Monthly Archives: May 2016

Massachusetts Senate Passes FY2017 Budget

On May 26th, the Massachusetts Senate passed its $39.5 billion budget with strong investments in affordable housing, homelessness prevention, and community development programs. The Senate budget includes increases to the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP), the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP), public housing reform, Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT), Housing Court, the Tenancy Preservation Program, and Home and Healthy for Good.

Lexington Realtor® Recognized with Meritorious Service Award from National Association of Realtors®

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors® (MAR) announced today that MAR Past President Judy Moore, a broker at the Higgins Group in Lexington, was recently presented with the 2016 Federal Political Coordinator (FPC) Meritorious Service Award at the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo this May. Moore was one of two Realtors® from across the country who was honored. She received the recognition for her long and outstanding service as the FPC for Massachusetts Congresswoman Kathryn Clark and previously for Massachusetts Senator John Kerry.

Massachusetts Senate Begins Debate on the FY2017 Budget

Earlier this week, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means (SWM) released its state budget recommendations(link is external) for fiscal year 2017 (FY2017). The budget includes strong support for many affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs. Click here for an overview of how CHAPA’s priorities were funded in the HWM budget proposal.

Governor Baker Announces Five Year $1.1 Billion Investment in Housing Production and Preservation for...

Governor Charlie Baker announced today that the Baker-Polito Administration’s upcoming five-year capital budget will devote $1.1 billion to affordable and workforce housing development and preservation. The funding will maintain support for existing programs for high-needs populations, increase support for local public housing communities and finance new initiatives to preserve at-risk affordable housing and boost mixed-income housing production across Massachusetts.

Former Roxse Homes Workers Plead Guilty to Taking Bribes

Two former employees of Roxse Homes, a subsidized housing development in Boston, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with a scheme to rent apartments at the housing development to individuals who were not qualified in exchange for cash bribes.

Boston Home Center Celebrates 20 Years of Homeownership at the 2016 Housing Expo

Hundreds of homeowners and potential homebuyers today attended the Boston Home Center's (BHC) Housing EXPO and 20th Anniversary Celebration at the Curry Student Center at Northeastern University.  The Boston Home Center's 2016 Housing EXPO is the BHC's signature event, kicking off the homebuying season.

Boston Public Library’s Bibliocycle Travels through Boston’s Neighborhoods in Third Season

The BPL Bibliocycle, a bicycle-powered mobile library, returns to the streets of Boston in its third season, visiting street fairs, markets, and festivals to meet people where they are and deliver library services beyond its physical locations. Over the past two years, the Bibliocycle has had more than 2,200 visitors, with staff issuing 140 library cards and more than 500 book checkouts. The first stop for the Bibliocycle will be on Saturday, May 7, at the Wake up the Earth Festival in Jamaica Plain

FRAMINGHAM HIGHLIGHTS TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS

The Town of Framingham’s Division of Community and Economic Development today held an exclusive tour of Downtown Framingham for local real estate developers to explore the transit-oriented development (TOD) opportunities in Framingham. 20 developers took part in the tour, providing them with an opportunity to see local properties located in Downtown that are available for development, while also meeting local business and community leaders.

NOTICE OF SCITUATE WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT DISCHARGE

On Wednesday April 27, 2016 at 6:45 P.M. there was a power fluctuation at the Scituate Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). This power fluctuation caused a surge in the power system which shutdown a Programmable Logic Controller or “Brain” (PLC) for the secondary treatment process. The shutdown of the PLC caused the clarifiers to discharge 930,000 gallons of grey water to the storm drains in the North River. At this time, the Town is still investigating what caused this power fluctuation

HUD and Justice Department award $100,000 to help youth in Boston find jobs and...

In an effort to help young people in Boston involved in the justice system find jobs and housing, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) joined City of Boston Mayor Martin Walsh to announce $100,000 for the Boston Housing Authority and the Greater Boston Legal Services Inc.  to address the challenges justice-involved individuals face when trying to find work and a place to call home.

Markey, Warren Applaud Passage of Water Resource and Infrastructure Bill Out of Key Senate...

Several Markey-led priorities for Massachusetts incorporated into bipartisan legislation, including provisions to benefit Boston Harbor, Hanscom Air Force Base, and local municipalities. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) commended today’s passage of a comprehensive water resources and water infrastructure bill – the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016 – out of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee that will help address the adverse effects of climate change, improve the safety of and infrastructure for our nation’s drinking water, and spur economic growth.

Baker-Polito Administration To File Legislation Seeking Water Protection Delegation

With a commitment to continue strong protection of the waters of the Commonwealth, the Baker-Polito Administration today will file An Act to Enable the Commonwealth’s Administration of the Massachusetts Pollutant Discharge Elimination System which supports the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) efforts to join 46 other states in administering the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) for federal water quality protection and announced a budget commitment of $4.7 million annually for staff, programming and up-to-date monitoring and analysis of water quality data.

Mayor Walsh Joins HUD to Announce $100,000 for Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to announce $100,000 for the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) and the Greater Boston Legal Services Inc. to address the challenges justice-involved individuals face when trying to find work and affordable housing

Mayor Walsh Announces Support for Community Preservation Act

Further affirming his commitment to ensuring access to quality housing and open space, in a city that values and preserves its history, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced his support for the Community Preservation Act (CPA), which could provide a significant revenue stream to support affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space initiatives. The proposal, which is currently pending before the City Council, could potentially be placed on the ballot in Boston in November 2016.

Governor Baker Reviews Progress of MBTA Infrastructure Investments in Ashland

Governor Charlie Baker today visited a Keolis work site in Ashland to review the progress on infrastructure upgrades the MBTA is making as part of a larger effort the MBTA, its Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) and leadership are making to improve service, access, accountability and reliability for riders and taxpayers. In Ashland and along the Framingham-Worcester Commuter Rail Line, the MBTA is replacing over 26,000 rail ties between March and early June, to allow more efficient travel and lift speed restrictions due to heat that have been in place since the MBTA obtained the line in 2012.

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AG Healey Secures $2 Million in Restitution for 20,000 Massachusetts Homeowners...

One of the nation’s largest mortgage servicers will pay $2 million in restitution to resolve allegations that it violated state law and committed unfair and deceptive practices by charging Massachusetts homeowners for unnecessary fees and overpriced force-placed insurance policies, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today