Massachusetts RealEstateRama

The Baker-Polito Administration announced a program that will provide homeless veterans with housing services. Under the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, the administration is allocating 65 rental vouchers to chronically homeless veterans who were identified by the local veterans’ committees across the Commonwealth.

In his 56-page judgment and order pdf format of O'Donnell Judgment file size 3MB, Judge Davis held that O’Donnell is personally liable for $1,285,300 in restitution, plus interest, for orchestrating “sham transactions” to obtain four real estate properties from two charities he created, Bay State Affordable Housing (organized to provide low-income housing) and Save the Star (organized to rehabilitate Taunton’s historic Star Theater). Judge Davis ordered that O’Donnell pay this restitution into a fund established by the AG to be applied, under the direction of the Court, to one or more Taunton-area charities.

The Mayor's Carbon Cup was launched in April 2014 and recognizes the commitments of large organizations including hospitals, universities, and commercial building portfolios. There are seven participants to date, which have collectively committed approximately 20.4 million square feet to a 35 percent greenhouse gas emission reduction. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston will contribute 1.2 million square feet to that target.

Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) was joined by Representatives Peter Welch (D-VT), Alma S. Adams (D-NC), and Lou Barletta (R-PA), along with 71 other Members of Congress in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell to urge for the swift release of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding.

The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) reported today that the traditional “back-to-school” season didn’t slow buyer activity in September as pending home sales went up over 35 percent from the same month last year. REALTORS® confidence in the market was high in September as the REALTOR® Market Confidence and Price Indexes were both up from September 2014. This month’s “Hot Topic” question finds that the majority of REALTORS® don’t believe the August stock market correction will impact future closed sales

Congresswoman Niki Tsongas today introduced new legislation to help urban communities turn blighted environments into public parks or other usable green spaces, while creating jobs in communities with elevated unemployment.

As outlined in the City of Boston's Action Plan to End Veterans and Chronic Homelessness, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today that the City of Boston is seeking a vendor to create the City's first-ever Coordinated Access system (CA) - a single platform that providers, housing owners and the City will use to match homeless individuals with available housing paired with supportive services.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced $3 million in capital upgrades to 22 elderly and disabled public housing developments throughout the City of Boston. The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) is providing the upgrades to common areas of the developments to create a warmer and more welcoming environment, and an improved quality of life for residents.

Michael R. Anderson, 46, of Framingham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to two years in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $11,048,212 in restitution and forfeit $7,413,712. In January 2011, Anderson pleaded guilty to sixteen counts of wire fraud, nine counts of bank fraud, and two counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.

Corcoran Jennison Associates has been tapped by the Boston Housing Authority as the developer to initiate the redevelopment plan for the largest public housing development in the City of Boston.  At 1,100 units, the plan for the Charlestown public housing community will be to demolish and rebuild it into a mixed-income community that preserves the existing low-income apartments.

Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), announced the award of $2.25 million to the Cooperative Fund of New England (CFNE) from the U.S. Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund to support CFNE's cooperative business lending, healthy food financing, and technical assistance programs.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today the appointment of Janine Anzalota as Director of the Mayor's Office of Fair Housing & Equity for the City of Boston. She has served as interim Director for the department since this past July

The City of Boston released today the first year of energy metrics for large buildings – including an interactive map for Boston residents to see their building energy and water usage – as part of its energy reporting and disclosure program

Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) announced new federal funding to support low-income veterans in northeast Massachusetts. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awarded a total of $4,157,453 in grants to three Massachusetts organizations dedicated to preventing veteran homelessness, including the Veterans Northeast Outreach Center, the Lynn Housing Authority Development Group, and the Vietnam Veterans Workshop.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today released a report that explores the possibility of building on the successes and lessons learned from the Seaport Innovation District and creating more Neighborhood Innovation Districts in Boston to empower the city's entrepreneurial talent. The report was created by the Neighborhood Innovation District Committee, a group of community members, entrepreneurs, thought-leaders and public servants who were appointed by the Mayor to hold public meetings and discuss the benefits and challenges found in the creation of more Neighborhood Innovation Districts