人生一定要有的八個朋友：
推手(Builder)、
支柱(Champion)、
同好(Collaborator)、
夥伴(Companion)、
中介(Connector)、
開心果(Energizer)、
開路者(Mind Opener)、
導師(Navigator)。
chutze@bostonorange.com
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Baker-Polito Administration Extends
Non-Essential Business Closures and Executive Branch Employee Guidance
AdministrationUpdates Non-Essential Business
Categories
BOSTON - Today, the Baker-Polito Administration
announced several updates related to the COVID-19 outbreak including extending
the non-essential business emergency order and guidance for Executive Branch
employees until May 4. The Department of Public Health’s Stay-At-Home Advisory
remains in effect. The Administration also updated the “COVID-19 Essential
Services” categories for businesses and other organizations that provide
essential services and workforces related to COVID-19 that are permitted to
operate brick and mortar facilities during the emergency.
Essential
Services Order:Governor Charlie Baker’s emergency order
requiring that all businesses and organizations that do not provide “COVID-19
Essential Services” close their physical workplaces and facilities to workers,
customers and the public will be extended until May 4. Businesses and
organizations not on the list of essential services are encouraged to continue
operations through remote means that do not require workers, customers, or the
public to enter or appear at the brick-and-mortar premises closed by the order.
This order also prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people until May 4th.
The Administration
updated the “COVID-19 Essential Services” list today, which is based on federal
guidance that was updated earlier this week. The new list will go into effect tomorrow,
April 1, at noon. While these businesses are designated as essential,
they are urged to follow social distancing protocols for workers in accordance
with guidance from the Department of Public Health (DPH).
Some of the updates
to the essential services list include:
Clarity
around the supply chain that supports other essential services
Adding
health care providers like chiropractors and optometrists
Expanding
the types of workers providing disinfectant and sanitation services
Click here for the essential services extension order.
Click here for the full list of categories of “COVID-19 Essential Services.” (PDF)
Click here for COVID-19 Essential Services FAQs created by the Executive Office
of Housing and Economic Development.
Hotel/Motel
Guidance:As part of the updated essential business
list, DPH issued new guidance today around hotels, motels, inns, beds and
breakfasts and other short-term residential rentals. Based on this new
guidance, hotels, motels, and short-term rentals may only be used for efforts
related to fighting COVID-19, like front line health workers or individuals, or
for Massachusetts residents who have been otherwise displaced from their
residences.
Stay at
Home Advisory:Last week, Governor Charlie Baker
directed DPH to issue a stay-at-home advisory, and the Governor announced today
that the advisory will remain in effect. Residents are advised to stay home and
avoid unnecessary travel and other unnecessary person to person contact during
this time period. Residents who are considered at high risk when exposed
to COVID-19 should limit social interactions with other people as much as
possible
Executive
Branch Employee Guidance:The Baker-Polito
Administration today also extended the guidance issued to Executive Branch
employees on protocol during the COVID-19 outbreak to ensure state government
can continue to provide key services while protecting the health and safety of
the public and the Executive Branch workforce. Under the guidance, all
employees performing non-core functions who are able to work remotely should
continue to do so until May 4. Full guidance will be sent to Executive Branch
employees later today.
Some Executive
Branch services and walk-in offices remain open, but residents are encouraged
to use online services when available. For the status of in-person Executive
Branch office locations, please click here.
Field
Medical Station Announcement:The Commonwealth,
through MEMA, has requested and received approval for a Field Medical Station
that will provide additional medical care capacity as the state plans for a
surge in cases. The federal Strategic National Stockpile has approved a 250-bed
field medical station that will be deployed to the DCU Center in the City of
Worcester this week. This temporary facility will be managed by UMass
Memorial and staffed by a partnership including the City of Worcester and
others. The temporary field medical center will be used to treat lower acuity
patients who still need monitoring.
Nursing/Rest
Home Program:The Commonwealth is implementing a pilot
project that allows for safe, on-site testing of symptomatic residents of
nursing and rest homes with a quick turnaround. The pilot will operate under
the auspices of the Massachusetts National Guard in partnership with the
Department of Public Health and Broad Institute of Cambridge, and samples will
be collected by trained personnel from the Massachusetts National Guard. Prior
to this launch, the only way for nursing home residents to be tested would be
to be transported to a hospital or physician’s office.
Members of the public
should continue checking www.mass.gov/covid19 for the latest information
on impacts from the COVID-19 outbreak
MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES SUBSIDIZED HOUSING FOR 1,000 BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS FAMILIES AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT AND EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
New partnership to substantially reduce homelessness and prevent displacement among Boston Public Schools students
BOSTON - Monday, March 30, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) and the Boston Public Schools (BPS) are creating a new partnership to house up to 1,000 families with BPS students at risk of displacement and experiencing homelessness over the next year. Outreach to get families into the application process will begin immediately to expand housing support for Bostonians during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. The first housing placements are expected to begin in May 2020.
