Good Morning Westfield! It’s good to be back after a week spent down south with the Army. This week was busy and productive, catching up on everything I missed while I was away. Let’s get to it!
On Wednesday, the House of Representative voted unanimously to pass a bill aimed at addressing the issue of homelessness among veterans in our Commonwealth. This bill does a lot to help veterans in terms of access to housing.
One of the provisions in this bill focuses specifically on veterans who are completely disabled. These individuals can no longer be denied housing assistance based on their disability income. Before this bill, some veterans with service connected disabilities failed to qualify for housing assistance because they made too much in disability income.
This bill also allows for the appointment of an Executive Director to oversee all veterans’ housing in the Commonwealth, including the Holyoke Soldiers Home. After speaking with some of my Western MA colleagues I filed an amendment to ensure that the superintendent and board of trustees of the Holyoke Soldiers Home will maintain overall authority. It is critical that the day-to-day operations of the Soldiers’ Home are under the authority of the superintendent here in Western MA, rather than out in Boston. This amendment explicitly protects that.
Now it is on to the Senate for this bill Senate! We are hoping the bill will clear the Senate and move on to the Governor for approval by Memorial Day.
Next Monday, I am looking forward to hosting a Community Conversation at the Westfield Senior Center. Representative Denise Garlick, House Chair of the Committee on Elder Affairs, will be joining us to provide her expertise on the resources available to older adults in our Commonwealth.
That’s about all for this week Westfield. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. As always, please feel free to contact me with your questions, issues, and concerns at [email protected] or at my new district office phone number at 413-572-3920.
