Public housing advocates lobbied Monday for a list of policy and budget priorities that included the request from local housing authority officials for an additional $6 million in support to hire resident service coordinators.
The lobbying luncheon organized by the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) brought close to 200 local housing officials to the State House. One of their main requests was to see the operating subsidy for public housing boosted in the fiscal 2021 budget to $78 million, which would represent a $6 million increase over last year.
Gov. Charlie Baker proposed to level fund the public housing operating budget line item in his spending plan for next year.
According to NAHRO, 60 percent of public housing authorities have no resident service coordinator staff. An additional $3 million, the group said, would fund part-time staff for over 100 housing authorities. Resident service coordinators can assist with managing clients, coordinating food programs for kids and allowing seniors to “age in place” and avoid nursing homes.
Local authorities are also seeking an additional $1 million for implementation of a common housing application, known as CHAMP, which was part of a 2014 reform law.
Housing advocates said the implementation has led to applicants being “confused and overwhelmed” by the paperwork they must complete. The money would help fund additional staff and the purchase of scanners and computers required to run the new system.
Sen. Jamie Eldridge, an Acton Democrat and the former chair of the Housing Committee, said he believed the Legislature would vote on a housing production bill this sessions. He urged local authorities to talk to their representatives to “make sure it helps public housing authorities.”