Archives

WASHINGTON, DC - April 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and a bipartisan group of legislators on Wednesday introduced the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, calling it critical job-creating legislation.

BOSTON, MA - April 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing Executive Director Thomas R. Gleason testified before the House Committee on Financial Services in Washington, D.C., today, advocating for reform of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and other socalled GSEs, and urging Congress to make sure future GSEs commit themselves to supporting affordable housing

SPRINGFIELD, MA - April 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The owner of a four-unit residential apartment building in West Springfield has been sued for violating state anti-discrimination laws, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office announced. The Attorney General’s Office filed a complaint against Mary Anna Cosentini in Western Division Housing Court alleging that she refused to rent to a prospective tenant and her family because the woman participates in the Section 8 housing subsidy program administered through a local agency.“In the current economy, the need for rental or transitional housing assistance is particularly great and these programs are important as families are facing job losses and critical housing needs” said Attorney General Coakley. “Landlords in Massachusetts must understand that it is illegal to refuse to rent to a person holding a Scection 8 voucher or to refuse to do business with an agency administering housing vouchers.”

$560 million allocated by Patrick Administration for affordable home mortgages and to build or preserve affordable rental housing. BOSTON, MA - April 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing has received from the Executive Office for Administration and Finance an allocation of $560.8 million in private activity bonding authority for calendar year 2010. It is believed to be the largest allocation to one quasi-public agency of so-called “private activity bonds” in state history.

BOSTON, MA - April 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Boston Regional Challenge, a new report released today by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing, finds that the average working household in the Boston region spends over $34,000 a year – or 54 percent of their income – on the combined costs of housing and transportation.

ANDOVER, MA - April 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mold in a damaged home can create serious health problems for residents following the severe storms and flooding in March, warn Commonwealth/ FEMA officials overseeing the Massachusetts recovery effort.

Judgment part of statewide investigation into reports of discriminatory Internet advertising. BOSTON, MA - April 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office obtained a judgment against Linheart Smith, a Hyde Park landlord, resolving allegations that he made discriminatory statements in rental advertisements posted on the popular classified advertising website Craigslist.org (“Craigslist”). The judgment, signed by Suffolk Superior Court Judge John C. Cratsley, on April 2, 2010, provides a broad range of relief and preventive measures to ensure Smith’s future compliance with state and federal fair housing laws. This judgment is the result of a continuing statewide investigation by the Attorney General’s Office into reports of widespread discriminatory Internet advertising.“Our office’s lawsuit alleged that this landlord had discriminated against low-income individuals seeking housing. Landlords and real estate professionals must recognize that the rental market is a regulated industry and compliance with our anti-discrimination laws is an important obligation,” said Attorney General Coakley. “While we hope that this enforcement initiative will have a deterrent effect, our office will continue to monitor Craigslist and take action against landlords and real estate professionals who violate the law.”

BOSTON, - March 31, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Attorney General Martha Coakley cautioned victims of the 2010 floods to do their homework when selecting contractors to repair the water damage to their properties, to avoid becoming a victim of a scam.“Today, most of the state for the second time is dealing with the damage from these unprecedented storms,” said Attorney General Coakley. “While many people have banded together through this difficult time, there are also unsavory individuals seeking to capitalize on this situation, and we urge consumers to do their homework when picking a contractor to fix their homes.”

WASHINGTON, DC - April 1, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to seven counties in Massachusetts and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following the ongoing severe storm and flooding this month.

Latest series of "Opportunity Knocks” homebuyer fairs will be statewide on Saturday, April 10. BOSTON, MA - March 31, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Deval Patrick announced today that the latest series of free “Opportunity Knocks” regional homebuyer fairs and open houses to promote affordable homeownership opportunities in Massachusetts will be held on Saturday, April 10 across Massachusetts

62 Mixed-Income Loft Development Will Boast ‘Green’ Efficiencies; Create 100 Construction Jobs March 29, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Thomas M. Menino and city officials today celebrated the start of construction at the Oliver Lofts, a $25 million housing development on Mission Hill’s Terrace Street. The project involves the adaptive reuse of two, four and five-story historic mill buildings, previously vacant for 25 years. The completed project will add 62 new units of mixed-income, LEED-Silver housing – a total of nearly 95,000 square-feet of living space – to the neighborhood.

BOSTON, MA - March 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- An evaluation by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute has concluded that MassHousing’s Tenancy Preservation Program (TPP) is highly effective in preventing homelessness among tenants with mental disabilities.

March 24, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Thomas M. Menino today joined city officials and community members in celebrating the new home of local after-school music education organization, ZUMIX, in a newly renovated firehouse at 260 Sumner Street in East Boston. The new 9,000-square-foot facility benefitted from $4.6 million in renovations over the past five years, and boasts a performance stage, several soundproof rehearsal rooms, a recording studio, and a radio station. The renovated firehouse, which was vacant for more than 30 years, replaces former ZUMIX headquarters on nearby Maverick Street.

BOSTON, MA - March 22, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A survey of home improvement contractors (HIC) conducted by the Patrick-Murray Administration's Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation found that 85 percent of the contractors checked did not follow state laws requiring the listing of registration numbers on displays and other advertising.Since taking over the HIC program last July, the Office of Consumer Affairs has focused on ensuring contractors know the law regarding registration numbers and understand the importance of displaying the numbers. For consumers, being able to easily find and check a registration number is important as homeowners go through the process of considering a contractor. Hiring a registered contractor affords some protections and possible compensation from the state’s Guaranty Fund that would not be available if a consumer uses an unregistered contractor

BOSTON, MA - March 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing Executive Director Thomas R. Gleason was recently presented with the 2010 Friend of the Elderly Award by the California-based Retirement Housing Foundation for his longstanding efforts to preserve affordable housing for the elderly, economically disadvantaged families and people with disabilities.