by iwd Tina | Jun 20, 2011 | Housing News
BOSTON, Dec. 30, 2008 — A new report released by MHP finds that the three most important factors in determining metro area employment growth are how much housing the region builds, its success in attracting new residents, and the extent to which it is dependent on manufacturing employment.
“This report is helpful in understanding why some cities grow more than others and it could serve as a useful guide for policy and business leaders as they figure out how to grow the Massachusetts economy,” said Clark Ziegler, the MHP’s executive director.
Entitled “Recipe for Growth”, the report analyzed job growth in over 200 metropolitan areas from 2000-2006 to determine why greater Boston and Massachusetts lagged behind the rest of the nation in job growth. The report found that Massachusetts could have added thousands of more jobs during the first part of this decade if its restrictive zoning practices had not sharply limited housing construction in the 1990s.
For the Boston Globe’s story on this report, click here.
by iwd Tina | Jun 20, 2011 | Housing News
Washington, DC – The Financial Services Committee today approved H.R. 3045, the Section Eight Voucher Reform Act of 2009. The landmark bill would reform the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which provides rental housing assistance to 2 million low-income families nationwide. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), was approved by a vote of 41- 24.
Please click here to read the full press release.
by iwd Tina | Jun 20, 2011 | Housing News
WASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration’s effort to create jobs and ease pressures on the housing market, the U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced $486 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funding to spur the development of affordable housing units in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, the Virgin Islands, and Vermont.
Please click here to view the full press release.
by iwd Tina | Jun 20, 2011 | Housing News
DHCD, November 25, 2008: Governor Deval Patrick today awarded $1.35 million to 18 cities to spark urban revitalization efforts through a new state program designed to support affordable housing and economic development opportunities for mixed-income communities across Massachusetts. Funding from the new Gateway Plus Action Grant (GPAG) program will help recipient cities identify their specific housing or mixed-use development needs to enhance their economic vitality and the quality of life for all residents.
Please click here to view the full press release.
by iwd Tina | Jun 20, 2011 | Housing News
On January 28, 2009, the Patrick/Murray Administration filed proposed changes to the Emergency Assistance (EA) regulations in response to a significant deficiency in the appropriation for the program. These changes are part of a comprehensive response to provide housing and stabilization services to homeless families, and to transform the shelter system with a greater emphasis on shared accountability and self-sufficiency.
Changes proposed by the Administration were revised after two public hearings held earlier this month. The proposed changes are summarized here.
