Category: Uncategorized

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family and friends this week. This year I had a lot to be thankful for including my loving family, hardworking staff, and the opportunity to continue to serve the Hampden and Hampshire district in the MA Senate next session!

Ahead of Thanksgiving I was at the State House to join Governor Healey and Secretary Reidy in honoring Trooper TJ Cusack of Agawam and Trooper Ryan Costello of Holyoke for their bravery at the 41st Annual George L. Hanna Memorial Award Ceremony. The Hanna Awards are the highest and most prestigious awards bestowed upon those in law enforcement, recognizing the bravery of officers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and have put their own lives at risk to protect our communities. I am beyond grateful to Trooper Cusack and Trooper Costello for their acts of heroism. To all those in law enforcement, thank you for all do to keep our communities safe each day!

As many of you might know, today is Small Business Saturday! This is a great opportunity to support the local businesses who are invested in our communities as you are checking off items on your holiday shopping lists. While I always make it a priority to shop from local businesses throughout the year, I know I will absolutely be popping into a few stores owned by our friends and neighbors today.

Speaking of the holiday season, some of my routine office hours have been moved around in the month of December to accommodate all the different holidays that we will be celebrating. Next week, my team is hosting office hours at the Agawam Council on Aging at 11:00AM to 12:00PM on Monday December 2nd and at the Russell Council on Aging on Tuesday December 3rd at 11:30AM to 12:30PM.

If you are unable to make office hours or if you have any questions about the changes to some community’s regularly scheduled office hours this month please do not hesitate to contact me by email , john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.

Happy Holidays!

John Velis

(Westfield – 11/21/2024) Following the release of MassINC Policy Center’s report last week on the shortage of housing units in Gateway Cities, Senator John C. Velis (D-Westfield) today highlighted the integral way that investments and housing development in Gateway Cities can alleviate the Commonwealth’s housing crisis. The study notes that the 26 Gateway Cities in Massachusetts “need to collectively build 83,000 new housing units over the next decade – double their pace of production over the last 10 years – in order to bring supply and demand into balance and stabilize prices.”

“I am incredibly proud to represent 3 Gateway Cities in Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield, and one of the things you learn representing Gateway Cities is how difficult it can be to spur housing development in these cities compared to the rest of the state,” said Senator Velis, who is the only Western Massachusetts Senator on the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing. “For decades our Commonwealth has depended on Gateway Cities to provide much of the affordable housing stock in our state, but that doesn’t come without significant challenges, especially as the cost of development goes up. This report emphasizes the need to rethink how we invest and go about housing production in our Gateway Cities, especially in Western Massachusetts. This doesn’t just need to happen for the sake of Gateway Cities and their residents themselves, it needs to happen for the sake of our entire Commonwealth.”

The report from MassINC notes that Gateway Cities face unique challenges in housing growth, and highlights that “while property values in these communities have steadily increased, the cost of constructing and operating new rental units remains much higher than the rental income such housing will generate”. This is especially true in Western Massachusetts, where the report notes that “the cost of building a new rental unit in Chicopee, Holyoke, and Springfield is nearly $300,000 more than the rental will support”.

Recommendations from the report include both state and local action to increase housing production in Gateway Cities. This includes adopting more development-friendly local zoning

regulations, establishing financing subsidies to incentivize private development, and increasing funding at the state level for rehabbing vacant and blighted properties.

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Hello everyone,

I hope you are doing well and had a meaningful Veterans Day! With the temperatures quickly dropping I would like to remind you all that my office is available to assist with applications for heating assistance.

This year I had the honor of traveling across our district to celebrate Veterans Day with our community. From ceremonies in Westfield and Agawam to delivering thoughtful letters from local students to the residents at the Veterans Home in Holyoke, I am always so moved by how our community comes together to support our local veterans. To my fellow veterans, thank you for your service and for everything that you do!

On Tuesday, I joined the Westfield Police Commission in celebration of Chief Valliere’s retirement after 40 years of dedicated service to our community. I truly appreciate all the times the Chief picked up the phone to help me better understand the difficult and complex work that our local law enforcement does each day to keep our communities safe. Congratulations Chief!

