Check out our February 2020 Housing Briefs for state and federal housing updates as well as recent research and reports.
This month features:
Housing News
Thank you to those who attended our most recent breakfast forum, Doing Business in Times of Uncertainty, Part IV, on January 28th, 2020.
In January 2020, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) released its final 2020-2021 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP). To download a copy of the QAP, click here.
On February 7, 2020, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh announced $69.2 million in new and recommended funding from the Department of Neighborhood Development, the Neighborhood Housing Trust, and the Community Preservation Fund to create and preserve 1,097 units of housing. The funding will also contribute to affordable housing programming like the Acquisition Opportunity Program and the
On February 4, the Baker-Polito Administration announced $44 million in direct aid and tax credit allocations to support 11 projects that will create more than 580 new rental units, including 443 units affordable to low and very-low income households.
On January 22, Governor Baker released his FY2021 Budget Proposal. The proposal allocated level funding for most of CHAPA's affordable housing, community development, and homelessness prevention budget priorities.
On January 31, 2020, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy announced the departure of Undersecretary of Housing and Community Development Janelle Chan, who leaves the Department for Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to join the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) as a Senior Policy Fellow. Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Maddox will serve as Acting Undersecretary, effective as of February 4, 2020.
On January 23, Governor Baker announced over $2.6 million in Brownfields Redevelopment Fund awards to support the environmental assessment and cleanup of 16 contaminated and challenging sites across the Commonwealth. Once complete, the 16 projects are projected to redevelop 44.3 acres, create or preserve 682 housing units, and provide 1,625 full-time, part-time, and construction jobs.
On January 8, the Baker-Polito Administration announced $5 million in capital grants to 30 communities under the Housing Choice Initiative. The Housing Choice Community Capital Grant Program funds infrastructure improvements in those communities that have shown commitment to advancing sustainable housing production.
On December 19, the Joint Committee on Housing, chaired by Rep. Kevin Honan and Sen. Brendan Crighton, voted 24 housing production bills out of committee, including several of CHAPA's legislative priorities.
The following CHAPA priority bills were advanced out of the Committee: