On July 4, Governor Healey signed the FY26 budget and sent her vetoes back to the Legislature.
The vetoes included three line items related to shelter and housing:
- Housing Consumer Education Centers: The Governor vetoed the additional $500,000 allocated in the Legislature’s budget, which means a resulting 40% cut to this vital program that serves as the front door to over 600 households seeking RAFT every week in western Massachusetts.
- Shelter Workforce Development: The Governor cut this funding in half, from $10 million to $5 million, distributing the cut equally across the individual and family systems. This funding has been critical to meeting workforce needs in our area shelters.
- Bureau of Substance Addiction Services: The Governor further cut funding for low-threshold housing, reducing it by half (from $10m in FY25 to $5m in FY26).
The Governor also decided to delay the release of funding for about $125 million in earmarks until the fall, with the possibility of earmarks being canceled if the state is in a precarious fiscal position at that point. The Network’s earmark funding of $100,000 is at risk.
CHAPA offers a narrative overview and summary tracker of housing/homelessness items in the FY26 budget here (based on the Legislature’s Conference Committee budget which still stands minus the items referenced above).
Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance also offers a summary tracker of shelter and supportive housing budget outcomes.
The Legislature now has an opportunity to override vetoes with a two-thirds vote. Given the potentially dire impact of federal budget cuts, it is unclear what if any overrides will take place.
We will continue to engage with our state and federal legislative delegations as this unprecedented situation unfolds.
Staying in close communication and at the ready for united action is what we can do – see you at the Renters Rally on the 16th!
