Housing is the foundation of wellbeing and plays one of the most formative roles in a person’s life. A safe, stable place to live supports our ability to thrive in school or work and is a foundation on which shared prosperity is built. We applaud the Healey-Driscoll Administration and Secretary Augustus for putting forward a comprehensive proposal that rises to the complex and pervasive challenge that housing instability presents for our Commonwealth.
While housing instability is most traumatic for the children, youth, families, and individuals who lose their homes, it impacts everyone. When people can remain in their homes, communities retain cohesion and diversity. It helps the ability of businesses and organizations to recruit and retain workers. People who can afford housing near their jobs will commute less, have more of their paycheck left for food, and more time to invest in the wellbeing of their family or activities that contribute to financial mobility.
Furthermore, housing instability and homelessness is systemically expensive, fueling higher costs for emergency response, education, and healthcare. Among the provisions proposed in the legislation released today that are the priorities of United Way, the Affordable Homes Act:
- Revolutionizes the way resources are deployed to create supportive housing opportunities across the Commonwealth to address the complex needs of individuals, families, youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. Modeled after legislation proposed by State Representative Joan Meschino and Senator Brendan Crighton, this proposal would create a unified strategy and flexible funding pool to connect Massachusetts’ most vulnerable residents with the permanent, supportive housing needed to stabilize, heal and thrive.
- Revolutionizes the way resources are deployed to create supportive housing opportunities across the Commonwealth to address the complex needs of individuals, families, youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. Modeled after legislation proposed by State Representative Joan Meschino and Senator Brendan Crighton, this proposal would create a unified strategy and flexible funding pool to connect Massachusetts’ most vulnerable residents with the permanent, supportive housing needed to stabilize, heal and thrive.
- Makes permanent the Community Investment Tax Credit, a public-private partnership launched in 2014 that has generated more than $100M to spur the creation of affordable housing, small businesses and economic development by providing a 50% tax credit for donations to community development corporations across the state. United Way of Massachusetts Bay has mobilized more than $21.4M through the CITC and is the lead partner with the Department of Housing and Community Development to run the program.
- Makes permanent the Community Investment Tax Credit, a public-private partnership launched in 2014 that has generated more than $100M to spur the creation of affordable housing, small businesses and economic development by providing a 50% tax credit for donations to community development corporations across the state. United Way of Massachusetts Bay has mobilized more than $21.4M through the CITC and is the lead partner with the Department of Housing and Community Development to run the program.
- Extends the Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund, a unique source of funding for early education and care and afterschool programs throughout the Commonwealth that supports major renovation and construction projects for facilities serving low-income children.
- Extends the Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund, a unique source of funding for early education and care and afterschool programs throughout the Commonwealth that supports major renovation and construction projects for facilities serving low-income children.
We look forward to advocating for solutions like those put forward today in the Affordable Homes Act to create housing opportunities and provide a foundation for thriving people, families, and communities.
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About United Way of Massachusetts Bay
United Way of Massachusetts Bay exists to build more equitable communities, together. With over 85 years of local impact in eastern Massachusetts, we work with and for our communities to build economic prosperity and enable everyone–across races and ethnicities–to share in the knowledge, wealth and resources available. We believe that the key to unlocking opportunity is uniting people, and we bring together individuals, community leaders, corporate partners, legislators and organizations to build a powerful engine of change. Visit www.unitedwaymassbay.org for more information.
Media Contact: Brigid Boyd, Chief of Public Affairs, UWMB, bboyd@supportunitedway.org, 339.236.1161