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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

MA: Housing/Homelessness

The housing crisis also affects renters. The U.S. is currently short more than 7 million homes available to renters with extremely low incomes. Only 33 affordable and available rental homes exist for every 100 of these households, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. (Adobe Stock)
MA lawmakers pitch new investments in affordable housing

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., says the federal government needs to get creative in addressing America's affordable housing crisis. It will …

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Massachusetts residents in non-subsidized housing with heat included in their rent may be eligible for a 30% reimbursement of their monthly rent paid back to them, according to MASSCAP. (Adobe Stock)
Home heating aid program in MA keeps families safe, warm

Winter is coming, and the annual statewide campaign to inform Massachusetts residents about available heating assistance is underway. Advocates for …

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Wages for low- and middle-income workers in Massachusetts have not risen substantially since the late 1970s, while wages for upper-income workers have increased fourfold, making it difficult for<br />people with low incomes to cover basic needs, according to to a study by MassBudget. (Adobe Stock)<br />
MA 'baby bonds,' expanded tax credits aim to end racial wealth divide

Legislation introduced in Massachusetts aims to reduce the racial wealth gap by creating a statewide "Baby Bonds" program. It is a publicly-funded…

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Research shows children who live in households that receive the Earned Income Tax Credit have better school performance, greater college enrollment and increased work and income in adulthood. (Adobe Stock)
Advocates Push for 'Tax Fairness' with Expanded Child Tax Credits

As Massachusetts lawmakers work to finalize tax-relief measures, advocates for low-income families are calling for an expansion of tax credits proven …

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Fewer than half of transition-age young people received one or more of the federally funded foster-care services meant to prepare them for success as adults between 2013 and 2021, according to a report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe Stock)
Report: Fewer Youth Transition Out of MA Foster Care System

The number of children transitioning out of the foster care system has dropped significantly in Massachusetts, according to a new report. The number …

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Community action agencies help families with housing assistance in Massachusetts, where a critical shortage of affordable rental homes often forces low-income households to forgo other necessities<br />such as healthy food and medical care to pay the rent. (Adobe Stock)
Community Action Month Honors Agencies Across Commonwealth

Community action agencies in the Commonwealth are working with state lawmakers to ensure funding of their work to alleviate poverty continues…

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a landmark climate law in 2021 which requires utilities like Eversource and National Grid to increase their renewable-energy portfolio by at least 3% every year. (Adobe Stock)
Boston Moves to Implement Climate-Friendly Building Code

Boston is set to become the eighth and largest city in the Commonwealth to implement a new state climate-friendly building code to reduce the use of f…

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A Poor People's Campaign report examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic found the 300+ counties with the highest death rates have a poverty rate of 45%, which is 1.5 times higher than in counties with lower death rates. (PPC)
Advancing MLK’s Dream of Economic Justice in MA

Advocates for low-income workers in the Commonwealth said today is a reminder of the need to continue to advance Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream …

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Starting in 2023, the pay rate for tipped service workers in the Commonwealth will increase from $6.15 an hour to $6.75, while time-and-a-half pay on Sundays and holidays will be eliminated completely. (Adobe Stock)
MA Minimum Wage Hike Not Enough for Costly Housing Market

At least 25 states are raising their minimum wage in the new year - including Massachusetts, where the minimum wage increases to $15 per hour…

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The city-run Engagement Center is a low-barrier day facility, which serves a few hundred people each day from the nearby
Engagement Center Finding Success Near Boston’s Troubled 'Mass and Cass'

Boston's 'Mass and Cass' area, with its large homeless population and open-air drug market, remains a trouble spot for city officials, but staff at …

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The average value of home weatherization installation, including appliance replacement, attic insulation and more, is over $4,000, according to National Grid. (Adobe Stock)
Keeping Out the Cold: Weatherization Help for Those in Need

Community service agencies say many low- and moderate-income homes in the Commonwealth are unprepared for the winter cold and could benefit from a num…

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The final payments for people who receive a 2021 Child Tax Credit will be included in this year's income-tax returns. (Yurii Kibalnik/Adobe Stock)
Report: Pandemic Policies Reduce Poverty in Massachusetts

A new report shows financial supports made available in the pandemic have led to a direct reduction in poverty in Massachusetts. From expanded …

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