Last week, six state legislators were appointed to a conference committee to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Housing Bond Bill.
As the conference committee prepares to meet, please contact the conference committee members today and urge them to quickly reconcile the differences between the Housing Bond Bills and keep critical affordable housing programs funded!
The conference committee members are:
Housing News
April 13, 2018
On Wednesday, the Massachusetts House of Representatives released its FY2019 budget proposal with strong investments in affordable housing, homelessness prevention, and community development programs. However, we are working to further strengthen these programs that will help everyone in the Commonwealth have a safe, healthy, and affordable place to call home!
April 12, 2018
Read CHAPA's April Housing Briefs for state and federal housing updates and recent research.
April 11, 2018
The legislature appointed a conference committee to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Housing Bond Bill.
The conferees are:
April 11, 2018
On April 10, the House Committee on Ways and Means (HWM) released its FY2019 state budget proposal. The nearly $41 billion budget includes many increased investments for affordable housing, homelessness prevention, and community development programs. For a full overview of CHAPA's budget priorities in the HWM budget, please click here.
April 9, 2018
On April 9, the Baker-Polito Administration made $1.5 million in grants to fund first-time homeownership counseling programs and foreclosure prevention education centers throughout the Commonwealth. Twenty-one awards were made to ten consumer counseling organizations and eleven foreclosure prevention regional centers. This is the tenth year the Division of Banks has awarded financial education programming to support Massachusetts residents pursuing homeownership opportunities as well as those families working to stay in their homes.
April 9, 2018
On April 1, 2018, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued the 2018 income limits that determine eligibility for assisted housing programs including the Public Housing, Section 8 project-based, Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Section 202 housing for the elderly, and Section 811 housing for persons with disabilities programs. The 80% limit in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy FMR area rose by $2,950 for a household of four (to $81,100).
April 4, 2018
The Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate passed legislation to tax and regulate short-term rentals, including Airbnb and other similar platforms.
The House bill, H.4327, imposes three different tax rates on short-term rentals, depending on the number of units. Residential hosts renting two or fewer units would be taxed at 4 percent; investor hosts with three to five units would have a 5.7 percent tax; and professionally managed hosts renting six or more units would face an 8 percent tax per rental.
April 3, 2018
On April 3, the Baker-Polito Administration announced $5.9 million in allocations from the Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) to 46 community development corporations (CDCs). Over the program’s first four years, $34.5 million was raised for critical community development programs that directly benefit low- and moderate-income households across Massachusetts. These funds help CDCs work with residents in their communities by providing affordable housing options, access to services, and capital for aspiring entrepreneurs as well as programs and services to ensure that community residents t
March 30, 2018
On March 29th, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a $1.8 billion Housing Bond Bill. S.2368, recapitalizes affordable housing programs through the capital budget at levels supported by CHAPA. In addition to reauthorizing capital budget programs, the Senate bond bill also includes: