Back to Search for Boards and Commissions
Special Commission on the Emergency Housing Assistance Board
Board Information
Policy Area
Housing and Livable CommunitiesPurpose
The special commission shall consider the work and research of past commissions and further investigate, evaluate and make recommendations on items, including, but not be limited to: (i) examining the financial impact and sustainability of response efforts and the emergency housing assistance program; (ii) identifying how existing resources can be allocated to ensure the long-term sustainability of emergency housing response efforts and the emergency housing assistance program; (iii) reviewing the existing reception and placement structure in the commonwealth for families seeking shelter, including immigrants, refugees and homeless individuals and families; (iv) evaluating and making recommendations to improve the existing structures in the commonwealth for determining eligibility, access to supportive services and placements for families seeking housing support or shelter, including immigrants, refugees and homeless individuals and families; (v) evaluating and making recommendations to improve the efficiency and integration of programs that provide temporary shelter, pathways to permanent housing, language capacity and workforce training; (vi) identifying improvements and structures necessary to reduce the time families spend in emergency shelter and transition them to more stable housing options; (vii) exploring opportunities to maximize the use of federal reimbursement for expenditures from the emergency housing assistance program; (viii) examining regional strategies to coordinate with local organizations and resettlement agencies to maximize resources to help resettle and integrate immigrants and refugees into the community, including, but not limited to, stable housing opportunities, wraparound services, language lessons, job training programs and pathways to employment and self-sufficiency and state benefits and services; (ix) reviewing safety practices and procedures at emergency shelters established under the emergency housing assistance program, including hotels and motels used for emergency shelter and overflow emergency shelter sites; (x) identifying critical prevention strategies and necessary resources and structures to prevent homelessness among the emergency housing assistance program benefit recipients; and (xi) identifying any necessary support systems to assist recipients of emergency housing assistance program benefits in making successful transitions to permanent housing within a specified timeframe.Legal Authority
Board Members
↓↓ Sort members table by selecting table header for Member, Seat Name, Appointing Authority, or Term End Date.
| Member↓↓ | Seat Name | Appointing Authority | Term End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sen. Ryan C. Fattman (ID:7093637) | Appointee of the Senate Minority Leader | Ex Officio | No set end date |
| Rep Jim Arciero | House Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing | Ex Officio | No set end date |
| Secretary Edward M. Augustus | Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities (or designee) | Ex Officio | No set end date |
| Leah Bradley | Public 2 | Governor | December 1, 2024 |
| Lyndia Downie | Public 3 | Governor | December 1, 2024 |
| Kimberly Driscoll | Member of the Executive Branch (Chair) | Governor | December 1, 2024 |
| Sen. Lydia Edwards | Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing | Ex Officio | No set end date |
| Deiufort Fleurssaint | Public 1 | Governor | December 1, 2024 |
| Representative Paul K. Frost | Appointee of the House Minority Leader | Ex Officio | No set end date |
| Secretary Matthew J. Gorzkowicz | Secretary of Administration &Finance (or designee) | Ex Officio | No set end date |
| Sen. Robyn Kennedy | Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | Ex Officio | No set end date |
| Representative Jay Livingstone | House Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities | Ex Officio | No set end date |
| Cristina Aguilera Sandoval | Director of the Office of Refugees and Immigrants (or designee) | Ex Officio | No set end date |
| Secretary Kate Walsh | Secretary of Health and Human Services (or designee) | Ex Officio | No set end date |