Housing News

The Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC) has launched a new resource – the Access and Opportunity Network– a clearinghouse of strategies, news, best practices, and directories to help create more diversity in the construction industry. Click here for the press release.  

On November 9th, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee released its tax reform proposal. The Senate tax reform proposal, unlike the House version, protects critical affordable housing and community development resources. The Senate proposal maintains the tax exemption for private activity bonds (PABs), which was eliminated in the House bill. PABs are needed for the 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credit, which is used in Massachusetts to produce and preserve thousands of affordable homes.

Contact Your Legislators Today & Sign Onto CHAPA’s Letter to Congress!

Yesterday, the State Legislature continued the process of overriding Governor Baker's vetoes to the FY2018 state budget. Last month, the Massachusetts House of Representatives finished overriding every veto to the FY2018 budget. Since then, the State Senate continues to take up veto overrides sent over by the House.  Here is the status of overrides of CHAPA's FY2018 budget priorities for affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs as of November 14th:

Yesterday, House Republicans released their tax reform proposal, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, to make sweeping changes to the U.S. tax code. The proposal delivers substantial tax cuts, including a significant reduction in the top corporate income tax rate. To offset the cost of the cuts, many current tax incentives are eliminated or substantially changed in the legislation.

The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced the start of the winter 2018 affordable housing competition for rental projects. The deadline for submitting applications to the winter 2018 competition will be February 15, 2018.  On or before that date, DHCD will accept applications from sponsors whose projects were approved in December 2017 through the Department’s pre‑application process. Only projects with December 2017 pre-approvals will be consi

DHCD has posted an updated Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI), showing the number of housing units in each municipality that qualify as subsidized under Chapter 40B (whether or not created with a comprehensive permit).  According to the September 14, 2017 SHI, 67 municipalities are at or above the 10% threshold that makes them appeal-proof.  

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) is making grant funding available to municipalities and Regional Planning Agencies to support efforts to plan, zone, and act to conserve and develop land consistent with the Massachusetts Sustainable Development Principles.  Grants are available for diverse land use planning related work, with set-asides of $250,000 each for four priorities:(1) zoning for sustainable housing production ((e.g.

On September 21st, the Joint Committee on Housing, chaired by Rep. Kevin Honan and Sen. Joseph Boncore, reported out the Housing Bond Bill favorably with a unanimous vote from the committee. The new bill, H.3925, is a redraft of H.675, filed by Rep. Honan and Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry, and H.3653, filed by Governor Charlie Baker.