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HD 6051

A communication from the Executive Office for Administration and Finance and the Executive Office for Housing and Livable Communities (see Section 10 of Chapter 1 and Section 88 of Chapter 73 of the Acts of 2025 and Section 19 of Chapter 88 of the Acts of 2024) submitting the March 19, 2026 biweekly report on the emergency housing assistance program

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Biweekly reports track Emergency Housing Assistance outcomes, detailing caseloads, exits to stable housing, HomeBASE processing times, and program funding across EA facilities.

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Bill Summary · HD 6051

Summary of Bill HD 6051 (194th Massachusetts Legislature)

Purpose and intent

  • The bill transmits a biweekly emergency housing assistance (EA) program report from the Executive Offices of Administration and Finance (A&F) and Housing and Livable Communities (EHLCC) to the Senate Ways and Means and House Ways and Means committees.
  • It delivers data and updates required by several acts (Chapter 88 of the Acts of 2024; Chapter 1 Section 10 of the Acts of 2025; Chapter 88 of the Acts of 2025), focusing on the status, operations, and outcomes of the Emergency Housing Assistance Program as of March 19, 2026.

Key provisions and changes

  • Reporting requirement: Continuation of a biweekly EA program report detailing caseloads, exits, services, and fiscal figures, as mandated by the cited statutes.
  • Data points included in the report (as of 3/19/2026):
    • Caseload and shelter-type breakdowns (Bridge Shelter, Rapid Shelter, and related notes).
    • Status of Rapid Shelter Track (noted as deactivated with all Rapid Track programs closed).
    • Total families in shelters and those in temporary placements due to site availability and clinical/safety assessments.
    • Applications, verifications, and waivers related to shelter eligibility.
    • Reasons for housing instability or program exits (domestic violence, health/safety risks, eviction, housing inappropriateness, teen living programs, etc.).
    • Data on families who have applied for housing assistance and those receiving other assistance.
    • Details on EA contact list activity and placements from the contact list (including shelter diversion services, HomeBASE-related supports, and other services).
    • Exits from EA shelter into long-term housing, including destinations (market-rate housing, subsidized housing, other stable housing) and lengths of stay.
    • Metrics on time to process HomeBASE applications (median processing time) and waivers granted.
    • Work authorizations and employment outcomes for EA participants.
    • Fiscal reporting: total spending from A&F reserve and other EA-related funds (HomeBASE, Family Welcome Center, and Emergency Assistance Shelter/Services spending), and current authorization levels.
    • Program capacity: current funded capacity of the EA program (approximately 3,200), and notes on efforts to maximize federal reimbursements (e.g., 1115 waiver improvements, FFPer reimbursements from CMS approvals).
    • Federal reimbursements: as of Dec 11, 2025, Massachusetts reported ~$157 million in FFP (FFP - Federal Financial Participation) reimbursements since CMS approval in April 2024.

Who is affected

  • Massachusetts families eligible for emergency housing assistance who are currently in or seeking shelter (Bridge Shelter, Rapid Shelter/TRCs, and related programs).
  • Households experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, health and safety risks, evictions, or housing instability that trigger EA program placement or waivers.
  • Families engaging with HomeBASE (rental assistance and related stabilization services) and the Family Welcome Center (basic needs, employment support, public benefits enrollment, and referrals).
  • Local municipalities and service providers operating EA shelters and related supports, which feed data into the biweekly reports.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Biweekly reporting cadence mandated by the cited Acts; the memo provides data through March 19, 2026.
  • Status notes reflect programmatic changes, notably the closure of the Rapid Shelter Track and associated site adjustments due to the end of certain reimbursements/grants and the transition to other housing solutions.
  • The report includes performance metrics such as:
    • Median processing time for HomeBASE applications (9 days in the latest 14-day window, improved from 13 days in Nov 2024).
    • Exits and destinations, with tracking of LOS (length of stay) and median/average stay durations in EA shelters.
  • Financial provisions indicate ongoing use of state reserves (Transitional Escrow Fund) and the broader EA budget, with explicit totals for expenditures and the statutory GAA-reported authorization for FY26.

Notable context

  • The data reflect ongoing efforts to balance shelter capacity, federal reimbursements, and rapid transitions to long-term housing solutions.
  • The memo notes challenges such as closures of certain sites (hotel/rapid track) and the absence of a method to track some metrics previously handled by DESE (e.g., new municipal school enrollments associated with EA). Efforts are described to collect data for future reporting.

If you’d like, I can extract specific figures (e.g., totals for exits, median length of stay, or fiscal amounts) into a concise bullet list or create a quick one-page briefing.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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