Outside Section 28

Codify DHCD MRVP and RAFT Programs

SECTION 28.   Said chapter 121B is hereby further amended by inserting after section 44A the following 2 sections:-

          Section 44B. (a) Subject to appropriation, the department shall administer a program of rental assistance for low-income families and elderly persons through mobile and project-based vouchers, to be known as the Massachusetts rental voucher program, in this section called the program.
          (b) The income of the participating households shall not exceed 200 per cent of the federal poverty level. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, each household holding a project-based or mobile voucher shall pay at least 30 per cent but not more than 40 per cent of its income as rent. The department shall establish the amounts of the mobile vouchers and the project-based vouchers, so that appropriations are not exceeded by payments for rental assistance and administration. The department shall not enter into commitments which will cause it to exceed appropriations for the program. Households holding mobile vouchers shall have priority for occupancy of the project-based dwelling units in the event of a vacancy.
          (c) The department may award mobile vouchers to eligible households currently occupying project-based units that shall expire due to the non-renewal of project-based rental assistance contracts.
          (d) The department, as a condition of continued eligibility for vouchers and voucher payments, may require disclosure of social security numbers by participants and members of participants' households in the program for use in verification of income with other agencies, departments, and executive offices. Any household in which a participant or member of a participant's household fails to provide a social security number for use in verifying the household's income and eligibility shall no longer be eligible for a voucher or to receive benefits from the voucher program.
          (e) The department shall set the vouchers in varying dollar amounts, based on considerations including but not limited to family size, composition, income level, and geographic location. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, rent surveys shall not be required for use in determining the amounts of the mobile or project-based vouchers.
          (f) Any household which is proven to have caused intentional damage to a rental unit that it occupies in an amount exceeding 2 month's rent during any one-year lease period shall be terminated from the program.
          (g) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a mobile voucher whose use is or has been discontinued shall be re-assigned within 90 days.
          (h) The department shall pay agencies an administrative fee per voucher per month to be determined by the department for the costs of administering the program.
          (i) Subsidies shall not be reduced for the cost of accommodating the cost of the inspections.
          (j) The department shall impose obligations for each participant in the program through a 12-month contract which shall be executed by the participant and the department. These obligations may include but need not be limited to job training, counseling, household budgeting, and education, as defined in regulations of the department and to the extent such programs are available. Each participant shall be required to undertake and meet any such contractually established obligation as a condition for continued eligibility in the program. For continued eligibility each participant shall execute any such 12-month contract on or before September 1 if his annual eligibility recertification date occurs before that date, and otherwise on or before his annual eligibility re-certification date. Any participant who is over age 60 or who is disabled may be exempted from any obligations unsuitable under particular circumstances.

Section 44C. Subject to appropriation, the department shall administer a program of residential assistance to families in transition, to provide assistance for homeless families moving into subsidized or private housing and families at risk of becoming homeless due to a significant reduction of income or increase in expenses. The amount of financial assistance shall not exceed $3,000 per family. Funds may be used for security deposits, first and last month's rent, electric, gas, sewer and water utility payments. The department shall administer the program through contracts with the regional non-profit housing agencies. No assistance shall be provided to any family with an income in excess of 50 per cent of the area median income. The department shall establish guidelines for administering the program.
 
 

Summary:
This section codifies in the General Laws the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program and the Residential Assistance to Families in Transition program, both administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development.