September 23, 2024
The Honorable Michael J. Rodrigues
Chair, Senate Committee on Ways and Means
State House, Room 212
Boston, MA 02133
The Honorable Aaron Michlewitz
Chair, House Committee on Ways and Means
State House, Room 243
Boston, MA 02133
Dear Chairs Rodrigues and Michlewitz:
Pursuant to Chapter 77 of the Acts of 2023 and Chapter 88 of the Acts of 2024, we are
transmitting to you this bi-weekly report on the Emergency Housing Assistance Program.
Sincerely,
Secretary Matthew J. Gorzkowicz, Secretary Edward Augustus,
Executive Office for Administration Executive Office for Housing and
and Finance Livable Communities
1
MEMORANDUM
TO: House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means
FR: Executive Office for Administration and Finance, Executive Office of Housing and
Livable Communities
DT: September 23, 2024
RE: Bi-weekly EA report
Background/Narrative
The table below includes key datapoints outlined in Chapter 77 of the Acts of 2023 and Chapter
88 of the Acts of 2024. The data is updated as of September 19, 2024. The Administration
continues to pursue key activities related to these datapoints below.
Caseload
Value as of
Datapoint Notes
09/19/24
Total families in EA
Estimate based on family head of household
who entered as
3,611 citizenship status and primary language
migrants, refugees, or
spoken.
asylum seekers
Total families currently
Families are supported across traditional EA
in shelters, hotels or See Appendix A
shelters and hotels/motels.
motels, by municipality
Number of families
Not all families that apply for shelter are
applying for shelter in 503
eligible.
the previous 14 days
This currently includes four state-funded
Temporary Respite Centers (Cambridge,
Number of families in Chelsea, Lexington, and Norfolk) and two
Temporary Respite clinical and safety risk assessment sites
Centers (TRCs) and (Revere and Quincy). Families at these two
228
Clinical and Safety types of sites are currently on the contact list
Risk Assessment (previously waitlist) for the Emergency
(CSRA) sites Assistance shelter system and are placed in
site based on site availability and a family’s
health and safety needs.
Number of exits from Exits from September 5-19
EA in the previous 14 194
days (families)
Average length of stay Based on families active in EA
348 days
in the EA program shelters/hotels on 8/22/2024.
Data includes newly enrolled students in K-
Number of new student
0 12 districts from hotel EA sites and TRCs as
enrollments associated
of July 31, 2024. Future reports will include
2
with the EA program in additional updates at the start of the school
the last 14 days year. There may be a lag in data reporting to
the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education from school districts.
Number of families
certified pursuant to Reporting will begin when 60-day rehousing
N/A
G.L. Chapter 23B assessment policy is implemented
Section 30 paragraph G
Number of families not
certified pursuant to Reporting will begin when 60-day rehousing
N/A
G.L. Chapter 23B plan compliance policy is implemented
Section 30 paragraph G
EA Contact List (previously waitlist)
Value as of
Datapoint Notes
09/19/24
Number of families on
426
the EA contact list
Number of families on
the contact list who
288
have been placed in the
last 14 days
- Shelter diversion services, including HomeBASE
- Family Welcome Center services, including but not limited
to:
o Basic needs provisions, including but not limited to
diapers, wipes, hygiene products, baby formula, and
meals
o Employment authorization legal assistance
o Public benefits enrollment
o Vaccinations and health screenings
o Reticketing
Services provided to o Referrals to other services such as ESOL courses,
families on the EA
legal assistance, mental health services, health care
contact list
services
- TRC and safety net shelter and services including but not
limited to:
o Temporary shelter
o Intensive case management and wraparound services
o Legal assistance for work authorization applications
o Diversion services, including but not limited to
family reunification, housing search, and application
assistance for diversion programs
o Reticketing referrals
3
- Clinical and Safety Risk Assessment site services for
eligible families on the contact list, including but not limited
to:
o Clinical supports and connections to care
o Case management services
Work Authorizations
Work Authorization Clinics: In partnership with the Department of Homeland Security
and multiple Massachusetts state agencies, the Administration successfully ran two
weeks of work authorization clinics for migrants staying in emergency family shelter
(November 13-17 and November 27-30). In total, the work authorization clinics
supported 2,910 individuals, completed 1,951 biometrics with USCIS, vaccinated 1,031
adults and children, and facilitated 734 visits to MassHire stations.
