Housing News

The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is making up to $2 million available to communities under the Gateway Plus Action Grant to support local planning efforts to expand housing opportunities for the Commonwealth's residents, resulting in revitalization that creates and restores vibrant mixed-income neighborhoods. The resulting plan and proposed actions should reflect a shared vision of a neighborhood improvement strategy, emphasizing housing needs, quality of life, and ongoing steps to sustain and enhance community and civic engagement.

FHFA has stated that business will continue as usual at the Enterprises during the conservatorship—this applies to both their single-family and multifamily businesses. Please click here to view the full announcement.

Secretary Bigby and the Governor's Office have approved the Community First Olmstead Plan linked below. "Community First" continues to be one of the Secretary’s top priorities. The Governor "officially" received the plan on September 12th. Please click here to view a PDF version of the plan.

On September 29, 2008, HUD released a Notice outlining the procedures under which the new Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) for foreclosed or abandoned properties will operate. The Notice is effective immediately. In it, HUD explains that it is treating NSP funds as an FY2008 “special allocation” of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and specifies the ways in which NSP requirements will and will not differ from CDBG requirements. The Notice also includes a listing of allocations by state and locality nationwide.

A bill to provide authority for the Federal Government to purchase and insure certain types of troubled assets for the purposes of providing stability to and preventing disruption in the economy and financial system and protecting taxpayers, and for other purposes. A summary of the bill can be viewed here. Please click here to view the full text of the bill.

State Updates RFR Released for Regional Network Innovations to End Homelessness The Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness has released a Request for Response (RFR) to fund six regional networks with a total of $8 million to coordinate regional responses to ending homelessness.

HUD’s new Neighborhood Stabilization Program will provide emergency assistance to state and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight within their communities. The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) provides grants to every state and certain local communities to purchase foreclosed or abandoned homes and to rehabilitate, resell, or redevelop these homes in order to stabilize neighborhoods and stem the decline of house values of neighboring.

In this Special Report, knowledgeplex will provide ongoing coverage of the financial crisis and its effect on our economy and our communities. Read the special report here.

The Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness announces a Request for Responses for the Regional Network Innovations to End Homelessness. This initiative offers an exciting opportunity to partner with the Commonwealth to implement innovative strategies that will inform new and emerging statewide housing approaches to ending homelessness. Please click here for the full RFR document.

In its continuing effort to support affordable housing production in Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) has awarded nearly $4 million in grants to non‐profit and community - based development organizations across the state. Please click here to read the full announcement.