Child Care Is Essential Infrastructure

Common Start

By Jan Soma, Progressive Needham

The Common Start Coalition hosted a Round Table Event January 24th to underscore the importance of the Common Start bill (S.362/H.605), a comprehensive, innovative bill that will transform the lives of many families as well as the Massachusetts economy by guaranteeing affordable, high-quality child care and early education for all. Check out this visual to see how many benefits radiate out of this one piece of legislation.

Colin Jones from Mass. Budget and Policy Center gave an overview of recent federal funding. The upshot is that federal relief has not offset the total losses of our child care system during the pandemic.  More federal funds are expected but they will constitute a bridge for a couple years until we can develop state funding for the universal child care program.

Representative Katherine Clark spoke of child care as a PUBLIC GOOD. She has been a consistent supporter of accessible child care even before being elected to the U.S. House of Representative in 2013. She explained that lack of available child care costs the U.S. economy $57 billion dollars a year because 30% of families can’t find care for their children. Other developed countries spend about $14,000 per year to subsidize child care while the U.S. spends about $500. She emphasized that our legislators are continuing to fight for adequate funding for child care initiatives.

Parents and educators provided real stories about the realities they face these days. The additional stresses of the pandemic make their needs especially clear.

Naomi Meyer, an attorney at Greater Boston legal Services who helped develop and write this bill, explained that it may take five years to fully implement the legislation but would start by covering the families with the lowest incomes first.

Over the past few years, the Common Start Coalition has done an impressive job of bringing together stakeholders across the state to work on the bill. As Meyer explained, we can’t solve one piece of the puzzle by itself: we will only succeed by bringing parents, teachers, providers, and community members together around a shared vision.

‘Twas the Night Fore the New Year

Twas the night ‘fore the new year
And all through the state,
Not a bus or train was stirring.
They don’t run very late.

The college students were back home,
Their debt burden growing
Like the size of Ole Frosty
When it’s heavily snowing.

The ice on the roads
Was hiding their crumbling.
Like the gusts of the wind
Quelled the old bridge’s mumbling.

The teachers were hoping
For an HVAC or two
To flow some clean air
Through a building not new.

The students were dreaming
Of smaller class sizes,
Because more focused attention
Can be better than prizes.

The top one percent had naught
To want or to fear.
Their needs were all met.
They are every year.

Their wealth had gone up
Like a shining bright star,
The distance ‘tween them and the rest
Was getting quite far.

If we want a true common wealth,
We need to invest.
When the rich pay what’s fair,
we can all get the best.

We don’t need three ghosts
To give Old Scrooge a big scare.
Just show up November 8th
And vote YES on Fair Share.

Redistricting 2021

Curious what your new districts will look like when you go to the polls next year? Here’s an overview of how MA’s legislative districts changed. If you don’t see your district on here, that means it didn’t change.

NOTE: All precinct numbering in the below spreadsheets refer to the precincts as they existed 2012-2021. Go here for the new numbering.


Sign-on Letter: Call for Emergency Rental Assistance

Progressive Mass signed onto the following letter about the urgent need to allocate additional funding for emergency rental assistance.

December 20, 2021
Senate President Karen Spilka
Speaker of the House Ronald Mariano
Senate Ways and Means Committee Chair Michael Rodrigues
House Ways and Means Committee Chair Aaron Michlewitz
Members of the Massachusetts Legislature
Governor Charlie Baker
Secretary Mike Kennealy, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox, Department of Housing and Community Development


Re: Take immediate action to allocate additional funding for emergency rental assistance instead of curtailing benefits


Dear Senate President Spilka, Speaker Mariano, Chairperson Rodrigues, Chairperson Michlewitz, Members of the Legislature, Governor Baker, Secretary Kennealy, and Undersecretary Maddox:


The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) provides critical emergency rent and utility funds to Massachusetts families and individuals dealing with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. ERAP is a program of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the bulk of funds awarded for Massachusetts residents are administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) through the network of regional administering agencies. The Baker Administration has begun notifying stakeholders that ERAP is projected to run out of funds in just over six months, and that in response, DHCD will begin to wind down key portions of ERAP.


We are alarmed that the state has abruptly decided to ramp down ERAP instead of allocating additional — and available — federal funds to continue this critical emergency assistance. At a time when application numbers are increasing, these changes will place additional burdens on families and individuals already in crisis due to the pandemic. These changes are being implemented on a very short timeline amidst another winter COVID-19 surge, without input from community stakeholders or notice to households counting on assistance to remain in their homes. We are asking you to leverage resources that were provided to the Commonwealth specifically for COVID relief and continue to allocate these critical funds to households in need while minimizing bureaucratic barriers to obtaining funds.


While DHCD is moving forward with multiple, unanticipated changes to ERAP, three policy changes in particular represent a fundamental shift in ERAP eligibility: (1) the recertification process will be eliminated as of January 1, 2022 [1]; (2) most tenants will be unable to apply for future rent assistance from ERAP or the parallel state-funded homelessness prevention program, Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT), unless they have already fallen behind on rent [2]; and (3) tenants will not be ableto use RAFT after exhausting ERAP benefits. [3]

At the same time, DHCD is planning to implement a decreased cap on RAFT benefits, as required by the Legislature’s language from the FY22 budget. As of January 1, 2022, households only will be eligible for $7,000 in RAFT assistance in a 12-month period, down from the current $10,000 cap. Like the planned ERAP changes, this restriction on RAFT benefits is ill-timed, and will lead to further housing instability at a time of heightened need.


These significant policy changes will add further confusion to an already complex process, causing more applications to “slip through the cracks” and further destabilizing families over the holidays. Taken together, these changes are likely to lead to an increase in eviction filings and displacement. With so much money available for emergency relief, moving forward with these changes would be a disgraceful and unnecessary outcome.


We must not allow the most vulnerable members of our community to suffer when we have the means to prevent it. We call upon the Legislature to take emergency action to access resources from the $2.25 billion remaining from the state’s allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) fiscal recovery funds to replenish ERAP and eliminate arbitrary barriers to access, while also restoring the RAFT cap to $10,000. We also call upon the Baker Administration to cease implementation of these disruptive ERAP policy changes.


During yet another frightening surge of the virus, where positive infection rates have matched January 2021 levels and are increasing, families with children, unaccompanied adults, elders, youth, people with disabilities, and other households at risk of losing their housing must be at the top of our list of urgent priorities.

We look forward to working with you to further promote housing stability, equity, and public health.

[1] Through recertifications, eligible households in need of additional ERAP assistance have been able to request an extension of their approved benefits without falling behind on rent and with fewer administrative and documentation barriers. Recertifications have provided households with up to 18 months of assistance, allocated in three-month increments. This change presents tremendous barriers for tenants who still rely on ERAP for rent, such as those who have not yet found employment.

[2] Tenants seeking rent assistance are currently able to apply and receive upstream assistance before they fall behind on rent. Requiring tenants to have at least one month of arrears (absent an additional housing crisis) will incentivize people to fall behind on rent, straining tenant and landlord relationships and making eviction more likely.

[3] RAFT currently plays a critical role in keeping tenants safely housed by covering expenses not covered by ERAP. Under the new policy, tenants who use RAFT first might still be able to access ERAP, but households who have reached the ERAP limit will be unable to access RAFT. Tenants with pre-pandemic
utility debts not covered by ERAP will be unable to access relief. Households are being encouraged to pay for such expenses out of pocket, even when that is not possible based on their resources.

Coordinating Organizations and Contacts
Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless
Kelly Turley
Associate Director
kelly@mahomeless.org
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Andrea M. Park
Housing and Homelessness Attorney
apark@mlri.org
Homes for All Massachusetts
Isaac Simon Hodes and Rose Webster-Smith
Co-Anchors
info@HomesForAllMass.org

Endorsing Organizations in Alphabetical Order, as of December 20, 2021
ACE
Action for Boston Community Development, Inc.
Action for Equity
AFT Massachusetts
AIDS Project Worcester Inc.
Alliance of Cambridge Tenants (ACT)
Allston Brighton Health Collaborative
Amherst Survival Center
Arise for Social Justice
Asian American Resource Workshop
Asian Community Development Corporation
Beacon Communities
Behavioral Health Network
Berkshire County Regional Housing
Berkshire United Way
Bethel AME Church – Lynn
Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC)
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program

Boston Tenant Coalition
Brazilian Women’s Group
Breaktime United, Inc.
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Cambridge City Councillor Quinton Zondervan
Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee
Cambridge Housing Justice Coalition
Cambridge Residents Alliance
CAN-DO
Castle Square Tenants Organization
Center for Human Development
Central West Justice Center
Children’s HealthWatch
Chinatown Community Land Trust
Chinese Progressive Association
Christian Community Church
City Life/Vida Urbana
City of Boston Office of Housing Stability
City of Lawrence Mayor’s Health Task Force
City of Somerville
Clean Water Action
Commonwealth Care Alliance
Community Action Agency of Somerville, Inc.
Community Action Pioneer Valley
Community Day Center of Waltham
Community Labor United
Community Service Network, Inc.
Congregation B’nai Israel Tikkun Olam Committee
De Novo Center for Justice and Healing
Domus Incorporated
DOVE (DOmestic Violence Ended), Inc.
Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath)
Eliot CHS Homeless Services
Emmaus Inc.
Essex County Community Organization

Evangelizo
Family ACCESS of Newton
FAMILY Movement, Inc.
Family Promise North Shore Boston
FamilyAid Boston
Father Bill’s & MainSpring
First Parish in Waltham, Unitarian Universalist
Franklin County DIAL/SELF, Inc.
Franklin County Transition from Jail to Community Task Force
Gandara Center
Greater Boston Legal Services
Greater Boston Real Estate Board
Greater Bowdoin/Geneva Neighborhood Association
Greater Lawrence Community Action Council
Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council
Greening Greenfield
GreenRoots
Grow Food Northampton, Inc.
Hadwen Park Congregational Church, UCC
HallKeen Management Inc.
Harvard Law School Legal Services Center
Health Leads
Health Resources in Action
Healthcare & Human Service Consulting Group LLC
HealthLink
Heisler, Feldman & McCormick, P.C.
Homes for Families, Inc.
HomeStart, Inc.
Housing Families Inc.
Immigrant Service Providers Group/Health
International Language Institute of Massachusetts
Jay Rose Consulting
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Jewish Climate Action Network – MA
Jewish Family & Children’s Service

Joint Executive Council, UMass Amherst and UMass Boston Professional Staff Union
Jordana Roubicek Greenman, Attorney at Law
Just A Start
Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts
La Colaborativa, Inc.
Lawrence CommunityWorks, Inc.
Lynn United for Change
Male Engagement Network
Maloney Properties, Inc.
Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants
Massachusetts AFL-CIO
Massachusetts Climate Action Network
Massachusetts Coalition of Domestic Workers
Massachusetts Communities Action Network
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light
Massachusetts Jobs with Justice
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Massachusetts Public Health Association
Massachusetts Voter Table
Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee
Metro Housing|Boston
Metrowest Worker Center – Casa
My Brother’s Table
National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts Chapter
Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts Education Fund
New England United 4 Justice
New Lease for Homeless Families
New Lynn Coalition
Northampton Survival Center
Northeast Justice Center
Northern Berkshire United Way
On The Rise
One Family
Our Revolution Cambridge

Partners In Health
Peabody Properties
Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts
Progressive Massachusetts
Project Place
Project Right to Housing
RCAP Solutions, Inc.
Reclaim Roxbury
Resist the Pipeline
Sociedad Latina
Somerville Homeless Coalition
Somerville Office of Housing Stability
Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services
Southeast Center for Independent Living, Inc.
Springfield No One Leaves
Springfield Technical Community College
Tapestry Health
Tenants’ Development Corporation
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
The Neighborhood Developers Inc.
Three County Continuum of Care
Trinity Management LLC
UHM Properties LLC
Union of Minority Neighborhoods
United Way of Greater Fall River
United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region
Veterans Legal Services
VietAID
Waltham City Councillor Jonathan Paz
Waltham Public Schools
WATCH CDC
Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness
WinnCompanies
Worcester Interfaith
Y2Y Network

The Winter Solstice: A Reminder of the Importance of Sunlight

Sunlight - Beacon Hill

Today marks the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.

It is also a reminder of the importance of sunlight—and not just when it comes to the weather.

Bringing greater sunlight to state politics is a core part of what we do at Progressive Mass.

  • Shining light on how legislators vote with our Progressive Scorecard (and updates throughout the session)
  • Shining light on how to take action on important bills when thousands upon thousands get filed each session
  • Shining light on elections with our public candidate questionnaires
  • Shining light on how to engage effectively at the local, state, and national levels through chapters that organize year-round
  • Shining light on how our commonwealth can actually live up to its professed values and be a progressive beacon for other states

We have a lot of work to do in the new year, and we’re looking forward to fighting alongside you!

Can you donate $25, $50, or $100—or more—to support our work in 2022 and beyond?

Sunlight on Beacon Hill

Mass Budget: Why Federal Stimulus Money *Strengthens* the Case for the Fair Share Amendment

FSA voter

Two weeks ago, the Boston Globe published an article casting doubt on the necessity of the Fair Share Amendment: “Massachusetts has nearly $5 billion in unspent federal stimulus dollars to spread to its residents. At least another $8 billion in aid is coming from the US government to help repair roads, bolster public transit, and shore up the state against climate change. The state’s tax receipts are again running well ahead of expectations.” If we have so much money, the Globe article implies, why would we need a ballot initiative to raise taxes on income over $1 million to fund additional investments in education and transportation?

But such framing is short-sighted, and a new report from Mass Budget explains why: short-term federal money is no substitute for long-term investment. In the report’s own words: “One-time federal funds during the pandemic have been crucial in providing immediate relief and helping recover from COVID, but are insufficient to meet the long-terms needs or close the kinds of gaps in access to transportation and education that the Fair Share Amendment (FSA) seeks to address.”

Let’s break down the key parts of this argument:

(1) Federal funds are inadequate to meet the scale of our transportation needs: “Around the state, 1 out of 11 bridges are considered structurally deficient and public transit systems large and small will see big dropoffs in revenue when the short-term federal relief funding runs out. Regional Transit Authorities, such as the Worcester Regional Transit Authority, have been able to use federal funds to improve service and eliminate fares, which particularly helps low-income riders and people of color. But they lack a way to continue these improvements in a few years when federal pandemic funds are depleted.”

(2) We need both the early investments to start new major transportation initiatives and the continuing investments in their long-term operation: “Ramping up major new infrastructure systems and commitments to more frequent and accessible service on existing systems without a backstop of permanent increases in transportation revenues would set up a funding cliff after federal funds run out. Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are understandably hesitant to invest in new commitments that they won’t be able to sustain.”

(3) Pledging our own investments in transportation will enable Massachusetts to better leverage federal money: “Like with the current Green Line extension that was financed through competitive grants in the 2009 federal stimulus package, states must offer partial state matching funds from state revenues. Winning federal grants will also be easier if the Commonwealth demonstrates a commitment to innovation, repair, increasing transit ridership, and improving the transportation networks that would connect to new federally-supported projects.”

(4) Our investments in pre-K and early education lag behind what’s needed for a strong recovery: “In our research earlier this year MassBudget found the cost of a full, universal, high quality and affordable system for early education and care in Massachusetts was projected at $5 billion above the amount of existing funding at that time….Proposed new federal funding in the “Build Back Better” plan will also likely come with state match requirements, making ongoing state revenue from FSA even more important.”

(5) We need a reliable funding source to deliver on the promises of the Student Opportunity Act: “The SOA creates growing commitments to continue to fund state Chapter 70 support for school districts at this higher level permanently….Back in 2019, the complete figure for increasing Chapter 70 funds under the SOA was estimated at $1.5 billion after 7 years.”

(6) We need a vision for world-class, affordable public higher education, not just temporary band-aids: “Current federal relief funding addresses COVID-era harms such as decreased enrollment, disruption to other funding streams like housing and dining that depend on in-person life on campuses, and some staff layoffs. With additional ongoing revenue from FSA, Massachusetts could start heading towards where we want to go: world-class campuses at UMass/state universities/community colleges, well-supported staff and faculty, and affordable opportunities for students to learn without taking on massive debt.”

If you haven’t yet signed a pledge to be a Fair Share voter next year, do so right now at raiseupma.us/pm!

Live Every Day Like It’s Giving Tuesday

Today is Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving where we celebrate the nonprofits we cherish after a few days of good eating (and maybe some shopping).

But here’s the catch: the best way to show your support is through sustained giving. In other words, live every Tuesday (or maybe just a Tuesday each month) like it’s giving Tuesday.

Our monthly donors recognize that kernel of wisdom: that the work of progressive organizing is year-round, and recurring donations help us best plan and fund that ongoing work.

Can you become a monthly donor to Progressive Mass today?

Next year will be a busy year. We have plenty of candidates to get on the record, ballot initiatives to win (Fair Share!), ballot initiatives to fight, and progressive legislation to get across the finish line.

But we can’t do that without you.

Can you become a monthly donor to Progressive Mass today?


Our 2022 (!) Annual Member Meeting, Expanding Our Board, New Chapter Info Session, & More

Yes, it’s almost 2022 already. Can you believe it?

So it’s time to mark your calendars for our 2022 annual member meeting on Saturday, January 22nd.

With an important election year coming up, we’ll be hearing from statewide candidates running next year. Stay tuned for more.

WHAT: Progressive Mass 2022 Annual Member Meeting

WHEN: Saturday, January 22 (Time TBD)

WHERE: Zoom (But we hope to see you in person again before too long!)

Not yet a member? Become one today!

Not sure if you’re a member? Check your status here.

2022 Board Elections

Every year, at our Annual Meeting, Progressive Mass elects new Board members to serve 2-year terms. This year, we are looking to elect at least 2 new board members.

Our Board is a working Board, setting direction for all of PM’s external political work and internal organizational development, and leading or getting involved in various efforts. See more info here.

Interested? Email governance@progressivemass.com with a brief bio, an expression of interest, and relevant expertise/experience (as well as with any questions) and, attach this linked form providing at least ten names of dues-paying members of Progressive Mass who will support your candidacy.

Forms are due by Thursday, December 23.

Join or renew before the end of 2021!

  • Were you active this year and are looking for a home base to stay involved?
  • Are you looking for like-minded, mission-driven fellow activists and organizers?
  • Do you want to have a say in PM’s priorities and endorsements?

Then be sure to join or renew your PM membership!

You’ll be supporting PM’s grassroots movement to make Massachusetts live up to its progressive reputation.

No PM chapter in your area? Want to start one?

Join us for an information session on Saturday, December 11, at 10 am to find out what’s involved in starting and running a chapter.

  • What do chapters do?
  • What difference do they make?
  • What are the steps to launch a chapter?

Sign up here for our chapter interest info session!

An Exciting Announcement: Expanding Our Team

Progressive Mass is thrilled to announce our new staff, who will start at the end of the month. We’ve waited to hire so that we can start with a team!

Jonathan Cohn as Policy Director

Nazia Ashraful and Melanie O’Malley as Outreach & Operations Co-Directors

You may think you already know Jonathan Cohn, and chances are high that you’ve seen him on Twitter or out canvassing, but there’s definitely more to share. While Jonathan was the Chair of PM’s Issues Committee and Elections & Endorsements Committee in recent years (and the source of many PM calls to action), his day job has been as a professional editor. Jon also served on the Political Committee of the Massachusetts Sierra Club, he’s been chair of the Boston Ward 4 Democratic Committee, and communications director for Young Democrats of Massachusetts.

Becoming PM’s Policy Director allows us to expand and formalize Jon’s role to deepen our advocacy and accountability efforts, and represent PM in statewide coalitions on voting rights, immigrants’ rights, and economic justice.

PM’s Outreach & Operations Co-Directors will strengthen chapters and help launch new chapters in a wider geography, engage members, manage marketing and fundraising, and so much more! We are extremely excited to be able to hire both Nazia Ashraful and Melanie O’Malley!

Nazia Ashraful is a committed advocate and organizer for minority populations, women’s rights, and health and equity. She is the former Director of Government Affairs at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Massachusetts. During her time at CAIR-MA, she built the first political advocacy department to serve the Massachusetts Muslim community, active in both legislative and electoral seasons, where she worked on community outreach, voter engagement, volunteer management, and developing a media plan, strategies, and training.

Melanie O’Malley has over a decade of experience advocating and organizing for progressive issues and candidates in Massachusetts, especially dedicated to the intersection of race, class, and gender. Prior to coming to Progressive Massachusetts, Melanie was the Communications and Policy Manager at the Massachusetts Public Health Association, advancing policies for health equity and organizing the state’s local public health leaders. She is the former Chapter President of the National Organization for Women, Boston, a chapter-based organization.

Onwards,

The Progressive Mass Board

Caroline Bays, Gumby Breton, Stephanie Everett, Zayda Ortiz, Rachel Poliner, Meg Wheeler