by iwd Tina | Aug 29, 2023 | Housing News
On August 8th, Governor Healey declared a state of emergency and issued a call to action to expand resources for shelter, housing, and services for the more than 5,000 families now in the state’s emergency shelter system.
Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) and New Lease for Homeless Families (New Lease) are working with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and Massachusetts Law Reform Institute to bring the affordable housing community together to support the Healey-Driscoll Administration in preserving access to Family Shelter System, ensuring housing stability, and improving services for all families experiencing homelessness. Read our statement here.
How You Can Help?
CHAPA and New Lease are collecting information about available apartments along with information from property owners about what is needed to make these homes available to families who are in shelters.
If you have already entered information into the state’s portal, please continue to fill out this form and let us know that you have sent information to the state via the last question. By collecting this information, we can better work with you and the state to overcome any barriers to renting these apartments to families. We will share all of this information with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities so that they can support households in finding a home they can afford.
In addition to opening up housing opportunities, please contribute to the Massachusetts Migrant Families Relief Fund, a partnership between United Way of Massachusetts Bay and The Boston Foundation to address the humanitarian crisis faced by migrants seeking asylum in Massachusetts, while also supporting the local, community-based organizations serving new arrivals.
Thank you for all you do to expand affordable housing opportunities so that everyone can have a safe, healthy, home they can afford.
by iwd Tina | Aug 22, 2023 | Housing News
On August 17th, the Healey Administration issued additional guidelines to the MBTA Multi-family zoning law (3A). The guidelines add 13 state funding programs that MBTA communities will be eligible for upon achieving compliance and allow MBTA communities the option to require ground-floor commercial space in multi-family buildings in up to 25% of their multi-family districts. Because commercial requirements can drive up the cost of housing production and make projects unfeasible, communities are required to get approval from EOHLC before the community votes on the zoning proposal.
CHAPA is advocating for the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) to quickly establish clear criteria for communities around this new option. With deadlines quickly approaching for communities to have their multi-family zoning districts in place, communities need a clear understanding of whether or not this option is something they should consider. All MBTA communities can continue to offer incentives for mixed-use development, such as allowing increased density and height to make mixed-use development possible.
Here is a summary of the revision to the guidelines:
1. Allow an MBTA community to “offset” the minimum multi-family unit capacity requirement in certain multi-family zoning district(s) by up to 25%, based on the unit capacity of a mixed-use zoning district that meets key requirements of Section 3A and the Guidelines, but for requiring a ground floor non-residential component. Such “offset” – only available where existing village-style or downtown development is essential to preserve pedestrian access to amenities – still requires a municipality to demonstrate the same total amount of unit capacity.
2. Protect the financial feasibility of achieving housing goals where mixed-use zoning requires groundfloor non-residential uses by (i) setting forth location criteria for mixed-use development districts and requiring that EOHLC has pre-approved the location before the MBTA community’s vote on its zoning changes; (ii) capping the percentage floor area of each development that may be required to be non-residential (ground floor only); (iii) requiring a broad mix of non-residential uses allowed as of right; and (iv) prohibiting minimum parking requirements for non-residential uses.
3. Allow MBTA communities to locate more housing in walkable and transit-oriented neighborhoods without jeopardizing existing non-residential resources and amenities. Many MBTA communities expressed a desire to locate districts in village-style or downtown neighborhoods but feared that allowing multi-family housing as of right in those areas could risk a loss of existing businesses and buildings. Many residents expressed a desire to live in village-style, downtown, and transit-oriented neighborhoods.
4. Add a list of thirteen discretionary grant programs to Section 9 to alert MBTA communities of additional grant programs that will consider compliance with Section 3A in making grant awards.
The programs added by the revised guidelines (in addition to the Local Capital Project Fund, Housing Choice grants, and MassWorks infrastructure grant) are:
• Community Planning Grants
• Massachusetts Downtown Initiative
• Urban Agenda
• Rural and Small Town Development Fund
• Brownfields Redevelopment Fund
• Site Readiness Program
• Underutilized Properties Program
• Collaborative Workspace Program
• Real Estate Services Technical Assistance
• Commonwealth Places Programs
• Land Use Planning Grants
• Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity
• Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Planning and Project Grants
Refer to the detailed language of the guidelines.
by iwd Tina | Aug 17, 2023 | Housing News
The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless (MCH), Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI), and the undersigned organizations support the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s efforts to expand resources for shelter, housing, and other resources for families experiencing homelessness in Massachusetts. We affirm the Administration’s commitment to preserving access to the Commonwealth’s Emergency Assistance family shelter system for all eligible families with children. We are also grateful for the broad call to action to support newly arrived immigrant families. We stand ready to share our knowledge and assistance in these efforts in the days and weeks ahead, and we offer key recommendations today.
