Housing

This bill appropriates $425 million from the General Fund for supportive services and safe shelter for unhoused families in Massachusetts, supplementing existing housing programs. It requires emergency housing applicants to disclose unsealed criminal convictions (excluding sealed/expunged records) and mandates criminal background checks before program placement. The bill limits eligibility for families with no other children to six consecutive months of benefits, with extensions possible for documented hardships like domestic violence, veteran status, or disabilities. It also requires translated informational handouts about resources and benefit duration for recipients, applying to the emergency housing assistance program.

This bill allocates $425 million from a special fund to provide supportive services and safe shelter for unhoused families in Massachusetts, primarily affecting families experiencing homelessness and immigrant/refugee populations. It establishes temporary respite sites for eligible families (up to 30 days, extendable under specific conditions) and requires new background checks for emergency housing applicants, including disclosure of serious criminal convictions (excluding sealed/expunged records) and consent for criminal record checks. The bill also limits emergency housing eligibility to 6 consecutive months for families with children or pregnant women, with exceptions for hardship cases like domestic violence, veterans, or high-risk pregnancies. These provisions aim to streamline housing assistance while adding verification requirements and time limits.