Monthly Archives: April 2015

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with J & R Associates, the owner and operator of the Royal Park Apartments in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, to resolve allegations of discrimination against families with children in violation of the Fair Housing Act

Rousseau, which owns the Horizons Living and Rehab Center in Brunswick, Maine, and previously provided administrative management services to the Amenity Manor skilled nursing facility in Topsham, Maine, entered into an agreement concerning claims for therapy purportedly provided by its subcontractor, RehabCare Group East, Inc. (RehabCare), a part of Kindred Healthcare, Inc. This settlement resolves allegations that Rousseau submitted, or caused the submission of, claims to Medicare that sought inflated amounts of reimbursement based on the provision of unreasonable, unnecessary, unskilled rehabilitation therapy

The City of Lawrence entered into a Consent Decree today with the Department of Justice to address violations of the Clean Water Act in connection with sewer overflows and the discharge of contaminated stormwater.

Yesterday, Mayor Martin J. Walsh joined Executive Director, Dion Irish, of the City of Boston Fair Housing and Equity Department to honor 12 winners of the Mayor’s 2015 Fair Housing Arts Contest, and the 2015 Fair Housing Landlord Award.

Today Mayor Martin J. Walsh celebrated the opening of the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in the heart of Dudley Square. The $125 million state of the art facility is the new home of the Boston Public Schools headquarters with nearly 500 employees, centralizing BPS administrative staff and improving organizational synergy and constituent interaction. The building also includes the Roxbury Innovation Center, a startup incubator to connect Roxbury with the innovation economy, 18,000 square feet of ground floor retail, and common community areas

Last week, the House Committee on Ways and Means (HWM) released its state budget recommendations(link is external) for fiscal year 2016 (FY2016). The $38 billion budget includes strong support for many housing and homelessness prevention programs. Click here for a budget overview of these programs and here for a summary of CHAPA’s budget priorities.

Today, to mark Earth Day, Attorney General Maura Healey issued the following statement, calling on Congress to support the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. The Clean Power Plan for Existing Power Plants and the Carbon Pollution Standards for New Power Plants will maintain an affordable, reliable energy system, while cutting pollution and protecting our health and environment now and for future generations

Governor Charlie Baker will meet in Hartford, Connecticut April 23 with Governors of other New England states to pursue next steps in regional efforts to develop and implement a cooperative strategy to address energy infrastructure challenges

Governor Charlie Baker has signed House Bill 3187 authorizing $200 million in Chapter 90 transportation funds for municipalities, bringing the total funding available this construction season to $300 million, with an additional $30 million allocated through the same Chapter 90 formula for winter pothole repair and paving projects.

MassHousing announced today that Southern Mass Credit Union (SMCU) is now approved to insure home mortgage loans with MassHousing’s signature MI Plus™ mortgage insurance.

MassHousing and the state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced $13 million in Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) loan closings today for affordable housing in six communities

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today released “Student Housing Trends: 2014-2015”, the first ever comprehensive report on trends in student housing in Boston. The report was an inter-agency collaboration between the City of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development, Inspectional Services Department, and the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh joined Governor Charlie Baker, elected officials, local dignitaries, school representatives, and family members and friends of the late Bruce C. Bolling to officially dedicate the new central offices of the Boston Public Schools in the name of the former city councilor and first African American president of the Boston City Council.

In a recent settlement agreement with EPA’s New England office, Hilton Oil Co., Inc. will take action to come into compliance with Underground Storage Tank regulations to protect groundwater and soil at its facility in Lawrence, Mass. The company also agreed to pay a $27,000 penalty

Thanks to the success of last year’s event and the appreciation of the local elf and fairy community, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department will be co-hosting their second annual Fairy Home Building Workshop with the Franklin Park Coalition on Thursday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Schoolmaster Hill in Franklin Park.