As Massachusetts and the nation grapple with high levels of housing instability, unemployment, structural racism, and health inequality, now is the time for the Commonwealth to make deep investments in Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT, budget line item 7004-9316), a program of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.
RAFT is a key tool to help families with children, unaccompanied youth, elders, people with disabilities, and other households in Massachusetts avoid or exit homelessness. RAFT provides funds to very low-income households for needs such as back rent payments, back utility payments, first month’s rent, last month’s rent, security deposits, and transportation costs.
During state fiscal year 2020, there has been a total of just over $28 million invested in the RAFT program, up from the initial appropriation of $21 million at the start of the fiscal year. Community members and advocates have welcomed the increased funds from the Legislature and from MassHousing, which transferred $5 million to create a COVID-19 response fund within RAFT. Looking ahead to the start of fiscal year 2021, though, much more funding will be needed, especially when existing moratoria on evictions and utility shut-offs expire.
I am very proud to be a local trustee of Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and I ask you to join with us, the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and allied organizations in advocating with the Legislature to appropriate $50 million for RAFT to address COVID-19 and ongoing housing instability needs.
Increased funding will be even more powerful when combined with recommended program changes to improve access and eligibility for RAFT. Some of the proposed changes include raising the benefit cap to allow households to access at least $10,000 in a twelve-month period to more effectively and realistically meet needs, up from the current cap of $4,000; allowing more households receive to RAFT benefits before having to officially begin an eviction or utility shut-off process (“Upstream RAFT”); further decreasing the documentation burden on households applying for funds; and improving the online application systems that have been instituted by the regional entities administering the program across the state.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts households are falling further behind on rent, utilities, and other needs after facing job losses, work hour reductions, and unexpected costs.
Both COVID-19 and housing instability are impacting Black and Brown communities disproportionately. RAFT is a key part of stemming the tide of homelessness, addressing racial inequities, assisting small landlords, and keeping our communities whole.
Please reach out to your state representative and senator today to ask them to take meaningful action to prevent homelessness in the Commonwealth by making critical investments in RAFT.
Wendy Payne is on the board of directors of the Lynn-based Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless www.mahomeless.org