Wednesday marked a special anniversary for the Holyoke Veterans Treatment Court, which celebrated its 80^th program graduate.  Veterans’ Treatment Courts are designed to handle certain low-level criminal cases involving defendants with military service. After pleading guilty, Veterans can be referred to Treatment Courts for intensive treatment including Vet to Vet mentorship, VA services, and more. It is truly incredible to hear firsthand how this program has changed so many lives over the last 10 years.

Later that day, I joined the City of Chicopee for a Veteran Town Hall to discuss the ways that the HERO Act expands services and resources for veterans, active-duty service members, and military families. I am grateful to the City of Chicopee and Veteran Service Officer Stephanie Shaw for organizing this important forum and inviting me to speak!

On Friday, I met with Agawam Public Schools and Boston Children’s Hospital to check in on the rollout of a new pilot program addressing youth mental health. With students reporting increasing mental health challenges, this program connects students in need with support right from their schools. I was proud to help secure funding for this program in last year’s budget following conversations with local youth during my “Let’s Talk About Mental Health” tour.

This week, I held office hours at the Chicopee and West Springfield COAs. Next week, Team Velis will be hosting office hours on Tuesday from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Easthampton COA and on Wednesday from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at the Holyoke COA.

If you can’t make it in person, feel free to reach out anytime at john.velis@masenate.gov or by phone at (413) 572-3920. You can also stay updated by signing up for my newsletter at senatorjohnvelis.com.

Best,

John

(11/11/2024) Today, Senator John C. Velis delivered letters from local students in the Hampden and Hampshire District to residents at the Veterans’ Home in Holyoke in honor of Veterans Day. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Velis has organized this initiative with over 20 different schools from Westfield, Agawam, West Springfield, and other communities participating.

“What began as an effort to find a way for our community to safely share our appreciation with Veterans at the Home during the COVID-19 pandemic, when visitation at the Home was extremely limited, has now become an annual tradition that the Home’s residents, and local teachers and students throughout our community, look forward to each year,” shared Senator John C. Velis, who is a Veteran himself. “One of my favorite things about this project, apart from the smiles that it brings to the residents, is the opportunity that it provides for our local students to learn and reflect on the sacrifices that these men and women have each made to protect our nation and the freedoms we hold dear.”

Velis shared that student of all ages, from pre-school all through high school, helped create over 1,000 letters, cards, and even a large American flag sign for the residents of the Home this year. Additional letters from students will be shared by Senator Velis with the American Red Cross to be included in care packages sent to troops overseas.

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Hello everyone, 

Before jumping into all of the activity around the district this week I want to share how grateful I am to have been re-elected this Tuesday  to serve as the State Senator of Hampden and Hampshire District. It’s an absolute honor and privilege to have the opportunity to continue to represent our district in the Massachusetts Senate! Thank you! 

This week we have had a lot to celebrate in and around our district. I kicked off Thursday over at Barnes Air National Guard Base to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new “Minuteman Gate”. The new gate was relocated to be right along Route 10 and 202 as part of overall upgrades at the base as we prepare for the new F-35 Jets.  

Later that day I made my way over to the Holyoke Veterans’ Home where I joined Governor Healey, Secretary Santiago, Representative Duffy and many other local officials from around Western Massachusetts to celebrate a major milestone in the construction efforts of the new Home. With the iron work now completed ahead of schedule, it moves our community closer to finally achieving a new state of the art facility that is befitting of the service and sacrifices of our Commonwealth’s veterans. Constructed and designed to meet the changing medical needs and demographics of our veteran population, this new facility will bring new meaning to the Veterans Home in Holyoke’s mission of providing care with honor and dignity. I look forward to continuing to watch this construction take shape and the day that our veterans can finally call this new facility their home! 

This week my team and I also spent of time traveling to schools all around the district to begin collecting letters from students for the residents of the Veterans’ Home. What began as an idea to safely connect with residents of the Home during the pandemic has now became an annual tradition for my office. Our local students have done an excellent job writing such thoughtful and artistic letters and I can’t wait to share them with the residents on Monday afternoon.  

I rounded off the week over at Gateway Regional Middle School to speak with students from Russell and Montgomery about the importance of Veterans Day. Gatherings like these provide an incredible opportunity for students to hear from Veterans in their communities about their service and the sacrifices they have each made to protect our nation and the freedoms we hold dear. I also hope that this opportunity inspires and encourages the next generation to consider joining our armed services.  

