BOSTON (11/15/2023) – Yesterday, the Massachusetts Senate passed a supplemental budget designed to close out Fiscal Year 2023. The Senate’s supplemental budget totals $2.81 billion and contains several provisions to support the ongoing operations of programs and services that benefit the residents of the Commonwealth. The spending bill also includes $250 million to address the pressing issue of emergency housing.
On emergency housing, the Senate’s supplement budget stipulates that a portion of the $250 million be spent on community-based, broad and individualized support services and resources so that individuals and families can address the complex issues and challenges they face, as well as reimbursements to school districts for increased enrollment costs associated with an influx of migrant students. It also authorizes a portion of the $250 million to be spent to address costs associated with sheltering eligible families, as well as creating temporary emergency shelter sites.
“The term Commonwealth—‘common wealth’—reminds us that we have a responsibility to care for each other—and that is never more true than when we are facing difficult times,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “The Commonwealth must work with a sense of urgency to help those who seek shelter, whether they be long-time residents or immigrant families fleeing violence, and I’m proud of the steps that this supplemental budget takes to provide that help. I’d like to thank Senator Rodrigues for his leadership, as well as all of my colleagues in the Senate for their work on this budget.”
In a bipartisan amendment, sponsored by Senator John Velis, that the Senate unanimously adopted on the floor, the final spending bill creates a bipartisan commission consisting of members from the Healey Administration, the legislature, and experts within the field of housing and immigration to study and make recommendations by March 1st on the financial impact and sustainability of the Commonwealth’s current emergency shelter system and the various supports that are currently offered to individuals and families.
“Our state’s emergency shelter program was simply never meant to handle the number of individuals that it is housing today, we need to take a hard look at the financial stability of our emergency housing assistance program, and the impact it is having on our municipalities and Commonwealth as a whole. Otherwise, we will soon be faced with some very difficult decisions on other funding priorities that we value so much.” shared Senator John C. Velis (D-Westfield) “In the absence of federal action, we need to have an honest conversation about these growing costs and what our off-ramp, if any, is going to be. I am grateful for the bipartisan support to get this work started and I am especially grateful to Senate President Spilka and Chair Rodrigues for their work on this package that will make critical investments in many other important areas for our Commonwealth.”
To ensure oversight of the spending on the emergency shelter crisis through Fiscal Year 2025, the Senate bill requires robust reporting every 14 days. In addition to $250 million, this budget provides $10 million for resettlement agencies to assist immigrants and refugees and authorizes the use of up to $2 million in available funds from the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund to support career centers in their efforts to assist immigrants and refugees secure federal work authorizations.
“Today the Senate took a bold step forward, and passed a supplemental budget that not only closes the books on Fiscal Year 2023, but also acts swiftly to meet the challenges of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that deserves our full attention, care, and assistance,” said State Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “In addition, we allocated $378 million to fully fund all ratified Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA), dedicated $15 million for climate change disaster relief, and deposited $100 million to fully pay down the pension liability from the 2015 Early Retirement Incentive Program. I would like to thank my Senate colleagues for their thoughtful input to this closeout budget, and especially thank Senate President Spilka, for her steadfast and compassionate leadership through these ever-changing times.”
Other notable items in the closeout supplemental budget include $75 million for school districts impacted by special education tuition rate increases; $15 million for disaster relief for municipalities impacted by storms and naturals disasters that occurred in 2023; funding to support collective bargaining agreements; $500,000 for the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Youth; and a provision designed to allow for the building of a soccer stadium in Everett.
A version of this supplemental budget having been passed in the House; it must now be reconciled by the branches.
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