Massachusetts Chapter NAHRO

State Public Housing Legislation
FY 2010 (7/1/09) Budget Items:

Operating Subsidy of $71.1 million. The need for increased subsidy is well-documented in DHCD’s Real Cost Study of Public Housing, the Harvard Cost Study, the State Auditor’s Report on the Adequacy of Funding for Public Housing, and the Report of the Public Housing Subcommittee of the Joint Committee on Housing of the Massachusetts Legislature.Subsidy line item 7004‑9005 received $60 million in fiscal 2008, and $66.5 million in fiscal 2009. $71.1 million is purely a maintenance number with zero growth caps likely on housing authority operating budgets for the sixth year out of the last eight fiscal years.

Funding for Supportive Senior Housing and Mixed Population Service Coordinators.$5 million for the expansion of this outstanding program line item 9110‑1604 (received $4,202,915 in FY 09), and also $1 million for the expansion of the Service Coordinators program line item #7004‑4314 (received $490,401 in FY 09).Both programs greatly enhance the quality of life for low-income seniors aging in place and the disabled living in elderly sites.

Other 2009‑2010 Housing Bills Supported:

An Act Preserving Publicly Assisted Affordable Housing:Refile of Senate 2799 authorizing housing authorities to be Designated Purchasers of expiring use properties in order to keep units affordable. (Sen. Tucker, Rep. Honan)

An Act Relative to Public Housing Innovation: Refile of Senate 753 for a demonstration to reduce and streamline regulatory and statutory requirements for not more than 10 housing authorities. (Sen. Chandler)

An Act to Provide Additional Protection to Housing Authority Residents and Property From Entry By Persons After Being Forbidden as Trespass:Seeks to keep disruptive and threatening persons away from public developments by use of penalties in Ch. 266, sec. 120.

An Act Further Enhancing the Operations of Local Housing Authorities: Requests a local option for charging reasonable utility surcharges; asks for the establishment of a commission to recommend how to protect housing authority employees placed at personal risk while on the job.

An Act Relative to the Recommendations of the Report of the State Auditor:The report recommends that state rent verification measures be instituted to ensure fair rents based on actual income are paid to housing authorities by:
a.Authorizing the Bureau of Special Investigations to undertake rent fraud cases upon referral by an LHA;
b.Establishing Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) program for state units as HUD requires

A study of the Appropriate Operating Costs for State-Funded Public Housing in Massachusetts (September, 2005)

Findings of the Subcommittee on Public Housing Listening Tour and Status of State Public Housing (July, 2006)

Office of State Auditor Report on State Public Housing [PDF file]