Housing News

On April 13th, the Massachusetts House Ways & Means Committee released its FY2023 budget proposal with strong investments in affordable housing, homelessness prevention, and community development programs. We are working to further strengthen these programs that will help everyone in the Commonwealth have a safe, healthy, and affordable place to call home!  

On April 20, 2022, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) released new increased benefit levels for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

On April 14, 2022, the Baker-Polito Administration announced affordable housing awards for 15 projects located in 14 communities across the Commonwealth.  According to the Governor's press release, the awards will produce or preserve 697 rental homes with 479 affordable homes designated for low-income households and another 150 homes for extremely low-income households.

On April 13, the House Committee on Ways and Means (HWM) released its FY2023 state budget proposal. The budget would provide increased funding for many of CHAPA’s affordable housing priorities, including the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, the Alternative Housing Voucher Program, Public Housing, RAFT, and HomeBASE. The Massachusetts House will debate its budget proposal in the last week of April.

On April 14, the Baker-Polito Administration announced affordable housing awards for 15 projects in 14 communities across the Commonwealth. According to the Governor's press release, the $63 million in awards will result in the creation or preservation of 697 rental homes, with 479 affordable homes for low-income households and another 150 homes for extremely low-income individuals or households.

On April 15, the state will stop accepting applications for the federally funded Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and Subsidized Housing Emergency Rental Assistance (SHERA) program as these federal funds are depleted. Residents can still apply online for the state emergency rental assistance program, RAFT. This program provides up to $7,000 for rent and other housing costs, including moving expenses.

On April 1, Governor Baker signed a supplemental state budget for FY2022 that $100 million in additional funding for emergency rental assistance through the RAFT program. The budget also extends renter protections through March 31, 2023, that pauses eviction cases for tenants who have a pending application for emergency rental assistance.

CHAPA's Comments on Draft Guidelines for MBTA Communities submitted to the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development on March 31, 2022. Dear Secretary Kennealy,

On Thursday March 24th, the Massachusetts Senate will be debating the FY2022 Supplemental budget proposal (S.2776). The Senate Ways & Means proposal includes $100 million for rental assistance through the Rental Assistance for Families in Transition Program (RAFT) same as the House allocation. The budget also extends renter protections that pause eviction cases for tenants who have a pending application for emergency rental assistance.

The following chart depicts CHAPA's current FY2023 state budget priorities for affordable housing, community development, and homelessness development programs. The chart also highlights funding levels in the current fiscal year (FY2022) and the proposed funding levels for the programs in the Governor's FY2023 budget request.