EA DHCD Policy Materials

Effective January 13, 2018, the new Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) issued pursuant to the Federal Register will be used to determine eligibility for Emergency Assistance (EA). The EA eligibility for applicants and recipients is 115 % of the Federal Poverty Guideline. This change has been…

Attached are documents relating to the settlement in August, 2017 of an Emergency Assistance language access complaint filed at MCAD (MIRA and MLRI vs. DHCD.)The documents are the Settlement (including the the EA Language Access Plan) and a summary of the major settlement provisions.

This Housing Stabilization Notice (HSN) provides guidance on how Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) Division of Housing Stabilization DHS) Homeless Coordinators and Department of Children and Families (DCF) Health and Safety (HAS) assessors are to work with terms used in regard…

If your entire household needs be away from the EA shelter or hotel more than 4 days in a row, you need to request a Temporary Emergency Shelter Interruption (TESI).  See attached form.

This Housing Stabilization Notice (HSN) is intended to provide guidance to Emergency Assistance (EA) program staff and contractors on changes to the Noncompliance Process arising from the settlement in Hayes v. DHCD'. This notice supersedes and renders obsolete Housing…

NFL-ST

This Warning Notice explains how someone has not met their responsibilities while in a temporary emergency shelter.

The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) enter into this Memorandum of Understanding for the purpose of better coordinating the services each provide to homeless families of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

Click the "Go to Website" link to download the Overnight Approval Request Form for Families in Emergency Assistance (EA) Hotel Placements from DHCD's website. Available in…

Click the "Go to Website" link below to download both the Summary of EA Uniform Shelter Program Rules and the EA Uniform Shelter Program Rules from DHCH's website. (Scroll down the DHCD web page until you see the Uniform Rules heading.) These Rules apply to families placed in congregate shelters,…

This Housing Stabilization Notice (HSN) is intended to reiterate and clarify the practices in the field for initiating a Temporary Emergency Shelter Interruption (TESI) and to add a new reason for the granting of TESI relief. This HSN supersedes, and renders obsolete, HSN 2012-04.

DHCD statistics about Emergency Assistance and shelter placements.  Includes data about EA applications and placements, EA shelter/motel placements, reason for placements, EA caseload, EA exits, RAFT, and expenditures. DHCD posts recent monthly reports, and quarterly reports going back…

DHCD memo limiting HomeBASE household assistance funds for furniture to $1,000/family, except for special circumstances.  

Introduction This Housing Stabilization Notice (HSN) is intended to clarify how families in the time-limited HomeBASE Rental Assistance (HBRA) program who have reached the end of their 24-month subsidy are to be considered if they re-apply for Emergency Assistsance (EA). In summary: HBRA…

Memo been issued by DHCD asking housing authorities to "consider" allowing unauthorized occupants (homeless families with children) to stay doubled up for longer than the leases permit.  These are the double-ups that the Administration is urging in lieu of providing EA shelter. 

Note:  as of 2/2015, appeals should be sent to:   Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, Hearings Division, 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02114; fax to 617-573-1515 or email to DHCDEAHearings@massmail.state.ma.us (if you are able to scan). 

Arise, et al v. DHCD was filed to enjoin DHCD from promulgating regulations which would restrict access to Emergency Assistance. Among other policies challenged was the restriction of EA to only four categories of applicants notwithstanding broader eligibility enumerated by the legislature, and…

The purpose of this Operations Memo is to inform TAO staff of obsolete Field Operations Memos and other obsolete documents relating to the homeless child care services that were formerly provided through DTA.The memo also serves to communicate the homeless child care services available to DTA…

DHCD Housing Stabilization Notice 2011-2: Expanded definition of "spouse" and "stepparent" for purposes of determining who may be included in an EA household. Now includes person with whom the parent or pregnant woman is involved in an inter-dependent relationship that is…

DHCD's Re-Housing Plan and Stabilization Plan.  Part 1 is for families in shelter; Part 2 is for those placed in housing (primarily with short term subsidies).

Waiver to exclude wages received from job training programs for HPRP participants in the MRVP STA ProgramThis notice serves to provide guidance to HPRP providers and Regional Housing Agencies regarding income calculation for HPRP families transitioning onto the MRVP STA program.For more information,…

In November 2010, MLRI, on behalf of Mass. Coalition for the Homeless and several individual plaintiffs, sued the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) alleging that DHCD was violating the law by not having fair and duly promulgated rules governing the Emergency Assistance…

This notice serves to announce the availability of Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) Short Term Assistance for families with expiring diversion or rehousing subsidies through the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP). MRVP Short Term Assistance (STA) provides a…

Emergency Assistance income guidelines.

This Housing Stabilization Notice discusses the types of verification that do not involve presumptive eligibility and are therefore required as a basic element of the intake process for Emergency Assistance.  Other forms of verification are subject to the thirty-day submission period under the…

The e-mail below was sent out to all EA shelter and Flexible Funds providers on October 28, 2010 from DHCD's Acting Contract Manager Director for the Division of Housing Stabilization. The e-mail informs providers that all families with EA-funded temporary subsidies are entitled…

FY11 Flex Fund documents from DHCD. These are the documents DHCD plans to use this year to govern distribution of EA Funds as Flexible (Flex) Funds, such as short term subsidies, moving expenses and transportation out of state.

Superceded by 2012-05. This Housing Stabilization Notice explains the concept of "intervening housing" and supplements Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) Field Operations Memorandum (FOM) 2006-04, EA – Frequently Asked Questions Regarding EA Eligibility, Question No. 2, What if…

This Housing Stabilization Notice explains the concept of "intervening housing" and supplements Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) Field Operations Memorandum (FOM) 2006-04, EA — Frequently Asked Questions Regarding EA Eligibility, Question No. 2, What if instead of an…

The current protocol for processing Emergency Assistance non-compliances/terminations is for the provider (shelter or housing search) to send a request (NDR-1) to DHCD - DHS Central. Central reviews and sends out the sanction if deemed justified; the field office is not involved at all in…

This Housing Stabilization Notice discusses how to address additional adult household members. Each EA household must contain at least one adult (over the age of 18) and one or more children (under the age of 21), which can include an unborn child for a pregnant woman. Many households have more than…

DHCD May 2010 memo barring appliances in motel rooms. Families placed in motels are asked to sign a copy. Those who are found to have their own appliances in the room, including electric skillets, are being found in noncompliance with DHCD hotel rules. 

DHCD Memo to Shelter Providers explaining that families in shelter may be terminated if they refuse an offer of housing that is affordable due only to a short-term subsidy. Also explains that one purpose of short-term subsidies is to enable families to develop a positive housing resume.  

Today DHCD announced to shelter/housing search providers that, due to a projected deficit in the Emergency Assistance account, shelter providers no longer have access to FY10 EA funds for short term subsidies or payments like first and last month's rent. See attached memo and Excel spreadsheet…

Attached is the DHCD version of the appeal notice that gives the numbers for the DHCD hearings division (617)-573-1528 or 1-877-418-3308. Chris McClave is the Acting Hearings Manager . This notice says you can call DHCD recipient services or your local Homeless Coordinator (DHCD worker) to review…

DHCD notice reminding workers that "Any family applicant for state-aided public housing that is participating in one of these programs [HPRP short term subsidies] should be considered homeless as these are transitional programs for families who are without permanent housing. Therefore,…

Administrative Plan between DHCD and DCF concerning DCF doing "health and safety assessments" related to applications for EA shelter. That Plan and the Assessment form DCF is supposed to use are attached. Please let MLRI know if you see families who are deterred from seeking shelter, delayed in…

Emergency Assistance Housing Stabilization Program Flexible Funds Program Frequently Asked Questions and Calculation Sheet.

EA funds are being used to help defray the costs of homeless families in shelter obtaining new housing -- through the Flexible Funds Program (formerly known as Toolbox) and the Housing Stabilization Program (formerly known as Shelter to Housing) -- and for a Shelter Diversion Pilot to prevent the…

Guidance on presumptive eligibility for Emergency Assistance.

Emergency assistance -- request for accommodation form.

Attached are posters for DTA offices about the transfer.

Attached is the list of phone numbers for staff transferring from DTA to DHCD. Note that the actual toll-free number for DHCD is 877-418-3308. Also attached is a letter that was sent to Legislators yesterday along with a list of local office staff numbers that was sent to them. You may find these…

Effective July 1, 2009, the EA eligibility standard for applicants has changed to 115% (down from  130%) of the federal poverty guidelines.  The notice includes an EA eligibiltiy standard chart.  As Beacon has not yet been updated to reflect this change, eligibility for EA must be determined…