June 5, 2006
The Honorable Brian Joyce
Senate Chair, Joint Committee on Housing
State House, Room 413-A
Boston, MA 02133
Dear Senator Joyce:
Thank you for sponsoring the amendment to increase funding for the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP). Thanks to your support and leadership over the past two years, funding for AHVP has increased from $2.3 million in FY 2005 to $3.5 million in FY 2007. This will result in more than 400 new rental vouchers for low income and homeless persons with disabilities. Although this does not fully address the need that exists, it does represent a step in the right direction.
As you know, the increase in housing prices experienced by the Commonwealth since 2000 has disproportionately impacted persons living with significant disabilities. For many of these individuals, their sole source of income is SSI, which has a monthly payment that is insufficient to afford fair market rent in any community in Massachusetts.
Again, thank you for your support of disability housing.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned Members of United Disability Housing Partnership