This week my office hosted office hours in Agawam. Next week, we will be hosting office hours at the Chicopee COA on Tuesday November 12^th from 10:00AM to 11:00AM and in West Springfield on Tuesday November 13^th from 11:00am to 12:00PM. If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.   

Best, 

John Velis 

(Boston– 10/30/2024) Last week, the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers presented Senator John C. Velis with the 2024 “Legislator of the Year Award” during the Council’s 49th Annual Convention and Expo in Boston. Senator Velis (D- Westfield), who serves as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery, shared how honored he was to receive this award.

“Our human service workers are truly some of the most selfless people out there, directly caring for those in our communities with disabilities or those struggling with a behavioral health challenge. I am truly beyond honored to be recognized by the Providers’ Council and their members for my work advocating for these frontline heroes.” shared Senator Velis. “I am particularly grateful to my dear friend Lois Nesci, and all those at the Gandara Center, for nominating me for this award. It is such a privilege to be able to work alongside such dedicated community partners like the Gandara Center to learn about the challenges that need to be addressed to make behavioral healthcare more accessible.”

Senator Velis was joined the Provider’s Council at Westfield State University as a guest speaker this past September during the organization’s Western Massachusetts Caring Force Rally, which highlighted the essential services provided by direct support professionals. This session, Velis helped usher an expansive substance use and recovery bill through the Senate which would establish a licensure process for recovery coaches in the Commonwealth. If included in the final Senate-House compromise package, this provision would provide much anticipated recognition of the importance of lived experience and help grow this profession with-in the human services sector.

“Senator Velis demonstrates his commitment to the individuals of Massachusetts who need support and services to manage the challenges that substance use, and behavioral health bring to their lives. His support of our industry, the providers that work hard every day to make a difference, is unwavering and he ensures his advocacy for the resources we need to carry out our missions.” shared Lois Nesci, CEO of the Gandara Center. “He does this in both words and action. I have often shared with the Senator that when he visits a program or attends an event, he truly “shows up” ….. ready to support, ready to listen and ready to take the next steps. My sincere congratulations to someone who makes an incredible difference every day.”

The Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers, also known as the Providers’ Council, is Massachusetts largest human services membership association representing over 220 community-based agencies around the Commonwealth including the Gandara Center. During the ceremony the Provider’s Council recognized 13 other individuals from across the state for their work in the human services sector.

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Hello everyone, 

I hope that everyone was able to enjoy the long weekend and peep some of the leaves.  The temperatures got below freezing for the first time this year here in Western Massachusetts.  I would like to remind everyone that my office stands at the ready to help in applications for fuel assistance.  The earlier the better is a good rule of thumb.   

Wednesday morning, I joined Massachusetts Secretary of Education, Patrick Tutwiler, right here in Westfield to discuss options available to Westfield High students preparing for higher education.  Since 2014, Westfield Public Schools has had the “Westfield Promise Program” which allows students who are still in high school to take introductory courses at Westfield State University, allowing them to have a leg up on deciding where they would like to focus their studies once they are in school.  I would like to than the Secretary for coming all the way out to Western Mass and am looking forward to working together to better our education system here in the Commonwealth.   

Later that afternoon, I joined members of the Holyoke legislative delegation to celebrate the announcement of $1 million in Congressional funding that has been allocated to the Holyoke Health Center’s workforce development program.  This pivotal program would help build our healthcare workforce right here in Western Mass; training students to have fulfilling careers in sectors that are so desperately understaffed.  Thank you to Senator Markey and the federal delegation for helping to secure this funding.   

Thursday evening marked the celebration of the 50^th anniversary for the Westover Metropolitan Development Corporation.  The purpose of this corporation has been to return former military assets from Westover back to civilian use and has converted over 1,300 acres to places of businesses over the last half century.  Here’s to another fifty years!

This week my office hosted office hours at the Easthampton COA on Tuesday and at the Holyoke COA on Wednesday.  Next week we will be at the Russell COA on Tuesday October 22^nd from 11:30am to 12:30pm. If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com. 

Sincerely, 

John Velis