ADDP held their Annual Legislative Forum this past Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at the Gardner Auditorium at the State House. Over 160 attendees, including elected officials and staff from nearly 30 legislative offices gathered to hear about ADDP's budget priorities for FY'25 as well as various issues impacting the human services industry.
Guest speakers during the event included: Representative Jay D. Livingstone, Chairperson, Joint Committee on Children, Families and People with Disabilities Committee; Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus; and Alisa Magnotta, CEO of Housing Assistance Corporation. While Rep. Livingstone voiced his support for Chapter 257 funding, Secretary Augustus and Ms. Magnotta's talks were focused on the lack of affordable housing in Massachusetts and its impact on human services staff and those they support.
Attendees also heard from Kim McElholm, President/CEO of Cape Abilities who shone a light on the numerous challenges faced by members of the human services workforce, including long hours, challenging clientele and low wages, as well as a lack of affordable housing.
ADDP President/CEO Ellen Attaliades outlined ADDP's two priorities for the FY'25 state budget: maintaining the Governor's Funding for Chapter 257 services (Line Item 1599-6903), which ADDP believes is a step towards achieving the 75th percentile for human services wage rates for comparable positions in Massachusetts; and maintain all line items for service provision to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and brain injuries in the Governor's budget.
As a special addition to the program, attendees heard from Senate President Karen Spilka who shared her personal connection to attendees as someone who served as the legal guardian for a sibling with Down Syndrome. President Spilka voiced her strong support and admiration for the work done by providers and agreed that, with respect to salaries and benefits for workers, we "need to keep improving."
Senator Spilka also celebrated her long-time friend and colleague, Senator Cindy Friedman, who was selected as ADDP's 2024 Legislator of the Year. Attendees heard from Senator Spilka and NuPath, Inc. President/CEO Dan Harrison who both cited numerous examples of Senator Friedman's long-time support for those in the I/DD community. As a gift from ADDP, Ellen Attaliades presented Senator Friedman with an original work of art entitled "River Landscape" by a young artist named Grant M., who receives services from Riverside Industries in Easthampton, MA.
To download a copy of ADDP's FY'25 Budget Ask, please CLICK HERE.