January 1, 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, we are transmitting to you this report on the
Emergency Housing Assistance Program. In addition to the previous information provided in our
report on December 18th, we have also provided additional information on the Emergency
Assistance waitlist system as requested.
Sincerely,

Secretary Matthew J. Gorzkowicz, Secretary Edward Augustus,

Executive Office for Administration Executive Office for Housing 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: January 1, 2024
RE: Bi-weekly EA report

Background/Narrative
The table below includes key datapoints outlined in Chapter 77 of the Acts of 2023. The data is
updated as of December 28, 2023. The Administration continues to pursue key activities related
to these datapoints below.

Caseload
Value as of
Datapoint Notes
12/28/23
Total families in EA Estimate based on citizenship status of
who entered as families recently entering EA applied to
3,525
migrants, refugees, or systemwide caseload based on primary
asylum seekers language of heads of household.
Total families currently Families are supported across traditional EA
in shelters, hotels or See Appendix A shelters, hotels/motels, and temporary
motels, by municipality emergency shelters.

Work Authorizations
• Work Authorization Clinics: In partnership with the Department of Homeland Security
and multiple Commonwealth 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
12/28/23
Adults who entered as migrants, refugees, or
asylum seekers in EA shelter system who
Total number of have self-reported that they have confirmed
individuals in EA who work authorization plus the number of
entered as migrants, approved work authorizations resulting from
2,713
refugees, or asylum the work authorization clinic as reported by
seekers who have work USCIS. This excludes (1) US citizens, green
authorizations card holders, and other categories of
individuals who have not recently migrated
but are eligible to work; and (2) those who
2
 entered as migrants, refugees, or asylum
seekers who have applied for work
authorization but who have not reported
confirmation of approved work authorization.

Fiscal
• School District Reimbursements: DESE is working with districts to collect student
enrollment data, and payments are expected to be released in early January pending
review of district data.
Value as of
Datapoint Notes
12/28/23
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. Because
on the emergency
$247 M the Commonwealth typically pays service
housing assistance
providers and vendors monthly, spending to
program in FY24
date is largely reflective of costs through
November; November and December
invoices are currently being received and
processed.
First tranche of FY24 payments expected to
Total amount expended be made in early January. FY23 school
on supplemental school See Appendix B
district per-pupil emergency aid payments
district costs, by district
detailed in Appendix B.
Total amount expended
No funding expended from 1599-0514 as of
on municipal supports, None
12/28/23.
by municipality
Total amount spent for
No funding expended from 1599-0514 as of
any other purpose from None
12/28/23.
1599-0514
Estimated deficiency accounts for funding
available through the FY24 GAA, Housing
Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund,
Ch. 268 of the Acts of 2022, Ch. 2 of the
Acts of 2023, and Ch. 77 of the Acts of 2023.
Projected FY24
$224 M
deficiency
Estimated spending includes shelter &
associated services, staffing, Clinical and
Safety Risk Assessment Sites, Family
Welcome Centers, school district
reimbursements, immigration and refugee

3
 health, community, and workforce supports,
and municipal support.
While $915 M represents projected FY25
costs, when one subtracts assumed FY25
resources consistent with the FY24 GAA, the
gap between projected FY25 costs and
Projected FY25 costs assumed GAA resources is $590 M. Estimate
through the end of $915 M includes shelter & associated services,
FY25 staffing, Clinical and Safety Risk Assessment
Sites, Family Welcome Centers, school
district reimbursements, immigration and
refugee health, community, and workforce
supports, and municipal support.

Waitlist
Value as of
Datapoint Notes
12/28/23
Number of families
Number of families applying for Emergency
applying for emergency
1,393 Assistance since November 10, 2023, when
shelter above the 7,500
the system reached its capacity limit.
capacity limit
Number of families on
Families determined eligible or
the waitlist for services
presumptively for Emergency Assistance,
from the emergency 391
who are waiting for an EA shelter or hotel
housing assistance
placement.
program
Families on our waitlist are provided assistance with transportation
to locations within Massachusetts of their choosing and information
on additional state resources and assistance in finding housing.

For example, EOHLC administers the HomeBASE program, which

can provide eligible homeless families with help paying first/last
month’s rent and security deposits, moving expenses, stipends to
help with ongoing housing costs, and other costs that can help
Immediate services
families stabilize an existing housing situation or stably rehouse.
provided to such
families on said waitlist
EOHLC is also partnering with DTA and MassHealth to be able to
rapidly connect families with available benefits.

Lastly, when space is available, families on the waitlist are offered

overnight shelter at state-run overflow sites – in Quincy, Revere,
and Cambridge – as well as through sites administered via our
partnership with the United Way.

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Blueprint Moving Forward
Healey-Driscoll EA Shelter Funding Blueprint: Addressing Incurred and Anticipated Costs
In September, the Administration filed a $250 M supplemental budget request to address the
expanding needs of the Emergency Shelter System based on the number of families in the shelter
system at that time. Since then, the number of families in our shelter system has grown, as has
the associated funding need. The Legislature’s recent passage of $260 M in supplemental
funding has provided a critical infusion of resources to keep the system operating for the next
several months.1 The shelter system has reached capacity at 7,500 families, and at that level,
requires additional funding to avoid imminent run-out dates for key programs.
Table 1: Breakdown of FY24 Remaining Deficiency

At the same time, the current average length of stay for families in the system exceeds one year.
That means that even with the system’s capacity level established, deficiency needs for EA are a
two fiscal year problem, requiring a solution that spans FY24 and FY25. Fundamentally, the
crisis of family homelessness requires a multi-faceted set of policies including shelter, supportive
services, education and workforce training, and affordable housing programs that enable families
to leave shelter and ultimately move on to stable housing.
Thankfully, the state has the resources available in Transitional Escrow to put a plan in place that
will address FY24 and much of FY25 without requiring offsetting budget cuts to other programs
to meet the spending requirements of the family shelter crisis. As of December 2023, the
estimated uncommitted balance of the Transitional Escrow Fund (TEF) is approximately $700
M.2
The Administration is, therefore, proposing to use the remaining balance of Transitional Escrow
to fund direct EA costs and related services that help stabilize families and address barriers to
shelter exits. The plan also invests in housing production and preservation to make affordable,
stable housing options available to more families.

1
Includes the $250 M originally sought for supplemental funding plus a new $10 M line item in the closeout supp
for resettlement agencies.
2
Subject to change.
5
Specifically, the Administration plans to file a supplemental budget that would move the
remaining TEF balance into an Emergency Housing and Community Trust Fund, to be spent in
the following prioritized manner:
1. Up to $150 M to support housing production and preservation, supplementing the
investments in the recently filed Affordable Homes Act
2. To fund FY24 EA shelter and related costs and continuing FY25 EA shelter costs
3. Remainder can be used for additional housing production and preservation

When combined with the recently passed $260 M in supplemental budget funding,3 and
continuing the established system capacity levels, this plan covers the full projected FY24
deficiency and more than half of expected FY25 costs. The proposal also creates flexibility in
how we address costs in FY25 so that if circumstances change (ex: federal supports, work
authorizations, increased exits), resources can be redirected from reacting to the current crises to
investing in housing production and preservation.
Table 2: Summary of Proposed EA Funding Strategy
$ (In Millions)
Transitional Escrow Fund (TEF) Total Available
$ 700
ao December 2023
One-time production & preservation
FY24

$ (150)
investment
Remaining FY24 Deficiency $ (224)
TEF Remaining Balance After Addressing FY24
$ 326
Deficiency
FY25 Est. Spending $ (915)
Assuming resources consistent with FY24
FY25

$ 325
GAA
Remaining anticipated funding need $ (264)

3
Includes the $250 M originally sought for supplemental funding plus a new $10 M line item in the closeout supp
for resettlement agencies.
6
The Administration’s EA Shelter Funding Blueprint covers critical resources for families in the
EA Shelter System as well as the communities supporting them, including the following FY24
investments:
Production-Focused Investments
• Up to $150 M in cash for housing production and preservation to supplement investments
in the recently filed Affordable Homes Act and continue addressing long-term solutions
to housing insecurity
Shelter System Needs
• $148 M for supportive services and safe shelter, including:
o Shelter system at expanded caseloads (7,500 families)
o Case management, housing search, public health, and community supports
o Childcare, workforce readiness, English language, and other services to help
families exit shelter and achieve stable permanent housing

• $67 M for support for school districts and unhoused K-12 students, including:
o School district costs associated with additional student enrollments
o Special education services and English language instruction
o Multilingual faculty recruitment and retention

• $10 M for specialized Immigration and Refugee health and community supports to
address the needs of families with complex immigration status issues

The remaining $326 M in TEF funding will be held in reserve for FY25 needs. Recognizing the
fluidity of the situation and the significant need for shelter and services during this crisis, as well
as the importance of supporting the local communities in which these families are sheltered,
attending school, and participating in everyday life, the proposal will allow spending flexibility
to address changing demands in FY24 and FY25.
The Administration plans to file its supplemental budget legislation reflecting this EA Shelter
Funding Blueprint in the coming weeks.

7
Appendix A: Total Families Currently in Shelters, Hotels or Motels by Municipality

Town Total Families

Acton 12
Amherst 6
Andover 25
Arlington 16
Ashland 2
Attleboro 15
Auburn 33
Ayer 43
Barnstable 33
Bedford 92
Beverly 26
Billerica 24
Boston 1,309
Bourne 46
Braintree 15
Bridgewater 3
Brockton 167
Brookline 33
Burlington 34
Cambridge 34
Chelmsford 4
Chelsea 32
Chicopee 123
Concord 95
Danvers 129
Dartmouth 35
Dedham 159
Devens 12
Everett 110
Fairhaven 35
Fall River 77
Falmouth 9
Fitchburg 8
Foxborough 92
Framingham 157
Franklin 94
Gardner 52
 Town Total Families
Gloucester 5
Great Barrington 4
Great Barrington 15
Greenfield 56
Hadley 11
Hanson 1
Haverhill 71
Holyoke 171
Hudson 44
Kingston 99
Lawrence 54
Leicester 37
Lexington 30
Lowell 163
Lynn 283
Malden 51
Mansfield 38
Marlborough 189
Marshfield 21
Medford 36
Medway 11
Melrose 1
Methuen 84
Middleborough 59
Milford 70
Milton 2
New Bedford 28
North Attleboro 67
Northborough 31
Norton 22
Norwell 15
Norwood 10
Peabody 195
Pittsfield 35
Plainville 56
Plymouth 36
Raynham 48
Revere 63
Rockland 42
 Town Total Families
Salem 163
Saugus 70
Sharon 56
Shrewsbury 73
South Hadley 10
Southbridge 1
Springfield 289
Stoneham 1
Stoughton 194
Sturbridge 46
Sutton 30
Swansea 34
Taunton 164
Tewksbury 27
Wakefield 2
Waltham 65
Watertown 43
West Springfield 107
Westborough 104
Westminster 29
Weymouth 9
Woburn 173
Worcester 302
Yarmouth 36
Total 7,473
Appendix B: Amount Expended on Supplemental School District Costs by District

Amount Amount
District FY23 Total
Date Date
(Oct. 1, 2022 - Mar. (Mar. 2, 2023 - end of school
1, 2023) year)
Burlington $ - $ 44,200 8/30/2023 $ 44,200
Cambridge $ - $ 11,648 8/30/2023 $ 11,648
Chicopee $ - $ 52,416 8/30/2023 $ 52,416
Concord $ - $ 39,832 8/30/2023 $ 39,832
Concord-Carlisle $ - $ 13,312 8/30/2023 $ 13,312
Dedham $ - $ 5,824 8/30/2023 $ 5,824
Greenfield $ - $ 18,200 8/30/2023 $ 18,200
Kingston $ 87,984 6/22/2023 $ 130,416 8/30/2023 $ 218,400
Marlborough $ 38,064 6/22/2023 $ 104,832 8/30/2023 $ 142,896
Methuen $ 237,952 6/22/2023 $ 376,480 8/30/2023 $ 614,432
Norwood $ - $ 3,432 8/30/2023 $ 3,432
Oxford $ 21,320 6/22/2023 $ 50,232 8/30/2023 $ 71,552
Peabody $ - $ 43,472 8/30/2023 $ 43,472
Plymouth $ 93,496 6/22/2023 $ 123,864 8/30/2023 $ 217,360
Revere $ - $ 11,544 8/30/2023 $ 11,544
Salem $ 52,936 7/10/2023 $ 231,504 8/30/2023 $ 284,440
Shrewsbury $ - $ 102,648 8/30/2023 $ 102,648
Silver Lake $ 27,248 6/22/2023 $ 64,584 8/30/2023 $ 91,832
Taunton $ - $ 61,672 8/30/2023 $ 61,672
West Springfield $ 71,864 6/22/2023 $ 295,360 8/30/2023 $ 367,224
Westborough $ 44,928 6/22/2023 $ 142,064 8/30/2023 $ 186,992
Worcester $ 201,240 6/21/2023 $ 235,040 8/30/2023 $ 436,280
Total $ 877,032 $ 2,162,576 $ 3,039,608