October 7, 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
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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: October 7, 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 October 3, 2024. The Administration continues
to pursue key activities related to these datapoints below.
Caseload
Datapoint Value as of 10/3/24 Notes
Total families in EA
Estimate based on family head of household
who entered as
3,639 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 568
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
251
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
EA in the previous 14 162 Exits from September 19 – October 2
days (families)
Average length of stay Based on families active in EA
345 days
in the EA program shelters/hotels on 8/22/2024.
Number of new student Data includes newly enrolled students in K-
enrollments associated 12 districts from hotel EA sites and TRCs
297
with the EA program in since the beginning of this school year.
the last 14 days Future reports will include data from the
2
previous 2 weeks. 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)
Datapoint Value as of 10/3/24 Notes
Number of families on
278
the EA contact list
Number of families on
the contact list who Placements from September 19 – October 2
259
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
o Referrals to other services such as ESOL courses,
Services provided to legal assistance, mental health services, health care
families on the EA services
contact list - 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
- Clinical and Safety Risk Assessment site services for
eligible families on the contact list, including but not limited
to:
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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.
Datapoint Value as of 10/3/24 Notes
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
for work authorization at the work
Total number of authorization clinic in November. This
individuals in EA who excludes (1) US citizens, green card holders,
entered as migrants, and other categories of individuals who have
4,256
refugees, or asylum not recently migrated but are eligible to
seekers who have work work; and (2) those who entered as migrants,
authorizations refugees, or asylum seekers who have
applied for work authorization but who have
not reported confirmation of approved work
authorization. This number has dropped from
prior reports due to individuals with work
authorizations exiting the system.
In addition to the approved work
authorization efforts, the Administration is
working with local legal services providers to
file additional work authorization
applications for migrants staying in
Total number of
emergency shelter.
individuals in EA who
entered as migrants,
4,998 This number includes those captured above
refugees, or asylum
who have confirmed receipt of a work
seekers who have filed
permit, as well as those who have filed and
for work authorizations
are waiting for their application to be
processed. This number has dropped from
prior reports due to individuals who filed for
work authorizations having exited the
system.
4
Fiscal
Datapoint Value as of 10/3/24 Notes
Spending to date includes shelter &
Total amount expended associated services, National Guard
on the emergency activation, Clinical and Safety Risk
$856.8 M
housing assistance Assessment Sites, Temporary Emergency
program in FY24 Shelters, Family Welcome Centers,
municipal payments, and TRC spending.
Spending to date includes shelter &
Total amount expended
associated services, National Guard
on the emergency
$129.8 M activation, Clinical and Safety Risk
housing assistance
Assessment Sites, Temporary Emergency
program in FY25
Shelters, and TRC spending.
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 FY24 Q1, Q2, Q3, and
by municipality
Q4 municipal room occupancy tax
reimbursements.
$298.3 M spent to pay shelter providers
$43.0 M for emergency per-pupil student
aid
$31.3 M spent to pay service providers at
Clinical and Safety Risk Assessment and
Temporary Respite Centers
$9.7 M spent for National Guard payroll.
$3.8 M spent for life safety
improvements at Temporary Respite
FY24 total amount Centers
spent for any other $3.0 M for additional educational
$393.2 M
purpose from 1599- supports for homeless student
0514 and 1599-1213 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
$260 K for Neighborhood Villages Pilot
Program
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$88 K spent for nursing staff supporting
Temporary Respite Centers
Note: Figure is inclusive of municipal
payments reported above.
Projected FY24
$0 FY24 finished without a deficiency.
deficiency
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.
Expenditures from TEF
consistent with Section
25 of Chapter 88 of the $559 K for National Guard payroll
Acts of 2024 in the $592 K $33 K for life safety improvements at
previous 14 days, Temporary Respite Centers
delineated by purpose
(line 1599-0514)
Total expenditures
from TEF consistent
with Section 25 of $3.2 M spent for National Guard payroll
Chapter 88 of the Acts $281 K spent for life safety
$3.5 M
of 2024 since July 1, improvements at Temporary Respite
2024, delineated by Centers
purpose (line 1599-
0514)1
$119.2 M for shelter services
$4.4 M for Temporary Respite Centers
and Clinical Safety Risk Assessment
sites
FY25 total amount
$2.0 M for United Way Shelter Safety
spent from other $126.3 M
Net Program
appropriations