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The 2020 State Budget: House Amendments Need Support!

Action Alert

The Massachusetts House of Representatives will debate its FY20 budget proposal this week and several key amendments have been filed that still need support! These amendments fill in funding gaps when the amount allocated in the House Committee on Ways & Means’ budget recommendations (released April 10th) fell short of supporting the clear needs of our communities.

Please take a moment and check out a few of our budget priorities below and the amendments Representatives Balser, O’Day, and Khan have filed. Loud and vocal support for these amendments and line items makes all the difference, so please join us and call your State Representative to ensure our elected officials have civil legal aid, youth homelessness, and Massachusetts schools on their list of budget priorities!

Safe and Supportive School Environments

The Safe and Supportive Schools law, passed in 2014, was enacted to make the vision of safe and supportive whole-school cultures that address many barriers to learning a reality. Level funding for the Safe and Supportive Schools Line Item (7061-9612) is critical to continue the Safe and Supportive Schools Grant Program, develop school-wide Action Plans, collect feedback from students, and more. But the House has proposed allocating only $400,000, a decrease from the $500,000 in funding it received last year.

Funding for this line item is necessary to continue expanding and improving strategies and tools so all students are empowered to succeed in school.

Representative Balser has filed Amendment #1099 to provide level funding of $500,000 to ensure adequate funding for these important programs. Please join us in supporting Rep. Balser’s amendment and standing up for students across Massachusetts!

Click here for more information about this issue.

Action You Can Take:

Click here to find your State Representative’s contact information and ask them to support Amendment #1099.

Civil Legal Aid

For low-income Massachusetts residents who are unable to afford an attorney, civil legal aid organizations are often the last place they can turn to when facing eviction, domestic violence, or other life-altering civil legal issues. But the House Committee on Ways & Means provided only $22.5 million for the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC) line item (0321-1600).

MLAC is the largest provider of civil legal aid services in the state and without increased funding, civil legal aid programs will be forced to continue to turn away thousands of Massachusetts residents in need and seeking help.

Representative Ruth Balser has filed Amendment #1095 to provide $24 million in funding for legal aid. While still less than MLAC’s request of $26 million, this increase in funding is absolutely critical to ensure access to justice for thousands of vulnerable residents in Massachusetts.

Many representatives are aware of the importance of legal aid, and may support it, but this year, they MUST make it a priority. Your call can be the difference!

Click here for more information about this issue

Action You Can Take:

Click here to find your State Representative’s contact information TODAY and ask them to support Amendment #1095.

Youth Homelessness

Housing and Support Services

Youth homelessness is on the rise in Massachusetts – but the House Committee on Ways & Means has recommended only level funding ($3.3 million) for housing and supportive services for youth experiencing homelessness (line item 4000-0007). Representative Jim O’Day has filed Amendment #883 to increasing funding for these services to $5 million.

When youth experience homelessness, they are at a greater risk of poor health outcomes, exposure to violence, susceptibility to exploitation, and dropping out of school.

This increase in funding is absolutely vital and can help create a sustained, systematic, and effective response to end youth homelessness.

Click here for more information about this issue. 

Action You Can Take:

Click here to find your State Representative’s contact information and ask them to support Amendment #883.

Massachusetts State ID

Government issued identification is necessary to complete many important and daily tasks, such as opening a bank account, enrolling in education programs, getting a library card, entering certain government buildings, and more. But youth experiencing homelessness face several barriers that often prevent them from obtaining ID.

Some service providers for people experiencing homelessness estimate that half of their clients lack identification cards.

While we will continue to advocate for that passage of a refiled bill that would eliminate the barriers that stop youth experiencing homelessness from obtaining ID throughout the year, Representative Kay Khan has filed two amendments addressing this issue now:

  1. The first is Amendment #765 to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund;
  2. The second would add an Outside Section in the FY20 budget.

These amendments would establish a fee waiver process for youth experiencing homelessness, create an alternative application process to apply for state ID if they cannot meet existing criteria, expand the Registry of Motor Vehicles’ (RMV) efforts to better serve people experiencing homelessness, and add $50,000 to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund (line item 1595-6368) in order to offset the RMV’s lost revenue. They are common-sense reforms that will help ensure youth experiencing homelessness are able to access the resources they need.

Click here for more information about this issue.

