 Posted by Justin Martin, GBIO The time has come--the legislative session has closed, and we finally have definitive versions of the annual state budget as well as the highly-anticipated housing bond bill, the Affordable Homes Act. Now that these items have been signed by the Governor, let's take a look at where things stand for our campaign's priorities. THE WINS Annual Budget Public Housing - The operating budget for state housing authorities has been increased to $113 million! This is a significant increase from last year's original proposal of $92 million. Though we and our allies continue to uplift that the need for our housing authorities is over $180 million, we are pleased to see that our advocacy moved the needle in the right direction. We are optimistic that state leadership will continue to see the importance of this item in future sessions. This money will slightly improve the ability of our housing authorities to hire workers to carry out much-needed repairs, improving conditions for tenants. Affordable Homes Act (Housing Bond Bill) Public Housing - This one is major! The bond bill includes what is possibly the largest potential investment in the health of our public housing portfolio in Massachusetts history. Our many rallies, actions, and meetings have led to a massive $2.2 billion authorization for capital funding for the repair and improvement of public housing units. To put this in perspective, the previous five-year bond bill only included $600 million for public housing. This increase represents a monumental shift in how our legislators prioritize public housing. While the money still must eventually be released and effectively distributed, we are optimistic that the Healey Administration will ensure the tenant experience is vastly improved through major capital repairs made possible by these funds. Everyone deserves a home. When spent, this money will make an enormous difference in the lives of the over 70,000 of our most vulnerable residents and provide an example for the nation about the importance of safe and decent public housing. GBIO, your tireless work over the past two years led to this moment. This is your victory! Every relational meeting, listening session and action was pivotal in shifting our state's conversation around housing. Additionally, we acknowledge that this would not have happened without our pursuit of relationships with our Representatives and Senators on Beacon Hill. Please consider taking time to call or email your legislators and thank them for passing the budget and Affordable Homes Act! Need to find your legislator's contact information? Click here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator  THE DISAPPOINTMENTS
While there is much to celebrate, we also know that a few of our other housing priorities were left unaddressed by the legislature. Annual Budget Re-entry rental assistance - We advocated hard alongside formerly incarcerated leaders both outside and within GBIO, particularly those from member organization Justice 4 Housing, to have this line item increased from $3 million to $9 million. Unfortunately, the legislature has level-funded this service at $3 million. Affordable Homes Act (Housing Bond Bill) Real Estate Transfer Fees - As many of you saw earlier this summer, the legislature decided to omit language from the bond bill that would allow municipalities to tax high-value property sales and divert the funds to affordable housing trusts. We are still disappointed in this choice, and are concerned that monied interests were able use their influence to steer our officials away from making this game-changing tool available. Standalone Legislation Guaranteeing IDs for the Formerly Incarcerated - We are disappointed that the legislature continues to fail to pass legislation that will require the state to provide state IDs to those leaving incarceration before they actually depart, so that they are able to obtain housing and other necessary services. This roadblock needlessly inhibits the ability of people to smoothly transition back into public life, opening the door for recidivism and other issues. During our In-District Meeting campaign the vast majority of our elected officials described this bill as a "no brainer," so we are surprised to see it was not pushed over the finish line this session. The close of this legislative marks the formal end of our Housing Justice Campaign, but we will certainly be paying attention to what happens to these items. We may encounter opportunities to take action or fight alongside our allies to keep these issues top of mind for our lawmakers. Stay tuned! WHAT'S NEXT? REGISTER NOW FOR UPCOMING CAMPAIGN EVALUATION & CELEBRATION Our work doesn't stop when the campaign ends. GBIO is here to continue building power for everyday people across Greater Boston. Join us in September as we formally evaluate the last two years of our work, and celebrate the victories and relationships built along the way! There is much to unpack, and even more to look forward to as we shift into our next season. NOTE: We need to get an idea of how many people to expect at these events so that we can arrange venues accordingly. Please register ASAP so that we can solidify the details! September 10th (Time and Location TBD) - Housing Justice Campaign Evaluation CLICK HERE TO REGISTER This campaign was the result of countless hours of relationship building, research, planning and action carried out by many leaders across different GBIO teams. What worked well? What is something we wish could have been more effective? Join us for an in-depth evaluation where we will identify key learnings that can inform our work going forward. September 19th (Time and Location TBD) - Housing Justice Campaign Conclusion Celebration CLICK HERE TO REGISTER Join us in celebrating one another's hard work over the last two years! More details to come, be sure to register early to get updates. Comments are closed.
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