Bill Summary — HD 6015 (194th MA Legislature)
Format: Massachusetts, HD 6015, March 2026 biweekly report on the Emergency Housing Assistance (EHA) program
Note: This document is a biweekly informational report transmitted by the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (A&F) and the Executive Office for Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) pursuant to Chapter 88 of the Acts of 2024, Chapter 1, Section 10 of the Acts of 2025, and Chapter 73, Section 88 of the Acts of 2025. It outlines program data as of March 5, 2026, related to the Emergency Assistance (EA) program.
1) Main purpose and intent
- To provide a formal, biweekly status update to the Massachusetts House and Senate Ways and Means Committees on the Emergency Housing Assistance program.
- The report aggregates operational data, caseload, exits, fiscal expenditures, and program metrics to monitor performance, identify gaps, and inform legislative oversight and potential policy adjustments.
2) Key provisions and changes (as reported)
- The document is a reporting memo, not a standalone policy bill with new statutory text. It compiles and categorizes data on:
- Caseload and shelter status, including the status of Rapid Shelter programs (noting deactivation of Rapid Shelter Track).
- Applications, verifications, and eligibility determinations for shelter.
- Reasons families are in EA (domestic violence, health/safety risk, eviction, housing instability, fires, natural disasters, etc.).
- Data on families previously applying or awaiting verification, waivers, or full eligibility, and the status of verifications.
- EA contact list activity, including entries on the contact list and placements in the last 14 days.
- Exits from EA shelters to longer-term housing arrangements, including HomeBASE utilization, market-rate housing, subsidized housing, and other stable housing.
- Metrics on lengths of stay in EA, median/average values, and processing times for HomeBASE approvals.
- Employment/work authorization data for shelter-occupying families.
- Fiscal data, including total spending from the A&F reserve (Transitional Escrow Fund) and EA program expenditures, as well as HomeBASE spending and federal reimbursements.
- Specific programmatic context:
- Rapid Shelter track has been deactivated; rapid track sites closed.
- HomeBASE remains a central mechanism for post-shelter stabilization funding.
- DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) indicators related to EA’s impact on school enrollments are no longer tracked in the same way due to site closures and changes in reimbursements.
The memo emphasizes data collection challenges due to site closures and shifts in program structure, but continues to provide a detailed snapshot of the program’s functioning and costs.
3) Who or what would be affected
- Families and individuals currently participating in or seeking EA shelter under the Emergency Assistance program.
- Local service providers and shelter partners operating EA sites (Bridge Shelters/TRCs, and formerly Rapid Shelters).
- HomeBASE program participants and associated stabilization services (rent subsidies and rehousing costs).
- Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) interfaces with A&F and EOHLC for reporting and reimbursement workflows.
- State policymakers and budget/appropriations committees relying on ongoing performance and financial data to inform decisions.
- The data ecosystem for EA program reporting (data points include caseload, exits, processing times, waivers, verifications, and employment status).
4) Procedural and timeline aspects
- Reporting cadence: Biweekly EA report submitted to the Chairs of Ways and Means (Senate and House) with data current as of March 5, 2026.
- Data scope: Metrics cover the 14-day window prior to the report for various indicators (e.g., new verifications, waiver placements, shelter exits).
- Funding and expenditures:
- FY26 Emergency Assistance shelter expenditures and HomeBASE costs are tracked, including a portion funded via the Emergency Escrow (7004-0101; 7004-4778).
- The FY26 GAA appropriates $276.4 million for Emergency Assistance Family Shelters and Services.
- Total reported spending includes $166.8 million expended on EA shelter and related services, with $119.7 million in HomeBASE spending to date.
- Median HomeBASE processing time reported for the last 14 days (7+ days typical) shows improvement from previous periods (noting a reduction from 13 days in November 2024).
- Capacity and federal considerations:
- Current funded capacity of the EA program is approximately 3,200 under Chapter 1, Section 8 of the Acts of 2025.
- Ongoing efforts to maximize federal reimbursements via a revised 1115 waiver; as of December 11, 2025, MA had collected $157 million in FFP reimbursements since CMS approval in April 2024.
5) Notable data points (highlights)
- Caseload (as of 3/5/2026): 1,519 families currently in shelters; 52 families are in site-based verification processes.
- Rapid Shelter: Track deactivated; rapid shelter sites closed.
- Exits (last 14 days): 5 exits; average length of stay in EA for those exiting in the last 14 days was 203 days.
- Destinations: 42 to market-rate housing, 16 to subsidized housing, 2 to other stable housing, 15 other outcomes.
- Median/average stay, processing times: Median length of stay in EA shelters around 99–131 days range; median HomeBASE processing time 2/19/2026–3/4/2026 at over 7 days (improvement over prior periods).
- Employment/work authorization: 455 individuals exiting EA shelter are employed (or have work authorization filings) in the 14-day window; 419 total individuals in market-rate or subsidized housing pathways tracked in the Rapid Shelter/Bridge Shelter context.
6) Bottom line
HD 6015 (HD 6015, 194th MA Legislature) is primarily a status-report vehicle documenting the ongoing performance, usage, and fiscal footprint of Massachusetts’ Emergency Housing Assistance program through March 5, 2026. It aggregates shelter caseloads, exits, verifications, waivers, employment outcomes, and program costs to inform legislative oversight and future funding decisions. The report notes institutional shifts (closing of Rapid Shelter tracks) and ongoing efforts to optimize federal reimbursements and stabilization funding through HomeBASE and related services.
