The House and Senate Conference Committee has been named and is meeting now to determine its final FY16 budget.  The Network is continuing its advocacy for its priorities and asks you to join in communicating with your legislators directly.  The Conference Committee includes one Western MA legislator, Vice Chair of House Ways and Means Stephen Kulik (additional members are listed below).  It is useful to contact your senator and representative and ask them to weigh in with all the Conferees about Network priorities!  You can find your legislators by clicking here.

The Network requests the following:

1.  Adopt House funding of the $125,000 earmark for the Western MA Network to End Homelessness (Line item 7004-0102) in order for the Network to maintain its capacity to coordinate regional efforts and implement its soon-to-be-released Western MA Opening Doors Plan to End Homelessness in FY16.
2.  Adopt Senate language and funding level of the Secure Jobs program of $750,000 which will provide the greatest possible assistance to homeless families seeking economic and housing stability.
3.  Adopt House funding level of Housing Consumer Education Centers of $2.6 million (Line item 7004-3036)  to restore funding to the FY14 level, enabling the centers to provide critical homelessness prevention services across the region and Commonwealth.
4.  Adopt Senate funding of Housing and Services for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (Line Items 4000-0007 and 4000-0300) which will provide $2 million to implement the new unaccompanied youth homelessness law, Chapter 450 of the Acts of 2014; and Adopt the House earmark of $150,000 to support the continuation of the Special Commission on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth. 

This year’s House Conference Committee members are Representatives Brian Dempsey (D-Haverhill, Chair of House Ways and Means), Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington, Vice Chair of House Ways and Means), and Todd Smola (R-Warren, Minority Member of House Ways and Means). The Senate Conference Committee members are Senators Karen Spilka (D-Ashland, Chair of Senate Ways and Means), Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett, Vice Chair of Senate Ways and Mean), and Vinny deMacedo (R-Plymouth, Minority Member of Senate Ways and Means).

Thank you for your advocacy!

 

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