State Roundup
Deadline Arrives for 40B Repeal Petitioners to Submit Signatures
The deadline for the 40B repeal petitioners to submit the 66,593 required signatures was at 5:00 pm, December 5th. The petitioners submitted signatures, but the Secretary of State has yet to determine how many. The Secretary of State's office has indicated that it will certify the signatures within approximately 7-10 days.
In response to the petition, The Committee Against Repealing the Housing Law, chaired by Mass Inc. co-founder and Wayland resident Tripp Jones was recently formed. CHAPA has joined this diverse group of civic, business, academic, housing, religious, environmental, senior citizen, disability, human service, and municipal leaders (50 and growing) in opposing the repeal of Chapter 40B.
Governor Signs Comprehensive Foreclosure Legislation Into Law
On November 29, the Governor signed Chapter 206 of the Acts of 2007, An Act Protecting and Preserving Homeownership. CHAPA worked with several other organizations, including the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations, the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance, the Massachusetts Nonprofit Housing Association and the National Consumer Law Center as part of a Foreclosure Prevention Coalition to assist the Legislature and Governor in crafting the bill.
A summary of the key provisions is available on CHAPA's web site.
Detailed Housing Bond Bill Analysis Available
CHAPA has completed a detailed comparison of the Governor's Housing Bond Bill, H. 4375, and H. 2030/ S. 18 filed by Representative Honan and Senator Joyce. While we had originally thought that the Governor's Housing Bond Bill would be sent to the Housing Committee, it is now unclear which Committee will be first to consider the legislation.
In addition, the Governor filed a Transportation Bond Bill , which authorizes an additional $20 million for transit-oriented development projects.
Massachusetts Housing Tax Credit Extension is High Priority for 2008
With the Massachusetts Low Income Housing Tax Credit authorization nearly expended, DHCD is unsure if it will be able to issue another round of state tax credits in February, 2008. To date, the program has created approximately 3,000 homes, 70% of which are affordable. Due to seven years of success, the program needs new authorization from the Legislature to extend the program permanently and expand it from $4 million to $10 million per year.
The state housing tax credit legislation is included in Representative Honan's and Senator Joyce's Housing Bond Bill mentioned above and as stand-alone legislation currently before the Revenue Committee (S.1698/H.2949), but the stand-alone legislation has not had a hearing. CHAPA will continue to meet with legislators and advocate on behalf of the state housing credit. If you are interested in speaking with legislators to share your support for the program, please contact Sean Caron.
DHCD Files Regulations for Data Collection in Government-Assisted Housing
On November 16, DHCD filed a new regulation 760 C.M.R. 61:00 (Data Collection for Government Assisted Housing in Massachusetts) as an emergency regulation effective immediately. A public hearing will be held on January 21, 2008. The new regulation implements Chapter 334 of the Acts of 2006, which requires DHCD to report annually to the Legislature on December 31 on the number and location of assisted housing units in Massachusetts and resident characteristics.
The law is intended to help DHCD to affirmatively further fair housing by providing it with information to analyze and evaluate various housing programs. It applies to state and federal public housing programs and housing supported by subsidy, including federal funds administered by the state. Except for state and federal rental assistance programs, it does not apply to subsidies provided directly to individuals.
The regulation requires DHCD, and any state instrumentalities it designates, to collect information on unit characteristics, including address, tenure, type of building, type of housing (e.g. elderly, disabled, family, special needs, mixed), number of bedrooms, numbers accessible for mobility impairments and for sensory impairments, and the source and terms of any and all subsidy. It must also collect household data, including income level, race and ethnicity, household type, numbers of children under 6 and ages 6-18, and numbers of households that requested and that received an accessible unit.
The annual report to the Legislature will provide only aggregated, de-identified information to protect the confidentiality of assisted households.
Federal Roundup
HUD and Other FY08 Budget Bills Stalled
Passage of 11 appropriations bills, including the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) bill has been delayed by the President's threat to veto them all as too costly. Congress is working on an omnibus spending bill that will include all or most of the 11 bills and reduce total funding to a level closer to the President's request. This means HUD may not receive the FY08 increases approved by the House/Senate conference committee last month, including funding for about 20,000 incremental vouchers, and may continue to be $2 billion short of the amount needed to fully fund all Section 8 project-based contract renewals.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has profiled the likely impact on Massachusetts if HUD is funded at the level in the initial President's request for FY2008.
Senate Bill to Fund National Affordable Housing Trust Introduced
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island introduced new GSE legislation (S.2391), The Government Sponsored Enterprise Mission Improvement Act of 2007, on November 16th that would provide funding for an affordable housing trust and direct the funding to the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund if and when enacted. The National Low Income Housing Coalition has posted a side-by-side comparison of this bill and the Trust Fund bill passed by the House earlier this year.
