STATE UPDATES
Housing Bond Bill Remains in Conference Committee
A conference committee, appointed to work out the differences between the two versions of the housing bond bill passed by the House and the Senate, continues to work on reconciling the two bills. While both bills are substantially similar and authorize $1.4 billion in capital spending over the next five years as well as extend the Low Income Housing Tax Credit at $20 million per year through 2020, both the House and Senate versions contain provisions weakening the Affordable Housing Law, Chapter 40B. The bills also make changes to immigration policy as it relates to public housing.
CHAPA is urging the conferees to reconcile the bills this week in order to keep housing programs funded and keep housing production moving. CHAPA is also urging the conferees to remove the larger policy changes attached to the housing bond bill and instead have these complex issues addressed by the Housing Committee.
40B Hearing Scheduled
The Joint Committee on Housing has scheduled a public hearing on bills related to the state’s Affordable Housing Law, Chapter 40B, on Tuesday, October 22nd at 10:00 am in Room B-2 at the State House. With more than 30 bills filed, it is important to demonstrate support for the Affordable Housing Law and to share the successes of the law in creating housing and jobs across the state. Email Rachel Heller at rheller@chapa.org for more information. For a full list of bills, click here.
Brownfields Redevelopment Fund Recapitalization Efforts
The Brownfields Redevelopment Fund is an essential funding source for assessing, cleaning up, and redeveloping contaminated properties. Due to increased demand over the last 18 months, the Fund is depleted. As a result, MassDevelopment is unable to fund the 26 projects currently in the brownfields redevelopment pipeline. CHAPA is working with several organizations, including Smart Growth Alliance, MACDC, MAPC, and ELM and legislators to recapitalize the fund.
30th Anniversary of the Family Shelter System
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the family shelter system. With more than 4,000 families currently living in shelter and motels, the Center for Social Policy at UMass Boston and Homes for Families will host a conference on October 28 to generate permanent solutions to family homelessness (see events, below).
Legislative Hearings on State Public Housing
The Joint Committee on Housing held two hearings on bills related to state-aided public housing reform, one in Boston at Gardner Auditorium on October 1 and one in Taunton on October 7, both well-attended. There was general consensus that reform is needed. The Committee heard a range of testimony about the bills and potential alternative approaches and will continue to consider the issues discussed at the hearing.
Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2013 Released
On October 10, the Boston Foundation and Northeastern University’s Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy released its 11th annual Greater Boston Housing Report Card. The report found that the local housing market has continued to show signs of recovery in terms of home prices, home sales, rising housing production and declines in foreclosure activity. It also found that affordability is a growing problem, as housing cost increases (especially for renters) have outpaced real income growth and that income inequality has increased both within the city of Boston and regionally. It called for economic policies to promote growth in well-paying jobs and the adoption of zoning policies that will permit the growth in multifamily housing needed to meet demand and moderate price pressures.
CHAPA Regional Meetings
CHAPA has scheduled nine regional meetings around the state with community members, housing professionals and advocates, elected officials, and other stakeholders interested in affordable housing. The meetings provide an opportunity to share updates and learn what participants think should be priorities for public policy advocacy, research, and programs. Click here for the regional meeting schedule.
FEDERAL UPDATES
Continuing Resolution Signed; Housing Choice Voucher and Other HUD Funding Problems Continue
The President signed a FY2014 continuing resolution (CR) bill on October 16, funding government through January 15, 2014. However, the CR (H.R. 2775) funds most programs at the FY2013 amounts, providing no relief to struggling public housing agencies (PHAs). The cuts imposed in FY2013 have forced PHAs to curtail maintenance in federal public housing, stop re-issuing housing choice vouchers upon turnover, and tap out reserves. Voucher administrators will be forced to take more drastic steps in FY2014 absent a major budget change. CHAPA, MassNAHRO and others are sponsoring a forum on November 1 to discuss how PHAs can collaborate to address the impacts on the voucher program (see upcoming events).
Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Preservation Component Extended
HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration, created to help public housing agencies finance capital improvements and to preserve certain properties with maturing mortgages and expiring rental assistance, has proven to be an important preservation tool in Massachusetts. As of September, a total of 13 preservation projects with almost 1,100 affordable units have been approved for long term rental assistance under RAD (735 affordable units) or had applications under review by HUD (349 units). The preservation component, initially authorized only through FY2013, has been extended to January 15, 2014 by the FY2014 continuing resolution.
HUD Proposes Changes in Housing Counseling Rule
On September 13, HUD issued a proposed rule to implement a provision in the Dodd-Frank bill requiring certification of all housing counselors at HUD-approved counseling agencies. The proposed rule would require all counselors to complete a HUD-approved training on the full range of counseling topics and pass a test. Comments are due November 12.
New Jersey Supreme Court Rejects Effort to Limit Municipal Affordable Housing Obligations
In September, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that regulations issued by Governor Christie’s administration that would exempt low growth communities from their “fair share” affordable housing obligation were illegal. The Fair Share Center of New Jersey and others argued that communities could adopt restrictive zoning to avoid growth and avoid the obligation. The court ordered the State to devise new rules.
RECENT RESEARCH
New Paper Reviews Communication Strategies to Build Support for Affordable Housing
The Center for Housing Policy has published a literature review - Building Support for Affordable Homeownership and Rental Choices: A Summary of Research Findings on Public Opinion and Messaging on Affordable Housing. The review examines how to effectively frame issues and communicate with policymakers and the public.
Brookings Calls for Regional Administration of Housing Choice Voucher Program
A new paper from the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, Invest but Reform, Streamline Administration of the Housing Choice Voucher Program, urges HUD to change the way it administers the program to enable more effective spending of its limited funding. Specifically, it urges HUD to replace the current system using thousands of PHAs with a system that selects one administrator for each metropolitan area. The administrator could be one organization or a consortium and would be selected through a competitive process. It notes there are already a handful of regional programs, including DHCD’s model in Massachusetts (see summary). It also recommends steps HUD could take to encourage more regional consortia (currently there are only four nationwide) as a transition step.
Choice Neighborhoods Initiative – HUD Report Gives Early Look
A new HUD report gives an “early look at implementation” of the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative at five sites nationwide, including the “Quincy Corridor” (Woodledge/Morrant Bay) in Boston. Choice Neighborhoods replaced the HOPE VI program to revitalize public housing developments, can be used to revitalize private assisted housing, and emphasizes comprehensive neighborhood improvement.
Bipartisan Commission Forum Assesses LIHTC after 27 Years
The Bipartisan Commission’s “Housing Experts Forum” for October 2013 asked thirteen experts to talk about strengths and challenges of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and its role in affordable housing development. Click here for a summary of each the 13 commentaries and links to each in full. Overall, commenters agreed that the LIHTC has been a successful production and preservation program, though it is unable to meet the needs of the neediest (lowest income) households. Potential remedies include better, more public data collection on program outputs and a federal renters’ tax credit.
UPCOMING EVENTS
October 23 - CHAPA Young Professionals in Housing Brown Bag Lunch Series: Planning and Building for Healthy, Equitable Community Development, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m., CHAPA, 18 Tremont Street, Boston. Click here for registration information.
October 28 - Looking Forward to the Journey’s End: 30 Years of Family Homelessness in Massachusetts;. Hosted by the Center for Social Policy at UMass Boston and Homes for Families; 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., Campus Center ballroom at UMass Boston. Click here for details.
October 29 – CHAPA 46th Annual Dinner, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, South Boston. Registration for individuals closes on October 25. Click here for registration information; click here to register online.
November 1 – Forum on the Impact of Sequestration on the Section 8 Program, 8:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., the State House (Gardner Auditorium), Boston. Panel of national and state experts discuss impacts of sequestration on housing choice vouchers and options to reduce harm. Click here for more information.
November 8 – What Works in Investing: A Community Development Summit, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge. Click here for registration information.
November 20 – 2013 Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance Conference, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, South Boston. Click here for registration information.
December 6 - New England Housing Network Annual Conference – Friday, December 6, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Sheraton Framingham Hotel, Framingham, MA
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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