Housing

Chelsea is the tip of a corrupt iceberg

Submitted by James Shearer on Fri, 2011-12-30 01:20

James Shearer
Spare Change News

Hello boys and girls, when last we spoke I told you a little about the corrupt Chelsea Housing Authority Executive Director who was making a tad too much moola that the state didn’t even know about.

As I said then, it seemed that no one is minding the store. But did you also know that Chelsea’s housing authority is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to abuses of power in these places?

Preview Image: 

New housing policy won’t fit all sizes

Submitted by Chalkey Horenstein on Fri, 2011-09-23 00:10

Chalkey Horenstein
Spare Change News

The last few issues of Spare Change have familiarized the readers with a program called HomeBASE, which is intended for fighting homelessness. Much like the programs Flex Funds and Diversion that came before it, their “housing first” strategy pays a portion of the tenant’s rent for a certain period of time — this time, three years.

Preview Image: 

An exclusive interview with Lt. Gov. Tim Murray on the state's new Housing First policy

Submitted by Tom Benner on Tue, 2011-08-16 12:15

Third in a three-part series.

Lt. Gov. Tim Murray chairs Governor Deval Patrick’s Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness and once worked as a housing advocate at a non-profit agency in Framingham. Mr. Murray sat down with Spare Change News recently at his State House office to discuss HomeBase, the state’s new program that seeks to shift the focus of homeless policy from a shelter-based model to a Housing First model. Following is an edited transcript of the interview.

Spare Change News: Tell us about the new HomeBase program and how it evolved.

Preview Image: 

New Homeless Policy

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2011-07-29 00:22

Tom Benner
Spare Change News

Under the state’s new Housing First initiative, called HomeBASE:

• Families that face homelessness and are served with HomeBASE short-term rental assistance … will pay no more than 35% of their income toward rent and utilities when they are enrolled in the program. Families could also receive assistance of up to $4,000 to avoid homelessness if they don’t need continuous rental assistance. HomeBASE assistance is capped at three continuous years.

Preview Image: 

Mass. Wants New Emphasis on Housing over Shelters

Submitted by David J. Jefferson on Fri, 2011-07-15 12:02

By Tom Benner

First in a three-part series on the Patrick administration’s five-year plan to eliminate homelessness by 2013

Part One: The shift from shelters to housing
Part Two: What the advocates and experts say
Part Three: What policymakers say and next steps

Preview Image: 

MASS. HOME SALES SLUMP TO LOWEST LEVEL IN 21 YEARS

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2012-01-25 09:29

By Michael Norton
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JAN. 24, 2012….Home sales in Massachusetts in 2011 hit their lowest levels since 1990, despite low interest rates and “soft” median sales prices that dropped 3 percent last year, real estate market analysts reported Tuesday.

At just 15,122, condominium sales also plummeted 16 percent last year to their lowest total since 1995, according to The Warren Group.

The streak of five straight months of improvement in home sales was halted in December, when over-the-year sales were down 5 percent.

Preview Image: 

TRANSGENDER BILL DRAWS CROWD FOR CEREMONIAL SIGNING

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2012-01-24 01:59

State House News Service

Preview Image: 

PATRICK PLANS CAP ON HOUSING AUTHORITY EXECUTIVE PAY, OTHER REFORMS

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2012-01-22 23:03

By Matt Murphy
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JAN. 21, 2012. On the heels of revelations that the former Chelsea Housing Authority executive director concealed hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary from the state, Gov. Deval Patrick will propose in his budget next week to impose new reporting and auditing requirements on local housing agencies and to cap executive pay at the locally run authorities, according to an official familiar with the budget.

Preview Image: 

DESPITE RISE IN TAX RECEIPTS, STATE’S FIXED COSTS MEAN MORE SPENDING CUTS

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2012-01-12 18:39

By Kyle Cheney
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JAN. 12, 2012

Massachusetts residents should brace for another year of program cuts and elimination of services, Gov. Deval Patrick’s top budget adviser warned Thursday, citing the growth of budget-busting accounts that he said will be the target of a new round of reforms.

Preview Image: 

Local Housing Programs: History of the Cambridge Housing Assistance Fund

Submitted by Robert Sondak on Thu, 2010-07-22 13:18

In 1999 after rent control was change to reflect the need of low to moderate income people; a group of Cambridge business leaders created a program to provide subsidies and affordable rental housing within the city of 100,000 people. The Cambridge Community of Realtors, Cambridge Trust Company, East Cambridge Savings Bank, and Cambridge Savings Bank worked in conjunction with the mayor and city council to form the Cambridge Housing Assistance Fund (CHAF).

Preview Image: 
Syndicate content