State budget oks funds to help low-income parents

The state Legislature’s recently passed annual budget contains new funding for the Secure Jobs Initiative, a program geared towards assisting low-income parents. State Senator Mike Barrett, D-Lexington, filed the successful amendment in the Senate budget back in May. His efforts paid off, as funding was included in the compromise budget sent to the Governor.

The program helps parents in temporary living situations get connected with job training services and find employment. “The state seldom manages to bring together housing and job training for the same people,” Barrett said. “Secure Jobs is that rare coordinated approach.”

Barrett also secured $500,000 in funding for a detention diversion program run by the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps. The aim of the initiative is to prevent young people from re-entering the juvenile justice system. Justice Policy Institute research suggests “the detention experience may increase the odds that youth will recidivate.”

The detention diversion program provides community-based support and supervision. Barrett noted that program workers provide 24/7 case management, including coordination with probation staff, face-to-face communication and curfew checks, and weekly family check-ins.

Barrett pushed successfully for funds to hire a state climatologist to advise government on the impacts of global warming. “Climate change is definitely happening and means rising oceans, extreme temperatures, and wilder storms,” Barrett said. “A climatologist will provide enormous help to state and local officials.”

Other successful efforts backed by Barrett include additional funds for the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the agency that promotes the arts across the state and gives grants to local cultural groups. The Council will receive a $2 million boost from last fiscal year. In addition, Barrett pushed for an increase to legal aid for low-income people. The money helps with assistance on non-criminal problems like evictions and heating shutoffs. The final budget contains an increase of $2 million.

Other major budget items include:

• $4.51B for Chapter 70 education aid, a $111.2M increase over FY 2015.
• $979.8M for Unrestricted General Government Aid for community investments in education, public safety, roads and bridges, and health care, a $34M increase over last fiscal year.
• $90.9M for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program to fund between 900 and 1050 new rental assistance vouchers, an increase of almost $20M over last fiscal year’s budget.

The compromise budget now heads to the Governor’s desk for his signature.