Action You Can Take

Click here to find your State Representative’s contact information and ask them to support Amendment #765 and Rep. Khan’s outside section.

Ensuring these amendments are included in the House proposed budget will set us up for success when it comes time for the Legislature to finalize a budget to send to Governor Baker. Please call your State Representative and urge them to include civil legal aid and support for Massachusetts students and youth experiencing homelessness in their FY20 funding priorities. Your advocacy is vital this time of year, and I want to thank you for your continued commitment to our work!

 

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The 2020 Budget Battle Begins: Co-sponsors Needed!

Action Alert

Along with spring showers, the state budget season has arrived! This is the critical time of year when the state legislature makes important decisions about which services and programs to invest in and at what levels. The state budget is a statement of our values as a Commonwealth. In it we find the answers to questions like: Do we care about our most vulnerable residents? Are our legislators willing to invest in solutions and services for low-income families and individuals and youth experiencing homelessness?

Join us in fighting to make sure our elected officials have civil legal aid and youth homelessness on their list of budget priorities. For so many, this budget will determine if they will be able to stave off eviction, find shelter, achieve stability, and more in 2020.

On Wednesday, the House Committee on Ways & Means released its budget recommendations for FY20. Representatives are now busy filing amendments for various line items. Check out our focus areas below and what you can do to help.

Civil Legal Aid

Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporations (MLAC) requested $26 million in state support for 2020, but the House Committee on Ways & Means allocated only $22.5 million. For low-income Massachusetts residents who are unable to afford an attorney, civil legal aid organizations are often the last place they can turn to when facing eviction, domestic violence, or other life-altering civil legal issues.

MLAC is the largest provider of civil legal aid services in the state and without increased funding, civil legal aid programs will be forced to continue to turn away thousands of Massachusetts residents in need and seeking help.

Representative Balser has filed an amendment to allocate $24 million for legal aid. This increase in funding is absolutely critical to ensure access to justice for thousands of vulnerable residents in Massachusetts.

Many representatives support legal aid, but we need them to make it a priority for the FY20 budget, and they’ll only do that if they hear from you!

Click here for more information about this issue

Action You Can Take:

Click here to find your State Representative’s contact information TODAY and ask them to co-sponsor Rep. Balser’s MLAC Amendment and directly communicate their support for the amendment to Speaker DeLeo and House Ways & Means Chair Michlewitz.

Youth Homelessness

Housing and Support Services

Youth without homes can’t wait, but the House Committee on Ways & Means has recommended level funding of $3.3 million for housing and supportive services for youth experiencing homelessness (line item 4000-0007). Representative O’Day will be filing an amendment to raise this funding to $5 million – a much needed increase.

When youth experience homelessness, they are at a greater risk of poor health outcomes, exposure to violence, susceptibility to exploitation, and dropping out of school.

In the wake of reports of youth homelessness in Massachusetts on the rise, expanding funding to provide housing and support services throughout the state is absolutely vital. This increase in funding can build off the work of previous years and help create a sustained, systematic, and effective response to end youth homelessness.

Click here for more information about this issue. 

Action You Can Take:

Click here to find your State Representative’s contact information and ask them to co-sponsor Rep. O’Day’s amendment by contacting his office before 3 p.m. today!

Massachusetts State ID

State ID is necessary to complete many important and daily tasks, such as opening a bank account, enrolling in education programs, getting a library card, entering certain government buildings, and more. But youth experiencing homelessness face several barriers that often prevent them from obtaining it.

Some service providers for people experiencing homelessness estimate that half of their clients lack identification cards.

Throughout 2018, we fought for a bill that would eliminate the barriers that stop youth experiencing homelessness from obtaining ID, and while it didn’t pass, it has been refiled this year and we will continue to advocate for its passage in 2019.

However, Representative Khan has gone one step further and filed two amendments addressing this issue, both of which draw from the bill:

  1. The first is an amendment to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund (line item 1595-6368);
  2. The second would add an outside section in the FY20 budget.

These amendments would establish a fee waiver process for youth experiencing homelessness, create an alternative application process to apply for state ID if they cannot meet existing criteria, expand the Registry of Motor Vehicles’ (RMV) efforts to better serve people experiencing homelessness, and add $50,000 to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund (line item 1595-6368) in order to offset the RMV’s lost revenue. They are common-sense reforms that will help ensure youth experiencing homelessness are able to access the resources they need.

Click here for more information about this issue.

Action You Can Take

Click here to find your State Representative’s contact information and ask them to co-sponsor Rep. Khan’s amendment and outside section.

Thank you for joining us for this first stage of the budget process and advocating for these important amendments and increases in funding. Please call your State Representative and urge them to include civil legal aid and support for youth experiencing homelessness in their FY20 funding priorities. With your help, we can start this budget season off right!

 

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The Formal Session Ends: Let’s Break It Down

It’s over! The formal session of the Legislature ended at midnight on Tuesday, which means, although the Legislature will continue to meet in informal sessions, action on the most remaining controversial legislation will be tabled until January 2019.

So what are the results? Read more below about how our priorities fared in the FY19 budget and what happened with a bill to break down barriers for homeless youth.

The FY19 State Budget

The state budget is incredibly important to the people in need we fight these legislative battles on behalf of. We’ve seen what happens when funding disappears – just last year, a Cambridge shelter serving LGBTQ youth came within inches of closing its doors for good.

Not this time.

I couldn’t be more pleased to report that all – yes, ALL – of the priorities you helped us fight for made it in!

You raised your voice in the House. You emailed your Senators. You pushed the Conference Committee. You picked up the phone and called Governor Baker. You took action, and it worked.

That means:

Civil Legal Aid: Funded at $21.04 million, a mere $2 million shy of MLAC’s initial request and a $3 million increase over last year. That’s $3 million more going to provide critical free legal services to those who cannot afford an attorney!

The Housing Court Expansion: Fully funded at $2.6 million, a huge win for expanding access to justice into areas of the state where people need it most!

Language Requiring Schools to Publish Meal Charge Policies: Included, and an important step forward in the ongoing fight to end lunch shaming and protect low-income students.

Support for Homeless Youth: Funded at 3.3 million, a huge increase from last year!

Task Force to Tackle Language Access in Schools: Language was included in the budget to establish this task force which will help to ensure schools are fulfilling their obligation to communicate effectively with limited English proficient parents about their child’s education!

For joining us in this series of budget battles and sticking by us for months, thank you.

For standing up and demanding a better, fairer Massachusetts, thank you.

For these remarkable victories, thank you.

Homeless ID Bill

Now the bad news.

Despite our best efforts, Senate Bill 2568, An Act to provide identification to homeless youth and families, did not pass before the end of the formal legislative session. This bill is a common sense reform measure that would make it easier for homeless youth to obtain state identification.

Without state ID, homeless youth cannot apply for a job, enroll in education programs, get a library card, or accomplish a number of other important, everday tasks. This bill would have eliminated the $25 fee and eased the path towards getting a state ID for homeless applicants. It could have made a big difference in the lives of homeless youth around the state.

We’re disappointed the Legislature was unable to pass Senate Bill 2568 before the formal session ended. But we aren’t giving up. This bill passed the Senate unanimously and we still have hope that, working with our community partners, we can get it passed by the House during informal sessions. Stay tuned as we work to make this happen!

 

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Cell Phones in the Courthouse Report Launch at the Lookout Rooftop & Bar

Martha A. Mazzone, Board Chair

Many thanks to our generous hosts at the Envoy Hotel and everyone who came to help us celebrate the release of our latest report, Cell Phones in the Courthouse: An Access to Justice Perspective. Cell phone bans disproportionately impact litigants who are unable to afford an attorney, and can have critical access to justice consequences.

We’re so grateful to everyone who participated, with special thanks to Jade Brown from Greater Boston Legal Services and Erin O’Leary for sharing their personal experiences with cell phone bans and the harmful impact they can have.

To learn more about Erin’s story and how a cell phone ban affected her when she went to court facing a possible eviction, click here.

To read more about this issue and what we’re doing about it, visit our current projects or click here to see the final report.

 

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New Report Recommends Lifting Cell Phone Bans in Massachusetts Courthouses

For Immediate Release

Boston, July 24, 2018 – A policy brief released today by the Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice examines the impact of banning cell phones and other personal electronic devices in Massachusetts courthouses. It finds that there are unintended consequences to the bans, especially for self-represented litigants, and that access to justice can be harmed as a result.

