In this progress report, the Commission begins to outline strategies that remove barriers to asset building and aid families in acquiring and maintaining assets. The administrative and legislative actions already put into motion will make significant strides toward greater financial stability for low and moderate income families.
Link to report: http://www.mass.gov/Ehed/docs/dhcd/adc/progressreport.pdf
Housing News
State Updates
House Committee on Ways and Means Releases FY ’10 budget
Please click here to view the FY2010 House Ways and Means Budget for Housing Programs.
The budget released by the House Committee on Ways and Means would cut the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) by 45 percent from $33,047,000 appropriated in FY’09 to 17,997,061 proposed in FY’10. MRVP assists 5,200 low income households with rental assistance. The average income of households served by this program is less than $11,000. Almost all (79%) households are extremely low income and many have incomes below 15% of area median. About 2,300 of these households include children under 18.
Despite the emphasis on homeownership and the marginalization of renters, renter households still make up fully one-third of the households in the United States — more than 36 million households. Out of Reach is a side-by-side comparison of wages and rents in every county, Metropolitan Area (MSAs/HMFAs), combined nonmetropolitan area and state in the United States.
April 13, 2009 - Latest UMass/CHAPA Poll finds nearly half of Mass residents fear losing their job, 1 in 4 worried about making housing payments.
Please click here to read the full press release and here for the full report.
Click here for WBZ interview with Michael Goodman.
WASHINGTON, DC – On April 10, 2009 President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts: Larry EchoHawk, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior; Sandra Henriquez, Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development; Thomas McClellan, Deputy Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy; John Porcari, Deputy Secretary, Department of Transportation.
MassHousing is sponsoring regional homebuyer fairs to be held on May 2 and 9; and open houses at affordable homes for sale will be held May 2-3 and May 9-1.
CHELSEA – Friday, April 03, 2009 – As part of his Massachusetts Recovery Plan to secure the state’s economic future, Governor Deval Patrick today announced he will target $108 million from several state and federal affordable housing programs and tax credits to help support 39 affordable rental housing projects, yielding more than 2,000 affordable housing units across Massachusetts, while helping to create thousands of jobs.
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.