Hundreds of Massachusetts families forced back to hotels for homeless as rental assistance program winds down, By Colleen Quinn, October 17, 2013, The Republican: “For the past two years, Daysi Avalos was happy she and her five children had a home to live in, so it was a shock when the rental assistance she received from the state ran out last month. She and her children – who range in age from 8 to 18 – were forced to leave their Dorchester apartment immediately and move into a motel shelter in Leominster, the closest one available, she was told. Avalos is among the 5,400 families enrolled in the state’s HomeBASE rental assistance program that are starting to roll off the two-year program. The assistance is scheduled to end for all recipients by June 30, 2014, according to a spokesman for the Department of Housing and Community Development…”
Day: October 18, 2013
Foster Care System – Nebraska
Plan for new foster care approach in Nebraska gets boost from federal government, By Martha Stoddard, October 18, 2013, Omaha World-Herald: “Efforts to keep Nebraska children safe without taking them from their families have gotten a big boost from the federal government. Federal officials have granted the state flexibility in using up to $153 million of federal foster care funds over the next five years. Nebraska is one of only eight states given such approval this year. Thomas Pristow, director of children and family services within the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, said Thursday that the money is to be used to try out a new approach to dealing with child abuse and neglect…”
Public Benefit Rules – Michigan
- State Senate bills would set tougher rules for people on public assistance, By Kathleen Gray, October 17, 2013, Detroit Free Press: “The writing appears to be on the wall for those receiving public benefits in Michigan as two packages of bills aimed at tightening restrictions on those receiving unemployment or cash assistance from the state appear likely headed for Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk. Many Republican legislators and their allies hailed the bills as a way to cut down on malfeasance. Many Democratic legislators and their backers, however, characterized the measures as punishing the already disadvantaged. The GOP holds solid majorities in the state House and Senate. The bills deal with a host of issues: some dictating where those getting cash assistance can use their debit-like Bridge cards; others targeting unemployment benefits fraud, including one bill that seeks to deny unemployment benefits to potential employees — public and private — who either refused to take a drug test or tested positive for drugs…”
- Michigan Senate OK’s plan to cut off benefits for unemployed residents who fail drug tests, By Jonathan Oosting, October 17, 2013, MLive: “residents who fail or refuse to take a drug test required by a prospective employer could lose jobless benefits under a pilot program advanced Thursday by Michigan’s Republican-led state Senate. The measure, approved largely along party lines in a 28-10 vote, would treat failure or refusal to take a pre-employment drug test as proof that an individual “refused an offer of suitable work.” But it would not require businesses to report results of drug tests unless they choose to…”