $20.7 million in funds carried forward from FY22.
†† Includes $21.9 million in funds carried forward from FY22.
* The Governor stated that his budget would make $145.6 million available for MRVP in FY23. However, the actual appropriation in the line item only provides $130 million. The Governor may be including unspent funds from FY22 that could carry over into FY23 but this language is not included in the line-item.
‡ SWM & the House budget include $5.6 million in funds carried forward from FY22.
ˇ Includes $60 million carried over from the FY22 supplemental budget
^ This number includes the $100 million appropriated to RAFT in FY22 in a supplemental budget.