Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) beginning at 8:30 AM today (4/20/20)

Good morning:

We are happy to announce that claimants will be able to file for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) beginning at 8:30 AM today.

They can do so by applying at: www.mass.gov/pua

PUA is a program open to the following individuals:

• Self-employed individuals, including gig workers, freelancers, and independent contractors
• Those seeking part-time employment
• Claimants that have an insufficient work history to qualify for benefits
• And claimants that have been laid off from churches and religious institutions and are not eligible for benefits under state law

As PUA is a separate program from regular unemployment insurance, we ask that you send constituent inquiries to Jennifer Lavin at PUAconstituentservices@detma.org

The DUA constituent service team (like Mavis Smith, for example) does not have access to the PUA platform, so they will not be able to help you with these claims. If you have policy questions please do not hesitate to reach out to Jessica.muradian@mass.gov.

Thank you,


Jessica Muradian
Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
Deputy Chief of Staff & Director of Legislative Affairs and Policy
Office: (617) 626-7123
Jessica.Muradian@State.ma.us

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) beginning at 8:30 AM today (4/20/20)

Please Respond Today to the 2020 Census

We have reached 65.5% Franklin, there is still time to go beyond 80% (actually did 79.9% in the 2010 Census)

"The 2020 Census is underway and more households across America are responding every day. Over 70 million households have responded to date, representing 48.1% of all households in America. Make sure that you and your friends and family are included in this once-a-decade count.

Help us spread the word: Everyone can respond to the 2020 Census online in one of 13 languages, with assistance available in many more.

Please note: About 64 million households across the nation will receive a paper questionnaire in the coming days. If you receive mail after you have responded, you should disregard it. It was sent before we received your response."

https://2020census.gov/en.html

Visit the 2020 Census response rate map  https://2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html

The current (as of Sunday, April 19, 2020) results for Franklin:
https://public.tableau.com/shared/6NJX6JC3B?:tabs=n&:display_count=n&:origin=viz_share_link&:embed=y

Please Respond Today to the 2020 Census

Have you checked out the Coronavirus Information Portal Updates

Have you visited the Town of Franklin portal to see the updates?

In the Current News & Alerts section

• COVID-19 MEMA Update for April 16, 2020 - Updated Daily M-F NEW
• DPH COVID-19 Count and Rate by Town - Updated weekly on Wednesdays NEW 
• MEMA COVID-19 Response Dashboard and Interactive Map NEW 

  
In the Town of Franklin News section

• Important Notice to Taxpayers (April 15, 2020) NEW

In the Community Resources and Support section

• Department of Children and Families guidance for reporting abuse and neglect NEW
• Families with loved ones in nursing homes in Massachusetts can use this new hotline to get information and resources, coordinated across state agencies. Call anytime, 9am-5pm, 7 days a week at 617-660-5399 NEW

https://memamaps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=9ef7ef55e4644af29e9ca07bfe6a509f

Visit the Town of Franklin portal:

https://www.franklinma.gov/home/pages/coronavirus-information-portal

Once Upon A Town: Gas Stations & Dealers - Franklin MA

Join Eamon McCarthy Earls and Joe Landry to learn about Gas Stations and Dealers   Video link:  https://youtu.be/EyVswPKw7Lk

Visit the Franklin Business Gift Card portal

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is inviting residents to visit the FDP website to buy gift cards and to view updates from our local businesses. 

We have set up a special portal for residents to easily purchase gift cards.
https://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/p/gift-card-portal.html

 

Gift Card Portal

“We’re hoping this underlines a strong recovery, but that recovery remains uncertain”

From the Mass Municipal Association we share this:

"State budget writers today (Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020) held an economic roundtable with key experts to discuss the economic disruption and fiscal implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Commonwealth.

One of the panelists, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, projected that tax collections in fiscal 2021 will drop by $4.4 billion, or 14.1 percent below the benchmark that top budget officials agreed to back in January.

The report from the foundation states that sudden and massive layoffs are pushing the unemployment rate up to nearly 18 percent in the current quarter, with 570,000 jobs expected to be lost in just three months, including many in the leisure and hospitality sectors."

Continue reading the article online
https://www.mma.org/state-budget-writers-hear-dire-forecasts-during-economic-roundtable-with-key-experts/

• Link to the Legislature’s website for a recording of the hearing
• Mass. Taxpayers Foundation Revised FY21 Tax Revenue Forecast – COVID-19 Pandemic (1.3M PDF)

Rep. Michlewitz, Sen. Rodrigues and Administration and Finance Sec. Heffernan during a virtual budget hearing on April 14. (Photo: State House News Service)

In the News: MA is now at center of national coronavirus outbreak; spring real estate market slows

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

MA is now at center of national coronavirus outbreak

"On the heels of the two deadliest days so far in Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker said Sunday morning that “we’re right in the middle of the surge now” and a top White House official highlighted the state as an area where the continued spread of COVID-19 is a concern.

Massachusetts reported 156 deaths on Saturday and a single-day high of 159 fatalities on Friday, bringing the COVID-19 death toll here to 1,560 people. Nearly 2,000 new cases of infection reported Saturday brought the total number of cases in Massachusetts to 36,372 as the state continues to deal with an influx of cases.

“We’re still very much focused on Boston and across Massachusetts where the epidemic continues to spread across Massachusetts as well as in Boston, and we’re watching very closely Chicago,” White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said on CBS’s Face the Nation. “And then we watch every single outbreak that occurs in different states around the Untied States including the most recent one in Ohio.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200419/massachusetts-is-now-at-center-of-national-coronavirus-outbreak-gov-baker-appears-on-cbss-face-nation

Coronavirus outbreak slows typically robust spring real estate market

"Real estate agents are turning to virutal showings of homes to ensure social distancing practices and prevent the spread of the virus.

Ashley Levitre and her husband spent the winter months preparing to put their Hudson condo up for sale in time for the normally robust spring real estate market.

The couple – expecting their first child in July – has wanted to sell their third-floor garden-style condo and purchase a home for a while.

“We wanted to find something that was more homey,” said Levitre."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200419/coronavirus-outbreak-slows-typically-robust-spring-real-estate-market