Housing News

BOSTON — Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), the leading statewide housing policy organization in Massachusetts, issued the following statement on the tax bill currently in a congressional conference committee. Conference committee members must reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.

Congressional leaders and a conference committee are working to resolve the differences between the House- and Senate-passed versions of tax reform legislation. A final bill is expected to go before each chamber for a vote next week before Congress adjourns for the Christmas break.  CHAPA delivered a letter to the conference committee and the members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation outlining our strong concerns about how the tax reform legislation could devastate affordable housing and undermine community development efforts.

Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced the new Housing Choice Initiative to increase housing production across the Commonwealth. The Administration’s Housing Choice Initiative creates a new system of incentives and rewards for municipalities that deliver sustainable housing growth; creates a new technical assistance toolbox, to empower cities and towns to plan for new housing pr

You are cordially invited to join Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, and Undersecretary Chrystal Kornegay for an announcement relative to housing production on Monday, December 11, 2017 at 2:30 PM at the Roxbury Tenants of Harvard Community Center, 20A Vining Street, Boston, MA. The venue is accessible by the Green Line E Train and several bus routes.

Read CHAPA's December Housing Briefs for state and federal housing updates and recent research.

Last week, the Senate passed its tax reform plan. The Senate version of the bill retains the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC); tax exemption for private activity bonds, which would preserve the 4% LIHTC; and retains the New Markets Tax Credit and Historic Tax Credit. The next step is for the House and Senate to appoint a conference committee to reconcile the differences between their bills.

On December 6, DHCD announced that it has posted its Draft 2018 Qualified Allocation Plan, describing selection criteria for affordable rental projects seeking Low Income Housing Tax Credits and/or other state resources.  DHCD will hold a public hearing on the draft on Friday, December 22, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.

On December 5, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Somerville Mayor Joseph A.

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate began debating its tax reform plan and a final vote on the proposal could happen as soon as today. The Senate plan puts federal investments in affordable housing at risk of deep cuts by severely devaluing the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, limiting future discretionary spending, and through possible automatic spending reductions to critical programs like the national Housing Trust Fund, rental assistance, among many others.

With the U.S. House of Representatives set to vote on the Tax Reform Bill on Thursday or Friday of this week, CHAPA has contacted each Massachusetts Representative asking them to oppose the tax reform bill which would be devastating for affordable housing in Massachusetts. Thank you to the 43 organizations who joined our letter! For a copy of CHAPA's letter to Congress, please click here.