“It’s become increasingly clear that courthouse cell phones bans put litigants who are representing themselves at a serious disadvantage,” said Deborah Silva, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. “Attorneys can bring smart phones into courthouses, and they often store their clients’ phones so they can be accessed throughout the day, if needed. But pro se litigants do not have that option and so they cannot access proof of payments, agreements, and injuries that are stored on their phones in the form of email, text messages, and photos.”

Trial courts in Massachusetts permit the use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices provided that they are turned off or set to be silent before entering a courtroom. However, chief justices at individual courthouses may set further restrictions and currently 56 trial courts across the state do not allow anyone other than attorneys, jurors, and court personnel to bring cell phones into the courthouse.

Interviews with attorneys, litigants, and advocates for affected populations, such as people with low incomes, survivors of domestic violence, and people who speak a first language other than English found the following:

  • Litigants are often unaware of courthouse cellphone bans until they arrive at court. A few courthouses offer safe storage of phones and other electronic devices in secure lockers, but most do not.
  • When faced with the option of missing their court appointment if they cannot get rid of their phone, litigants have resorted to hiding their phones in bushes around the courthouse, leaving a phone with a cab driver, and even stashing their phone in the bag of a bicycle locked up outside the courthouse. Outside busy courthouses, some vendors have started phone storage businesses. This works for some litigants, but others cannot afford to pay for storage.
  • Self-represented litigants who are able to store their phones outside the courthouse are often hindered without them in the courtroom because they do not have access to evidence stored on their phones that support their legal claims. Phones are also necessary for coordinating translation services and using hearing assistance apps.

Cell phone bans were originally put in place to prevent individuals from recording victims, witnesses, jurors, or court employees for the purpose of threatening or intimidating them, or even broadcasting courtroom proceedings to people outside the courtroom. While the report acknowledges that these may be legitimate concerns in certain instances, an examination of policies and practices in other states, finds that there are ways to ensure safety without disadvantaging self-represented litigants. Examples of policies in courts in Massachusetts and other states that permit cell phones in courthouses include permitting their use in the courtroom but confiscating them if they are used improperly; designating courthouse spaces in which cell phones can be used; and providing secure lockers to safely store cell phones.

“Cell phones have become an integral part of daily life for most people and banning their use in public spaces such as courthouses has serious consequences,” Silva added. “Living in a democratic society demands a constant balance of security with liberty. Cell phone bans have outlived their usefulness and we need new policies to ensure that everyone who enters a Massachusetts courtroom enjoys the promise of access to justice.”

The report, “Cell Phones in the Courthouse: An Access to Justice Perspective,” is available online: https://massappleseed.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Cell-Phones-in-the-Courthouse.pdf.

About the Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice:

Massachusetts Appleseed’s mission is to promote equal rights and opportunities for Massachusetts residents by developing and advocating for systemic solutions to social justice issues. Working with volunteer lawyers, community partners, and others, we identify and address gaps in services and opportunities in areas such as education, homelessness, and the court system. Through in-depth research, consensus building, and community problem solving, we develop powerful solutions for reforming the systems and structures responsible. Our work seeks to level the playing field and transform communities.

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The Conference Committee Negotiations Begin!

Action Alert

If passing the FY’19 State Budget is a marathon, we’re in the final stretch! The Senate Debates have ended and the Conference Committee met for the first time last Thursday.

This Committee is comprised of three Senators and three Representatives with one job: to reconcile differences between the House and Senate budgets.

Now it’s our job to make sure they don’t forget about the many important items you’ve helped us fight for over the past two months that need funding. The budget is more than just a list of line items. It’s a chance for all of us to stand up and tell our legislators what we care about and why.

The following are our priorities:

  • Civil Legal Aid (Line Item #0321-1600)
    • $21 million to provide civil legal aid to low-income individuals and families.
  • Housing Court (Line Item #0336-0003)
    • $2.6 million to fully fund the Housing Court expansion, a key component of expanding access to justice in the state.
  • Lunch Shaming and Student Hunger (Line Item #7053-1909)
    • Requiring schools to publish their meal charge policies to better track and combat lunch shaming.
  • Support for Homeless Youth (Line Item #4000-0007)
    • $3.3 million to fund housing and support services for homeless youth.
  • Language Access in Schools (Outside Section 126)
    • Establish and task force regarding school interpreters to break down language barriers in education settings.