We believe there are immediate actions available to alleviate the current crisis, uphold human dignity, and invest in long-term housing solutions that expand deeply affordable and permanent supportive housing. With the state’s leadership, together we can and must:
- Help families swiftly move out of Emergency Assistance and other temporary shelter programs into permanent affordable housing
- Strengthen homelessness prevention resources to ensure that more families and individuals can maintain housing stability
- Expand available services for newly arrived immigrant families and improve service coordination for all families experiencing homelessness
The fiscal year 2024 state budget, signed into law on August 9th by Governor Healey, includes new tools and resources that will move us in the right direction. The budget provides record funding to keep Emergency Assistance shelters open, strengthens the HomeBASE diversion and rehousing program, provides additional long-term housing subsidies through the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, includes policy changes to make housing more affordable for residents with low incomes, and reinstates Chapter 257 eviction protections to prevent unnecessary evictions for renters applying for emergency rental assistance. We call on the Administration and Legislature to take the next steps to bring these service, housing, and prevention resources to scale through supplemental appropriations, passing an Affordable Housing Bond Bill with increased investments in deeply affordable housing, and deploying federal resources, such as the remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds.
We also know that money alone is not enough to end the emergency. In addition to mobilizing communities, businesses, organizations, and individuals, we call on the state to take bold, creative, and coordinated action to intensify efforts to help families move out of shelter into housing, strengthen homelessness prevention resources, expand available services to all families experiencing homelessness, and target supports to newly arrived immigrant families. In doing so, we call on the Commonwealth to bring key stakeholders to the table and uplift the experiences and expertise of families and communities most affected by the crisis.
We offer our assistance towards achieving the shared goal of ensuring that every family has a safe, affordable, and permanent place to call home and the safety of shelter while awaiting those housing opportunities. We know we can come together for a strong Commonwealth for all.
Sincerely,
Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless
Kelly Turley
Associate Director
kelly@mahomeless.org
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Andrea M. Park
Director of Community Driven Advocacy
apark@mlri.org
Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association
Rachel Heller
Chief Executive Officer
rheller@chapa.org
Endorsing Organizations (in alphabetical order):
Abby’s House
Arise for Social Justice
Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority
Berkshire Housing
Berkshire United Way
Casa Myrna Vazquez, Inc.
Catholic Charities Worcester County
Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance
Central West Justice Center
Chicopee Public Schools
Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association
Community Action Agency of Somerville, Inc.
Craig’s Doors
Domus Incorporated
El Colibrí
Eliot Community Human Service
Everett Haitian Community Center (The EHCC)
Family and Community Resources, Inc
Family Health Center of Worcester
Family Promise North Shore Boston
FamilyAid
Greater Boston Legal Services
Greenfield Housing Authority
Greening Greenfield
HarborCOV
Housing Families Inc
Housing Justice for Survivors, Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School
I.C. Solutions LLC
Immigrant Family Services Institute
Independence House Inc.
Jane Doe Inc. (JDI), The MA Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Jewish Family Service of MetroWest LUK, Inc.
Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS)
Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Massachusetts Public Health Association
Metro Housing|Boston
MetroWest Legal Services
My Life My Choice
New Lease for Homeless Families
Northeast Justice Center
Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
One Family
Pine Street Inn
Regional Housing Network of Massachusetts
Rosie’s Place
Salasin Project
SEIU Local 509
South Shore Resource and Advocacy Center
Spanish American Center, Inc.
St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Community
Stop Bullying Coalition
The Rian Immigrant Center
United Way of Massachusetts Bay
Valley Community Development
Vasquez Mary Kay
Veterans Inc.
Way Finders
Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness
Women’s Money Matters
Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj
Worcester City Councilor At-Large Thu Nguyen
Worcester Community Action Council
YWCA Central Massachusetts
by iwd Tina | Aug 2, 2023 | Housing News
On July 31st, the House and Senate passed a roughly $56 billion dollar budget (H.4040) for fiscal year 2024 which began on July 1st. The Legislature has also passed a second interim budget to continue the government payroll and operations through August while Governor Healey reviews the FY2024 budget.
Please refer to the CHAPA Budget Priority chart for funding amounts for affordable housing. Below is the summary of some critical programs:
- Mass. Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) – MRVP is funded at $179 million along with language to:
- Establish a payment standard aligned with Section 8 up to 110% Fair Market Rent or Small Area Fair Market rent
- Allows use of a higher payment standard as a reasonable accommodation or otherwise at the discretion of the executive office
- Cap the tenant rent share to 30% of their income towards rent when using the payment standard
- Allows a tenant to choose a unit with rent above the payment standard, while also allowing the tenant rent share beyond 40%
- Carry forward the unspent funds from FY23 bringing the MRVP total allocation at ~$200 million.
- Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP) – AHVP is funded at $16 million along with language to:
- Allow project-basing of AHVP vouchers, similar to MRVP
- Allow AHVP maximum rents use up to 110% of the Small Area Fair Market Rent
- Carry forward the unspent funds from FY23 bringing the AHVP total allocation at ~$26 million.
- Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) – The Legislature funds RAFT at $190 million. The Legislature also establishes a $7,000 cap for RAFT benefit over a 12-month period.
- Public Housing – The Legislature allocates $107 million in funding for the Public Housing Operating line item. It also adds language to exempt Local housing authorities and non-profits from any funding cuts through the Local Capital Projects Fund (LCPF) if the communities they are based in are not compliant with section 3A of the MBTA Multifamily zoning law.
- HomeBASE – The Legislature allocates $37 million for HomeBASE. The language increases the benefit amount to $30,000 over a 2-year period and allows EOHLC the discretion for an additional $15,000 benefit for another 12-month period for stabilizing a household.
- CPA – The Legislature did not include any transfers to the Massachusetts Community Preservation Trust Fund in this budget.
- Chapter 257 – The FY2024 included the Chapter 257 protections for pausing evictions in cases of non-payment of rent if the tenants had an ongoing RAFT application.
Please refer to CHAPA’s detailed language analysis of the Legislative Budget for FY2024.
CHAPA thanks Senate President Spilka, House Speaker Mariano, Chairman of Ways & Means Committee, Sen. Rodrigues and Rep. Michlewitz, Members of the Ways & Means Committee, Chairman of Housing Committee, Sen. Edwards and Rep. Arciero, and all the legislators for historic investments in affordable housing priorities.
| Line-Item |
Program |
FY2024 Requests |
Conference Budget |
Senate FY24 Budget |
House FY24 Budget |
FY24 Gov’s Budget |
FY23 Budget |
| 7004-9024 |
Mass. Rental Voucher Program |
$250,000,000 |
$179,597,023* |
$179,597,023* |
$173,247,567* |
$168,247,567 |
$154,000,000 |
| 7004-9030 |
Alternative Housing Voucher Program |
$26,000,000 |
$16,863,078** |
$16,863,078** |
$14,108,528** |
$14,108,528 |
$13,685,355 |
| 7004-9316 |
Residential Assistance for Families in Transition |
$250,000,000 |
$190,000,000 |
$195,000,000 |
$180,602,462 |
$162,602,462 |
$150,000,000 |
| 7004-9005 |
Public Housing Operating |
$184,000,000 |
$107,000,000 |
$107,000,000 |
$102,000,000 |
$92,000,000 |
$92,000,000 |
| 7004-3036 |
Housing Consumer Education Centers |
$10,185,000 |
$10,474,000 |
$8,974,000 |
$9,700,000 |
$8,774,000 |
$9,700,000 |
| 7004-9007 |
Public Housing Reform |
$7,700,000 |
$1,315,000 |
$1,250,000 |
$2,200,000 |
$2,200,000 |
$1,000,000 |
| 7004-0104 |
Home & Healthy for Good |
$8,390,000 |
$8,890,000 |
$6,390,000 |
$8,890,000 |
$4,162,300 |
$6,390,000 |
| 7004-0108 |
HomeBASE |
$60,000,000 |
$37,070,445 |
$39,570,445 |
$42,070,445 |
$42,070,445 |
$59,411,201 |
| 7006-0011 |
Foreclosure & Housing Counseling |
$3,050,000 |
$3,050,000 |
$3,050,000 |
$3,050,000 |
$1,500,000 |
$3,050,000 |
| 7004-3045 |
Tenancy Preservation Program |
$2,000,000 |
$2,042,755 |
$2,042,755 |
$2,042,755 |
$2,042,755 |
$1,800,000 |
| 4120-4001 |
MassAccess Registry |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
| 4000-0007 |
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth |
$12,000,000 |
$11,000,000 |
$11,000,000 |
$10,545,850 |
$10,545,850 |
$9,500,000 |
| 7004-0106 |
New Lease for Homeless Families |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
| NEW |
Fair Housing Trust Fund |
$1,500,000 |
|
– |
– |
– |
– |
| NEW |
Access to Counsel Program |
$7,000,000 |
|
– |
– |
– |
– |
