Housing News

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This once-in-a-generation investment allocated over $5.3 billion in fiscal recovery dollars to Massachusetts. Housing is the single best investment Massachusetts can make to secure a healthy future for all. These flexible ARPA funds may be used for rent, mortgage, or utility assistance; counseling and legal aid; supportive housing; affordable housing development; and housing vouchers, residential counseling, or housing navigation assistance.

CHAPA is pleased to announce that we have issued a Request for Proposals for our new Neighborhood Emergency Housing Support program. This one time grant program is aimed at supporting the on the ground, community based organizations in their effort to assist members in their community in learning about and applying for the emergency housing assistance made available through State and Federal Funding.  

Hearing on Fair Housing Legislation - Tuesday, October 12, 11:00 a.m. The Joint Committee on Housing will host a virtual hearing on fair housing legislation on Tuesday, October 12, beginning at 11:00 a.m. This hearing includes two CHAPA legislative priorities on fair housing:

Hearing on CHAPA Housing Priorities - Tuesday, Oct 12, 11:00 a.m. The Joint Committee on Housing will host a hearing on housing related bills including MRVP on Tuesday, October 12, 11:00 a.m.

On September 20, 2021, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) released a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the 2022 winter affordable housing rental round. According to the NOFA, DHCD will make the following resources available:

On September 21, CHAPA endorsed legislation (H.1377 & S.868) that would allow cities and towns the opportunity to enact a local transfer fee on real estate transactions in order to support affordable housing.

Hearing on Public Housing - Wednesday, September 15, 11:00 a.m. The Joint Committee on Housing will host a hearing on public housing related bills on Wednesday, September 15, 11:00 a.m.

On September 1, the White House announced policies to increase the supply of affordable housing. According to the plan, the Biden Administration has set a goal of creating, preserving, and selling to homeowners and non-profits nearly 100,000 additional affordable homes for homeowners and renters over the next three years. Specifically, President Biden directed federal agencies to:

The CDC Federal Eviction Moratorium ended on Thursday, August 26, 2021. However, the end of the moratorium does not mean you will be immediately evicted if you are behind on rent. Only a court can order someone to leave their home.

On August 26, 2021, the United State Supreme Court invalidated the federal eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Supreme Court agreed with a lower court ruling that the CDC lacked the authority to enact such an eviction moratorium.