The bill aims to reform the Emergency Assistance (EA) program in Massachusetts by implementing a structured approach to ensure fiscal and operational sustainability. It introduces two support tracks for families—Rapid Shelter and Bridge Shelter—while prioritizing long-term residents of Massachusetts. A significant change includes reducing the length of stay in the Bridge Shelter Track from nine months to six months and phasing out the use of hotels and motels for emergency shelter by the end of the fiscal year, in accordance with recommendations from the Special Commission on Emergency Assistance.

To facilitate these reforms, the bill requests additional one-time funding from the Transitional Escrow Fund (TEF) to address the fiscal gap in FY25, ensuring that essential supports remain available during the transition. It also proposes appropriations from the General Fund for the EA and HomeBASE programs to align with the fiscal year 2025 General Appropriations Act and secure reserve funding for FY26. Furthermore, the bill includes new legal language that mandates the collection of detailed data on families in shelters and the costs incurred by school districts, enhancing transparency and accountability in resource allocation for families and educational institutions.