Value as of
Datapoint Notes
09/19/24
Adults who entered as migrants, refugees, or
asylum seekers in EA shelter system who
have self-reported that they have confirmed
work authorization, including those who filed
Total number of for work authorization at the work
individuals in EA who authorization clinic in November. This
entered as migrants, excludes (1) US citizens, green card holders,
4,352
refugees, or asylum and other categories of individuals who have
seekers who have work not recently migrated but are eligible to
authorizations work; and (2) those who entered as migrants,
refugees, or asylum seekers who have
applied for work authorization but who have
not reported confirmation of approved work
authorization.
In addition to the approved work
authorization efforts, the Administration is
working with local legal services providers to
Total number of file additional work authorization
individuals in EA who applications for migrants staying in
entered as migrants, emergency shelter.
5,084
refugees, or asylum
seekers who have filed This number includes those captured above
for work authorizations who have confirmed receipt of a work
permit, as well as those who have filed and
are waiting for their application to be
processed.
4
Fiscal
Value as of
Datapoint Notes
09/19/24
Spending to date includes shelter &
associated services, National Guard
activation, Clinical and Safety Risk
Assessment Sites, Temporary Emergency
Total amount expended Shelters, Family Welcome Centers,
on the emergency municipal payments, and TRC spending.
$856.7 M
housing assistance Because the Commonwealth typically pays
program in FY24 service providers and vendors monthly,
spending to date is largely reflective of costs
through June; Accounts Payable period
invoices are currently being received and
processed.
Total amount expended FY23 and FY24 school district per-pupil
on supplemental school See Appendix B emergency aid payments detailed in
district costs, by district Appendix B.
$43.0 M spent on FY24 school district
per-pupil emergency aid payments
Total amount expended
detailed in Appendix B.
on municipal supports, $45.0 M
$2.0 M spent on Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4
by municipality
municipal room occupancy tax
reimbursements.
$298.3 M spent to pay shelter providers
$43.0 M for emergency per-pupil student
aid
$33.4 M spent to pay service providers at
Clinical and Safety Risk Assessment and
Temporary Respite Centers
$9.7 M spent for National Guard payroll.
$3.7 M spent for life safety
Total amount spent for improvements at Temporary Respite
any other purpose from Centers
$395.2 M
1599-0514 and 1599- $3.0 M for additional educational
1213 supports for homeless student
transportation and multi-lingual faculty
$2.0 M for municipal reimbursements
$743 K for community health, including
vaccine record reviews
$524 K spent for Immigrant Family
Services Institute
$359 K spent for Regional Response
Team Leads
5
$260 K for Neighborhood Villages Pilot
Program
$88 K spent for nursing staff supporting
Temporary Respite Centers
Note: Figure is inclusive of municipal
payments reported above.
The recently signed supplemental budget will
address all spending needs for the remainder
of FY24, which includes shelter & associated
services, staffing, Clinical and Safety Risk
Projected FY24
$0 Assessment Sites, Family Welcome Centers,
deficiency
Temporary Respite Centers, school district
reimbursements, immigration and refugee
health, community, and workforce supports,
and municipal support.
Estimate includes shelter & associated
services, staffing, Clinical and Safety Risk
Projected FY25 costs Assessment Sites, Family Welcome Centers,
through the end of $1.018 B Temporary Respite Centers, school district
FY25 reimbursements, immigration and refugee
health, community, and workforce supports,
and municipal support.
Based on historical costs and current
Current funded
projections, sufficient funding exists to
capacity of the EA 7,500
support a capacity of 7,500 through
program
approximately January 1st, 2025.
$2.7 M spent for National Guard payroll
Expenditures from TEF $704 K spent for life safety
consistent with Section improvements at Temporary Respite
25 of Chapter 88 of the Centers
$2.7 M
Acts of 2024 in the $29 K spent for nursing staff at
previous 14 days, Temporary Respite Centers
delineated by purpose Spending partially offset by $711 K in
funding shifted to other funding sources
$2.7 M spent for National Guard payroll
Total expenditures
$2 M spent for United Way Shelter
from TEF consistent
Safety Net program
with Section 25 of
$563 K for Clinical Safety Risk
Chapter 88 of the Acts $5.7 M
Assessment sites
of 2024 since July 1,
2024, delineated by $514 K spent for life safety
purpose improvements at Temporary Respite
Centers
Efforts by A&F to A&F and other executive branch agencies continue to aggressively
maximize federal pursue federal support for the EA program. So far, the following
support and have been secured: