Budget Priorities
Crittenton Women's Union has adopted the following budget priorities for the Fiscal Year 2012 Massachusetts State Budget.
education and training
- Educational Rewards Grant—Invest $500,000 in the de-funded Educational Rewards Grant (line item 7002-1084)
The Educational Rewards Grant program is the state's only higher eduation and training grant designed to meet the needs of low-income adults. The program provides grants for tuition and living expenses to low-income students studying or traing for high-demand jobs in industries such as health care, engineering, computer technology, and life sciences. Educational Rewards Act Fact Sheet.
- Adult Basic Education/ESOL—Level fund ABE/ESOL services at $27.7 million (line item 7035-0002)
More than 20,000 adults are on waiting lists for adult basic education (ABE) or English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs. Wait lists vary from two months to years for these programs, yet funding had declined steadily since 2000. While more funding is needed to improve the capacity, intensity, accessibility, and infrastructure of ABE and ESOL, we are seeking level funding.
Affordable housing
- Affordable housing—Invest at least $38.2 million in the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) ( line item 7004-9024) to provide permanent housing for low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
Massachusetts ranks 49 out of 50 states in housing affordability for low-income households. The average income of a household enrolled in the state's housing assistance program (MRVP) is less than $11,000 per year ($917 per month). The current average fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Massachusetts is $1,109 a month. Increased funding for MRVP would alleviate the current overwhelming demand on homeless shelters. The average cost to a house a family in shelter is $3,000 a month; the average cost of an MRVP voucher is $600 a month. This funding will preserve permanent housing for 5,100 current MRVP voucher holders at a time of increasing housing instability for low-income families, the elderly, and people with disabilities. MRVP FY12 Budget Request Fact Sheet.
- Emergency housing—Adequately fund the Emergency Assistance Family Shelter Program (line item 7004-0101) in order to continue to provide shelter, re-house, and stabilize families. To read CWU’s position on reforming the shelter system and creating new subsidized housing programs, click here.
High-quality subsidized child care
- High-quality subsidized child care—Level fund low-income child care vouchers at $233.5 million (line item 3000-4060)
Safe and reliable child care can consume one-third of a families' annual budget. Yet, the waiting list for subsidized child care hovers between 18,000 and 22,000 children per year. Child care costs in Massachusetts increased by 10% between 2006-2008, while wages during this same period either stagnated or declined, according CWU's Mass.Index. This funding will help provide working poor families and homeless families access to high-quality, reliable child care.