"We know anxiety about housing goes beyond monthly payments. Many families have been struggling to find or hold onto housing, before this public health crisis even began," said Mayor Walsh. "Homelessness creates barriers for our students to grow, learn, and succeed, and schools being closed presents even more challenges for families experiencing housing insecurity. These vouchers we're announcing today will support our students in critical ways and help us get closer to our goal of ending homelessness in Boston."
The vouchers will allow Boston families experiencing homelessness to seek housing in the private market with a significant rental subsidy. Under the Tenant-Based Housing Choice Voucher Program, families who receive a housing voucher pay 30 percent of their adjusted income for rent, while BHA provides federal funds to the landlord to cover the difference between the tenant share and the Fair Market Rent (FMR).
The Boston Housing Authority will house up to 500 families living in shelters through the State's Leading the Way Home program, a partnership between the BHA and the State network of family shelters in which the BHA issues vouchers to displaced Boston families in shelter. The BHA has issued over 900 vouchers to Boston displaced families in shelter since June 2018. There were 1,160 homeless families in Boston shelters, the majority in scattered site apartments or congregate shelter units, as of the most recent count on March 26, 2020.
"There has never been a more urgent time to ensure that homeless families with children have safe, permanent affordable housing," said BHA Administrator Kate Bennett. "In the short term, this initiative is a timely, prudent step that will help reduce the spread of COVID-19, and in the long term, it will allow many more kids to thrive in school and elsewhere."
The other 500 vouchers will be provided to families who are in precarious situations that lack necessary stability or could easily lead to displacement. These families will be served through a direct partnership between the BHA and BPS, in an effort to reach out to the unsheltered homeless population with children enrolled in BPS. There are currently 4,500 students in Boston that lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, as defined by The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
"Unfortunately, too many of our students and their families are homeless. A stable home is critical to a child's well-being and their success in school," said Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius. "In addition to providing access to free meals, delivering laptops and Internet to students who need them, providing mental health support and other necessary services, this is an urgent resource for families while navigating the current public health emergency. Providing permanent, stable housing for over 1,000 families is life-changing for our students and I am incredibly thankful to Mayor Walsh and his entire team for ensuring our families and children are a first priority."
Due to the current COVID-19 public health emergency in the City of Boston, the Boston Public Schools system is closed until at least May 4, 2020. BPS continues to support students and families by providing access to free breakfast and lunch meals, printed learning materials, and toiletries at emergency meals sites. In addition, so far BPS has distributed over 22,000 Chromebooks to ensure our students remain engaged with their learning and their school communities. Thousands of hotspots are expected to be delivered soon to families without internet access.
This new partnership between BHA and BPS also builds on the comprehensive plan announced yesterday for individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Boston during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. The City has secured over 240 additional beds for individuals to increase social distancing in existing shelters and aid those in need of a home to safely quarantine or isolate themselves and reduce the further spread of COVID-19 in Boston.
Following the declaration of the COVID-19 State of Emergency, Mayor Walsh urged landlords and property owners to suspend evictions for loss of income or employment circumstances resulting in a tenant's inability to make rent during the City's public health emergency. Property owners are encouraged to implement a moratorium on evictions that could be in effect for 90 days, with reviews every 30 days.
In addition, the City of Boston and the Boston Housing Authority issued letters urging housing court to reconsider non-essential evictions of residents. The Boston Housing Authority is also moving to immediately suspend its filing and prosecution of all Housing Court cases and matters with respect to its non-essential eviction actions. This includes cases where the health and safety of others is not part of the suit. It also includes all non-payment, no-fault cases, and cause-related cases.
The City is also supporting Bill HD 4935, An Act providing for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID19 Emergency, which would prohibit evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 State of Emergency, providing more time for households to make up for lost wages and access public assistance. The Governor has also announced a Statewide ban on non-essential evictions until April 21.
"I am calling on the Legislature to move this bill forward as quickly as possible, and we are also asking that these measures stay in place for a period after this emergency is lifted," said Mayor Walsh. "Renters and homeowners will continue to face hardships for the next few months, and will need time to get back on their feet. We're looking forward to working closely with the Legislature as this bill moves forward."
Through the efforts of Boston's Way Home, the City has housed over 1,000 chronically homeless individuals, 1,200 homeless veterans, and ended chronic veteran homelessness in Boston. From 2017 to 2018, Boston also saw a decrease of more than 12 percent in the number of individuals sleeping on the street. Nationally, the number of unsheltered homeless has increased by 9 percent. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported in 2017, 2018 and 2019 that Boston maintains the lowest rate of unsheltered people experiencing homelessness among all major U.S. cities.
The BHA was recently awarded $1.8 million from HUD to fund 139 housing vouchers for residents with disabilities, homeless families and chronically homeless individuals. In April 2019, the BHA was able to issue 1,000 new rental housing vouchers after it secured approximately $28 million in additional funding for vouchers by demonstrating the need for a higher Fair Market Rent (FMR), which sets the payment standard housing authorities can set for voucher-subsidized rents and determines subsidy levels for voucher holders. These vouchers increased the BHA's portfolio of vouchers to 13,500.
For more information and updates on COVID-19, text BOSCOVID to 994-11 or visit our COVID-19 website. For information on emergency shelters, day programs, community meals, and street outreach, visit our helping the homeless page.
