Help end and prevent family homelessness in Massachusetts. Join the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless as we take action to ensure everyone has a place to call home. Protect Access to Emergency Assistance Family Shelter Learn more about our advocacy to protect and improve the Commonwealth's Emergency Assistance (EA) family shelter program, a state-funded program that provides emergency shelter, rehousing supports, and other resources to eligible families with children under the age of 21 and/or a pregnant household member #HousingisaHumanRight #EndHomelessnessMA Join Us to Protect Families’ Access to Shelter Since November 2023, Governor Healey and the Legislature have taken steps to reduce access to shelter for children and families experiencing homelessness, moving away from the state's 40-year history of honoring the right to shelter for families. Take action with us to restore the right to shelter and improve access to upstream homelessness prevention resources and long-term deeply affordable housing. Take Action Today! Recent and Upcoming Advocacy Opportunities: Join us in person and online for more actions to protect the right to shelter: Upcoming Actions: Check back soon or join our mailing list by clicking here Recent Actions: Wednesday, February 12th: Please join us in asking State Senators to swiftly provide supplemental funding for Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter and to adopt key budget amendments on access to Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter and temporary respite centers. Learn more about key Senate amendments here: https://tinyurl.com/senate-ea-supp Call-in day to State Senators, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Visibility action at the State House, 10:30–11:30 a.m. We will meet in front of the Senate Chamber on the 3rd Floor. RSVP to let us know you can join us: https://tinyurl.com/ea-event-rsvp Thursday, February 6th: Visibility action at the State House 10:30–11:30 a.m. to call on the Legislature to swiftly provide needed supplemental funding for shelter and services for children and parents experiencing homelessness and to reject the Governor's proposals to further limit access to Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter. We also will be asking Representatives to cosponsor and actively support key supplemental budget amendments, which are scheduled to be voted on that day. Learn more about key House amendments here: https://tinyurl.com/house-ea-supp Monday, February 3rd–Thursday, February 6th: Call-in days to state legislators, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. each day, asking them to swiftly provide supplemental funding for Emergency Assistance shelter and to reject the Governor's proposals to further limit access to EA. Call script and details: https://www.mahomeless.org/_files/ugd/6c63ec_e38e87e26977473cb9f80dddb5ff46bd.pdf Thursday, January 16th: "The People's State of the Commonwealth: Spotlight on Family Homelessness" action: 12:00–1:00 p.m. in front of the Massachusetts State House Call-in day to legislators: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Call script and more details Tuesday, November 12th: Monitoring the next meeting of the state's Special Commission on Emergency Housing Assistance Programs, 10:00–11:30 a.m. at the Massachusetts State House in Room 157 or on Zoom: Agenda, meeting details, and Zoom link Tuesday, October 15th: Monitoring action: 1:00–2:30 p.m. in Room 157 of the State House (or on Zoom) at the next meeting of the state’s Special Commission on Emergency Housing Assistance Programs Visibility action: We will start the hour in front of Governor Healey's office on the third floor and end the hour with a procession past key rooms on that floor, including the House Chamber, Senate Chamber, office of the Senate President, and office of the House Speaker. Monday, September 16th: Rally: 4:30–5:30 p.m. on the Boston Common at the Embrace Memorial and the 1965 Freedom Plaza Guest speakers will include Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and Reverend Mariama White-Hammond of New Roots AME Church, Dorchester. Directions: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CP2ho4SY5RmZjy6V9 Monitoring action: 1:00–2:30 p.m. in Room 157 of the State House (or on Zoom) at the next meeting of the state’s Special Commission on Emergency Housing Assistance Programs Agenda, meeting details, and Zoom link Thursday, September 5th: State House action, 12:30–1:30 p.m. We will start the hour in front of Governor Healey's office on the third floor and end the hour with a procession past key rooms on that floor, including the House Chamber, Senate Chamber, office of the Senate President, and office of the House Speaker. Tuesday, August 20th: Virtual action hour online, 12:00–1:00 p.m. Monday, August 19th: Visibility action : 12:00–1:00 p.m. in front of the McCormack Building, 1 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108 before the next convening of the Special Commission on Emergency Housing Assistance Programs Monitoring action : 1:00–2:30 p.m. inside the McCormack Building, 1 Ashburton Place, 21st Floor, Boston, MA 02108 (or on Zoom) at the next meeting of the state’s Special Commission on Emergency Housing Assistance Programs Agenda, meeting details, and Zoom link Wednesday, August 14th: Candlelight vigil in front of the State House, 7:00–8:00 p.m. Learn more about the Emergency Assistance Family Shelter Program Emergency Assistance (EA) program information from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) Emergency Assistance biweekly reports and other data from EOHLC Family homelessness, Emergency Assistance, and overflow shelters in the news November 2024 recommendations from the Coalition to the state's Special Commission on Emergency Housing Assistance Programs November 2023 recommendations from the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association, and the Moving Beyond the Emergency Working Group to the Administration and Legislature Are you an advocate, case manager, or social worker interested in learning more about the Massachusetts Emergency Assistance Family Shelter Program? Click here to access the comprehensive guide on Emergency Shelter and Rehousing Services for Families with Children Experiencing Homelessness in Massachusetts. View Advocacy Guide Take action with MCH Today! !

Help end homelessness in Massachusetts. Join the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless by donating, volunteering, or advocating for change. Your support can make a difference. Upgrade to remove watermark www.marketpushapps.com www.marketpushapps.com 19,141 People Experiencing Homelessness in MA 7000+ Families Experiencing Homelessness in MA $2500 Average Cost of Rent for a Two-bedroom Apartment in MA 700000+ People in MA are Currently Living in Poverty The mission of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless is to create lasting solutions preventing and ending homelessness in all parts of the Commonwealth.  2024 Annual Appeal ! Providing brand new beds to low-income children throughout Massachusetts, ensuring they have a safe and comfortable place to sleep. A Bed for Every Child Initiative Go LEARN MORE Birth to Big Kid Initiative Working with expectant mothers living in poverty to teach safe sleep education and providing resources until their infants become toddlers. Go LEARN MORE The Casa Project Offering a one-stop comprehensive resource service and supporting families and individuals facing housing instability, displacement, and homelessness. Go LEARN MORE A Bed for Every Child Providing low-income children with brand new beds of their own all across Massachusetts. Providing low-income children with brand new beds of their own all across Massachusetts. A Bed for Every Child Advocating to for housing, benefits, and assistance for underserved populations throughout Massachusetts. Systemic Change Go LEARN MORE With Gratitude to Our Valued Sponsors Acknowledging those who help the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless make an impact in communities across the Commonwealth. 2024 Impact Report Your sustaining donation is a lifeline for those facing poverty. Join us in breaking the cycle and building brighter futures for individuals and families across the state.

Join us for Legislative Action Day, hosted by the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. Collaborate with advocates, legislators, and community leaders to develop and promote legislative solutions to homelessness. Your voice and action can help shape a better future for those in need. Legislative Action Day We hope you will join us for the Coalition’s next Legislative Action Day (LAD) at the Massachusetts State House. Our annual LAD event brings together community members, advocates, providers, and legislators to take action to address and end homelessness across the Commonwealth. In the morning, participants will hear from powerful speakers who will share their lived experiences and insights on key budget and bill priorities related to housing, homelessness prevention, cash assistance, and safety net benefits. In the afternoon, participants will meet with legislators and staff members to advocate for investments and policy changes to ensure everyone in Massachusetts has a safe and permanent place to call home. Thank you for joining us for Legislative Action Day 2026! Sponsored by Representative Jim O'Day When Thursday, March 5, 2026 RSVP Registration for Legislative Action Day (LAD) 2026 is now closed. Stay tuned for our announcement for Legislative Action Day 2027. Missed it? Join our alert list to get the invite, training materials and advocacy opportunities. Sign up today! Check out our event photo album here. What to expect at our annual Legislative Action Day Check out our 2026 event flyer (PDF) and please share it with others in your community and in your network. During the event, we will focus on the Coalition’s current legislative (bill) priorities and fiscal year budget priorities. Here are our 2026 event agendas: agenda in smaller font size (PDF) and agenda in larger font size (PDF). While the agenda in the smaller font size is in the participant folders, we also will have printed copies of the agenda in the larger font size at the registration desk. Read about our 2025-2026 bill priorities here (PDF) and here (bill chart). Read about our Fiscal Year 2027 budget priorities here (PDF) and here (budget chart). Here are print-ready versions of the complete participant packet (PDF) and complete legislator packet (PDF). As a key part of the event you will also be encouraged to meet virtually or in-person with legislative offices. During the registration process, MCH will ask if you need help setting up meetings with your legislators, and if so, we will work to set up appointments for you. You are provided with a training and materials to share with the legislators and staff and during the meetings, you pick a few of our priorities we spoke about in the morning session that are most important to you and let legislators and staff know why. Here are some other tips for meeting with legislators and State House staff. How can you help make this event a success? Volunteer to Be Part of the LAD Event Team Interested in being a Legislative Action Day volunteer? Sign up today to be part of our LAD event team! (Shareable link: https://tinyurl.com/lad26vol ) Spread the Word Help spread the word by sharing the link to this page: https://tinyurl.com/mchlad2026 . Invite your friends, colleagues, community members, and state legislators. Unsure who your legislators are? If you have an address, enter it in this tool from the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office . Join Us for the Pre-Event Training Leading up to Legislative Action Day 2026, we hosted a pre-event training on Monday, February 23rd, 1:00–2:00 p.m. In case you missed it, here are the slides we shared . Share Feedback on Your Legislative Meetings After meeting with legislators and/or legislative staff members, please let us know how your meetings went by filling out this feedback form (PDF). An online version can be found here. Share Your Event Photos and Videos If you have event pictures and videos to share, please send them to Kelly (email address below). For more information, please contact Kelly or Julia: kelly @ mahomeless. org and julia.garvey @ mahomeless. org (without spaces). Thank you! Interested in sharing your story and expertise to advocate for change? We are actively seeking speakers with lived experiences of homelessness, housing instability, and/or participation in state-funded benefit programs issues to be part of Legislative Action Day, legislative briefings, and other advocacy events. Your story and expertise can help shape public policy and make change. Connect with us and learn more today! CONTACT ! Our hearts are filled with gratitude for all of your support for our March 7th Legislative Action Day at the State House! Thank you to all the attendees for joining us in the fight to end homelessness. We had 200 people with us: families, youth, and adults with lived experience of homelessness, providers, advocates, and legislators all speaking up for solutions to homelessness, housing instability, and poverty, and taking action to ensure that everyone has a place to call home. A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY SPEAKERS! We are SO incredibly grateful for advocates, people with lived experience of housing instability and homelessness, and our nonprofit partners who shared their stories and remarks on the importance of addressing housing and homelessness issues NOW. Read Kelly & Julia's heartfelt THANK YOU letter to all involved LEARN MORE Learn more about the legislative process and advocacy opportunities by watching MCH's online Legislative Advocacy 101 Training Video LEARN MORE Take action Today! ! No amount is too small when it comes to making a difference. Support MCH's work by donating today!

Aug 16 Protect Families' Access to State-Funded Shelter and Supports Post not marked as liked May 7 MCH's Legislative Action Day 2024 Thank You Post not marked as liked Feb 21 Older Adults at Risk of Homelessness Set to Triple by 2030 Post not marked as liked Feb 9 Massachusetts Youth Count: Come back to this page soon to learn more about Youth Count 2024 and how to get involved Post not marked as liked Feb 9 From Parking Lot to Permanent Housing: MCH’s Journey Towards Transforming Communities Post not marked as liked Jan 26 Join us in advocating for key FY25 budget priorities! Post not marked as liked Oct 24, 2023 Support Families Experiencing Homelessness and Protect the Right to Shelter Post not marked as liked Aug 22, 2023 Take action today to ease access to Massachusetts ID cards for people experiencing homelessness! Post not marked as liked Aug 14, 2023 Joint Statement and Call to Action for Families Experiencing Homelessness Post not marked as liked Apr 6, 2023 Weigh in with the Legislature in support of key fiscal year 2024 budget priorities! Post not marked as liked Apr 4, 2023 Join us in uplifting key bill and budget priorities! Post not marked as liked Apr 4, 2023 Join us in uplifting key 2023-2024 bill priorities and FY24 budget priorities! Post not marked as liked Mar 23, 2023 Take action today to restore critical Chapter 257 eviction protections! Post not marked as liked Jan 11, 2023 Job Posting: Casa Project Advocate (Housing Coordinator) Post not marked as liked Sep 29, 2022 Take action to restore upstream access to RAFT! Post not marked as liked Jul 27, 2022 Participate in Our Online Action to Strengthen the Economic Development Bill! Post not marked as liked Jul 18, 2022 FY23 Budget Advocacy: Participate in Our Online Action to Ask Governor Baker to Keep Key Housing and Homelessness Funding and Provisions in the FY23 Budget Post not marked as liked Jun 23, 2022 FY23 Budget Advocacy: Sign Our Online Action to Strengthen the Conference Committee Budget Post not marked as liked Jun 14, 2022 FY23 Budget Advocacy: Take Action to Strengthen the Conference Committee Budget Post not marked as liked May 2, 2022 Everyone Needs ID: Sign our online action to push for passage of the Mass ID access bill! Post not marked as liked Feb 16, 2022 Job Posting: Community Organizer/Legislative Advocate Post not marked as liked Jan 18, 2022 Organizations Unite to Restore Upstream Access to RAFT Post not marked as liked Announcements Follow this page for announcements related to our programming, mission, and advocacy alerts