Governor Baker announced $72 million in housing subsidy funds and additional state and federal tax credits to 25 projects in 17 communities for the creation, rehabilitation, and preservation of 1,970 housing units across the Commonwealth, including 402 units reserved for very low-income families and families making the transition out of homelessness.
Housing News
On August 11, HUD notified public housing agencies in 23 metro areas where voucher use is especially concentrated in high-poverty low-income areas that it is suspending the Small Area FMR designation for their metro areas for at least two years (until October 1, 2019). Under
The Department of Housing and Commuity Development (DHCD) has proposed changes to regulations for the DMH Rental Subsidy (760 CMR 38.00) and the Massachusetts Low Income Housing Tax Credit (760 CMR 54.00).
For redlined versions of the regulations highlighting the changes, please click on the following links:
On July 26, 2017, CHAPA sponsored a breakfast forum, "Strategies for Breaking the Cycle of Poverty", exploring three programs that have helped families increase their incomes: The Secure Jobs Initiative; EMPath's Intergenerational Mobility Project; and Compass Working Capital's innovations in the HUD Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) program.
Moderator: Soni Gupta, Executive Director, Home Funders
Speakers included:
Read CHAPA's August Housing Briefs for state and federal housing updates and recent research!
MassDevelopment has announced Lauren Liss as its next president and CEO. Liss served as the former Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection under Governor Cellucci.
On July 26th, the Baker-Polito Administration announced nearly $1.5 million in Brownfields Redevelopment Fund awards to support the environmental assessment and cleanup of contaminated sites across the Commonwealth. Awards were made to 9 projects that will support over 132 units of affordable housing. For the Governor’s press release on the awards, please click here.
On August 1st, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) implemented its final MRVP Administrative Plan. The final Admin Plan incorporates the FY2018 budget language for MRVP, which increases the initial income eligibility for the program from 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI) to 80% AMI. The plan also incorporates the updated regulations for MRVP (760 C.M.R. 49.00), which were promulgated on July 14th.
– Private equity fund focuses on real estate projects that help build healthy communities –
On July 17th, Representative Jeffrey Sánchez was appointed the new Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, which oversees the state budget process. Rep. Sánchez replaces Chairman Brian Dempsey who resigned from the House of Representatives after representing Haverhill on Beacon Hill for nearly 27 years. Rep. Dempsey announced that he was leaving to take a job at the lobbying firm ML Strategies.