Advocate for Our Budget Priorities

At United Way, we work closely with our government and community partners to develop and implement effective approaches to close the gaps in education and income inequality in our region. We’ve seen first-hand what is working, and we believe some of these solutions can have an even greater impact on a statewide scale. We have been working with numerous key legislators to file amendments to the Fiscal Year 2020 Senate Budget that would expand some of these successful approaches:

You can help!

Please ask your legislators to support the amendments filed on behalf of United Way.

• Create a new demonstration program that would use the regular monthly reporting of tenant rent payments to help build credit. Building credit is an underutilized tool that can help families in need. Poor credit, or no credit, can cost people $200,000 over the course of a lifetime in higher interest and fees.
• Invest $2.5 million to create a new, statewide permanent supportive housing program for people experiencing chronic homelessness, reducing costly utilization of emergency and acute care.  This builds off the success of United Way’s innovative Pay for Success partnership with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance and would provide operational and service funding for an estimated 250 permanent supportive housing opportunities.
• Establish a special Two-Generational Commission to study and make recommendations on implementing two-generational program models to achieve positive economic and educational outcomes for vulnerable parents and children.
• Ensure early education and out-of-school time educators are adequately trained to provide direct instruction and support in the social and emotional learning core competencies for all students. The benefits of social and emotional learning skills include increased academic performance, improved attitudes and behaviors and healthy decision-making, which results in decreases in substance abuse, addiction rates and other mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
• Continue the innovative progress of communities who have solid partnerships and plans for universal preschool expansion to serve high-need children and their families.

You can help advocate for passage of these amendments.  Please contact your legislators today to urge their support on these issues as the House debates the state budget next week.