Housing News

Both HUD and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued statements this month regarding the City of Richmond, California proposal to use eminent domain to acquire homes of underwater homeowners for less than their current market value.  The City would then re-sell the homes to the owners at market value using FHA-insured mortgages (see Slate and the

  Save the Date: New England Housing Network Annual Conference-2013 Friday, December 6, 2013 Sheraton Framingham Hotel, Framingham, MA   Plenary Session Featuring Housing Finance Agency Executive Directors from all 6 New England states    

DHCD has issued the revised HomeBASE program regulation (760 CMR 65.00) as a emergency regulation.  Changes are highlighted in red.

DHCD has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for one or more non-profit entities to administer the Community Partnership Fund for the Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) program.  Key responsibilities will include raising, managing and redistributing funds for qualified investments.  Responses are due by August 30, 2013 at noon.

Housing groups recently released results of Boston Mayoral candidate questionnaires on housing and community development issues to better inform the public about how each of the candidates would address these issues. Click here to learn where Mayoral Candidates stand on important housing issues.    

HUD published proposed FMRs for FY2014 in an August 5 notice and table in the Federal Register.  As proposed, FMRs would rise in eight of the 19 FMR areas in Massachusetts and decrease in 11 areas (see summary).  The proposed Increases in the two-bedroom FMR range from 0.1% to 4.7%, including a $10 increase for the Boston-Cambridge

On August 9, HUD announced that it is seeking input on its draft Strategic Plan 2014-2018, and has established an interactive online forum on HUD Ideas in Action through which both HUD employees and the public may submit their feedback on the draft plan framework.  As detailed in the announcement, HUD will accept comments in two rounds.

President Obama gave a speech on Monday, August 6, in Phoenix outlining his housing policy agenda.

On August 2, DHCD announced that Massachusetts will receive $7.21 million in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) funds for use in communities affected by storms that received federal disaster designations in 2011 and 2012.  DHCD is requesting letters of interest by August 20, 2013 from cities and towns for potential CDBG-DR projects and activities.

DHCD has issued its official notice (PHN 2013-16) to housing authority directors that, effective July 1, all applicants for state-aided public housing or MRVP will retain or be granted emergency case status notwithstanding receipt of HomeBASE rental assistance.