MTF’s latest report, Examining Recent Trends in Rental Assistance & Emergency Assistance Shelter Spending, provides a detailed look at the evolving landscape of state-funded rental assistance programs and the Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter system in Massachusetts. The report focuses on program utilization, interactions, and costs, and includes comprehensive descriptions, recent funding histories, and key cost indicators.

As the EA shelter caseloads declines and new policies seek to manage the program’s cost, the report poses several questions for consideration as policymakers and stakeholders work to support rental assistance programs, housing stabilization, and homelessness prevention and diversion efforts.