Please contact your legislators and ask them to urge the members of the Conference Committee to include the critical funding and policy language described below in the final budget they send to the Governor.

Don’t wait – contact them now!

You can read more about these important line items below. 

Civil Legal Aid

Line Item #0321-1600

The Senate has recommended a $21 million appropriation, a $3 million increase from last year and a $210,000 increase from the House appropriation, for Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC), the largest funding source for civil legal aid programs. These programs provide critical free legal services to those who cannot afford an attorney.

Due to a lack of funding, legal aid organizations are ALREADY forced to turn away 64% of people in need of help.

We need the Conference Committee to adopt the Senate’s recommendation of $21 million in funding for MLAC, so that more low-income residents of Massachusetts can gain access to legal advice and representation. Please tell your legislators to advocate for this funding level in the final Conference Committee budget!

Housing Court

Line Item #0336-0003

The Housing Court has already proven itself to be an indispensable resource for those experiencing a housing crisis – for those who have access. Now, the Senate has recommended $2.6 million, an increase of $1.6 million from last year and a $100,000 increase from the House appropriation, for the full expansion of the Housing Court needed to protect the nearly one-third of all Massachusetts residents who currently have no access.

Neighborhoods under attack from gentrification and families faced with eviction must have access to a Housing Court.

If we truly believe in access to justice, funding the necessary expansion of the Housing Court must be a priority. Please ask your state senator and representative to advocate for $2.6 million in funding for Housing Court in the Conference Committee’s final budget.

Lunch Shaming and Student Hunger

Line Item #7053-1909

Lunch shaming is the practice of humiliating and punishing children who are unable to afford lunch. In order to fight to end lunch shaming, we need the Conference Committee to adopt the language recommended by the Senate that requires school districts to publish and disseminate their meal charge policies. This would create more transparency about different schools’ meal policies for parents, and enable advocates like us to track them.

This will help us end lunch shaming in Massachusetts altogether.

If protecting low-income students from being subjected to unjust humiliation is important to you, please tell your legislators to urge the Conference Committee to include this language in line item #7053-1909 in the final budget.

Support for Homeless Youth

Line Item #4000-0007

Last year, funding for services for homeless youth was insufficient to meet the demand and almost forced a shelter critical to many youth in Cambridge to close its doors. This year, the Senate has called for $3.3 million in funding, a $2,625,000 increase from last year and a $2.3 million increase from the House appropriation!

This important increase will fund vital services that will allow homeless youth to stay safe and healthy so that they can focus on their education.

Please ask your legislators to urge the Conference Committee to adopt the Senate’s funding amount of $3.3 million in the final budget.

Language Access in Schools

Outside Section 126

Limited English proficient (LEP) parents have a right to accurately and effectively receive information about their child’s education, but without trained interpreters, they can face staggering language barriers. Outside Section 126 of the Senate budget would establish a task force to collect information and make recommendations on the training and certification of language interpreters in schools to better serve the needs of each child and family.

As many as 113 school districts are currently not meeting the needs of LEP students and families in Massachusetts.

Please ask your legislators to urge the Conference Committee to include Outside Section 126 in the final budget.

 

Click here to contact your legislators and ask them to urge the members of the Conference Committee (pictured below) to include these funding levels and policy initiatives in the final budget.

Chairwoman Karen E. Spilka

Senator Joan B. Lovely

Senator Viriato M. deMacedo

Chairman Jeffrey Sánchez

 

 

 

 

 

 

Representative Stephen Kulik

Representative Todd M. Smola

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your ongoing support and advocacy.

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The Senate Debates Have Begun!

Action Alert

The Senate’s FY’19 budget recommendations, while including some big wins for the housing court and homeless youth, do not include funding for several critical areas.

Senators have submitted their amendments, and now the debates are on!

This is your chance to join us and stand up for civil legal aid, low-income kids in schools, and an exciting new amendment focusing on parents and students facing language barriers in the classroom! One quick call to your senator could make the difference.

Civil Legal Aid

Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporations (MLAC) has requested an additional $5 million in state support this year (for a total of $23 million).

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means’ budget includes $19 million in funding for MLAC, which is $1 million less than the House’s budget and still short of MLAC’s request of $5 million in additional funding

MLAC is the largest provider of civil legal aid services in the state and without full funding, civil legal aid programs will be forced to turn away thousands of people in need.

Senator Creem and Senator Brownsberger have filed Amendment #992 that would provide the full $23 million in funding MLAC has requested and help provide aid to those with critical unmet legal needs across the state.

Action You Can Take:

Click here to email your senator TODAY and ask them to support Amendment #992.

Lunch Shaming and Student Hunger

Lunch shaming is the practice of humiliating and punishing children who are unable to afford lunch, and is unfortunately the policy of many schools in Massachusetts. With a recent bill aiming to ban lunch shaming that we supported unlikely to pass this session, Senator Creem has filed Amendment #167.

This amendment would require cities and towns to publish their meal charge policies so that parents are fully informed about the consequences of accruing school meal debt. It would also enable advocates like us to track different schools’ meal policies to better combat lunch shaming.

This would be an important step in the fight to protect children from harmful lunch shaming policies.

The publication of meal policies will allow us, along with our community partners, to hold school districts accountable and continue this important discussion at the local and statewide levels.

Action You Can Take:

Click here to find your senator’s contact information and ask them to support Amendment #167.

Language Access in Schools

Despite federal laws and regulations outlining the responsibilities schools have in communicating with limited English proficient (LEP) parents in a language they understand, too many families continue to face staggering language access barriers, in up to as many as 113 school districts in the state.

In response to this widespread problem, Senator Welch has introduced Amendment #284. This amendment would enable the creation of a Task Force to develop recommendations regarding the training, assessment, and certification of interpreters in educational settings to improve language access for LEP parents.

Too often, bilingual school staff – including secretaries, school counselors, janitors, and cafeteria workers – are being asked to stand in and interpret, despite not being appropriately trained as an interpreter.

The establishment of this Task Force will set standards for interpreters and will allow schools to better serve the needs of each unique child and family, regardless of the language they speak.

Action You Can Take:

Click here to find your senator’s contact information and ask them to support Amendment #284.

Thank you for standing with us throughout this budget process as we fight for necessary funding and policy changes in these critical areas. Please join us again and tell the Senate why these issues are important to you. When we stand up and we speak out, we win!

 

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As the Senate Debates Approach, Raise Your Voice For Civil Legal Aid!

Action Alert

Last month, the House Committee on Ways and Means released its 2019 budget proposal and you stood with us to defend Massachusetts’ most vulnerable populations.

We need your help once again.

Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means released its fiscal year 2019 budget proposal, and there is plenty of good news to go around! The Senate Committee has recommended $3,300,000 for services and support for unaccompanied homeless youth, a massive increase from last year’s $675,000! Additionally, the Senate has recommended the full $2.6 million in funding necessary for the expansion of the Housing Court!

Your ongoing support has shown our legislators that they need to prioritize these issues. Let’s remind them once more about the importance of access to justice! We’re asking you to join us again and raise your voice in support of civil legal aid.

Civil legal aid programs across the state are forced to turn away nearly 45,000 people each year due to lack of funding.

Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC), the largest provider of legal aid services in the state, has requested an additional $5 million in state support this year to meet the unmet need of legal services for low-income folks.

The Senate Ways and Means’ budget includes $19 million in funding for MLAC, which is $1 million less than the House’s budget and still short of MLAC’s request of $5 million in additional funding.

Without full funding, civil legal aid programs will be forced to turn away thousands more people in need of representation.

Senator Creem and Senator Brownsberger will be filing an amendment to increase funding by $4 million, for a total of $23 million. This amendment is an important step in providing access to justice for some of the most at-risk residents in Massachusetts.

Action You Can Take:

Contact your state senator TODAY to ask them to co-sponsor Senators Creem and Brownsberger’s amendment for civil legal aid.

Don’t wait! The deadline to file amendments is Monday, May 14th at NOON!

Click here to email your senator today.

As the second budget battle of the season commences, I want to thank you once again for your continued commitment to our work. With your help, we can guarantee greater civil legal support for low-income families and individuals in 2019.

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Funding for Homeless Youth, the Housing Court, and Civil Legal Aid is Within Reach…But We Need Your Help!

Action Alert

It’s that time of year again.

Budget season.

Yesterday, the House Committee on Ways and Means (HWM) released its fiscal year 2019 budget proposal. And we have some work to do if we want to ensure the unaccompanied homeless youth of Massachusetts have the support they need and the Housing Court and civil legal aid have enough funding to provide greater access to justice across the state.

Each year, we fight to make sure our most vulnerable and at-risk populations are cared for, and your advocacy is the reason we’ve been successful in the past. Now, we need your help once more as we enter the first battle of the budget season.

With your help, we will win!

Homeless Youth

The HWM budget recommendations include $1 million for housing and services for unaccompanied homeless youth. While this would be an increase over the FY’18 appropriation, it would be less than the spending level last year AND less than the FY’19 Governor’s recommendation of $2 million.

These services for homeless youth can prove life-saving.

Representative O’Day will be filing TWO youth homelessness amendments:

  • To increase funding for youth housing and services to $4 million;
  • To include specific language in the Executive Office of Health and Human Services line item that will provide $150,000 for the important work of the Massachusetts Commission on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth.

Action You Can Take:

Call your State Representative TODAY and ask them to sign on to both amendments by contacting Cinda Danh in Rep. O’Day’s office: cinda.danh@mahouse.gov.

Deadline: By 3:00 p.m., Friday (tomorrow).

Click here to find your Representative’s contact information.

Housing Court

The Housing Court expansion is a critical component of expanding access to justice for people across the state facing eviction, gentrification, and other housing crises.

But the HWM has only provided partial funding for the expansion of the Housing Court in the amount of $1.5 million. The Governor proposed $2.6 million for the Housing Court, which would enable full funding of the expansion.

The expansion of the Housing Court is an important step forward in achieving access to justice for Massachusetts residents.

Representative Walsh will be filing an amendment to provide the full funding, $2.6 million, for the Housing Court expansion.

Action You Can Take:

Call your State Representative TODAY and ask them to sign on to Representative Walsh’s Housing Court amendment.

Deadline: By NOON, Friday (tomorrow).

Click here to find your Representative’s contact information.

Civil Legal Aid

Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC) is the largest funding source for civil legal aid in the state, and thousands of low-income residents unable to afford an attorney rely on their services.

The HWM’s budget includes $20 million in funding for MLAC, which is $2 million over the FY’18 appropriation, but still short of MLAC’s request of $5 million in additional funding.

As the federal access to justice office shutters its doors, funding civil legal aid is more important than ever.

Representative Cronin and Representative Balser have filed an amendment seeking an additional $2 million in funding.

Action You Can Take:

Call your State Representative TODAY to ask them to co-sponsor and support Amendment #243.

Deadline: By the end of the day, Friday (tomorrow).

Don’t wait! Click here to find your Representative’s contact information.

 

Thank you for joining us in this important push to protect these necessary services. Your advocacy is vital this time of year, and we’re so grateful for your continued commitment to our work.

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2018 Updates to the “Protecting Assets” (Deportation) Manual Now Available

Dear Friends:

Thank you so much for your work on behalf of vulnerable immigrants and refugees, and your interest in Appleseed’s Manual, “Protecting Assets and Child Custody in the Face of Deportation: A Guide for Practitioners and Immigrants.”

Late in 2017, we began working on a few updates to the Manual, particularly about the Executive Orders issued in early 2017. Those updates are now complete and both the full version of the Manual, as well as individual chapters, are posted to our website.

We hope you will download, review, and share individual chapters or the entire Manual with as many people as possible. We also have a limited number of print copies to share with those of you doing direct service work in your communities; to request a copy, fill out the form at the bottom of the Manual page. Our goal is to provide an indispensable product for you and other groups and people who are so incredibly dedicated to helping vulnerable immigrants and refugees. We are proud to be part of this effort, and to work with so many of you.

And we are not done yet! You can stay tuned over the next several weeks and months for a full Spanish translation of the Manual, shorter, more user-friendly versions of various chapters and more. If you know someone who should be subscribed for these updates in the future, please forward this email and encourage them to sign up for email updates.

Finally, we want to extend our deepest thanks to the many pro bono partners that researched, wrote, and edited chapters of the manual. They include: Adams and Reese LLP, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-based Violence, ASISTA, Ballard Spahr LLP, Cooley LLP, Hogan Lovells LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright, O’Melveny & Myers, The William Alanson White Institute Center for Public Mental Health and White & Case. We also want to thank the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Ford Foundation for their support of this work.

Thank you for your support, comments, suggestions and for the work that you do every day to help immigrant families. We look forward to continuing to work with you!

The Appleseed Team

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