Housing Headlines

LEOMINSTER --- The Massachusetts Fair Housing Center of Holyoke has opened a satellite office at Leominster City Hall. Center director Erica Johnson said her organization's new office will focus on working with homeowners who believe they are the victims of predatory lending.

CAMBRIDGE --- The Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline Housing Authorities have called off a lawsuit against the state, lauding the new administration's willingness to pay them the operating subsidy that had been withheld from them between 2002 to 2005. The DHCD has requested an additional $15 million to support the continuing efforts of the state's housing authorities to improve their existing units.

FRAMINGHAM --- The housing authority prepares for the grand-opening of twelve affordable one-bedroom apartments. The units are two-story townhouses meant for empty nesters whose children have left the house but who don't yet qualify for senior housing.

BOSTON --- In addition to education, legal, and legislative remedies to crackdown on unsafe lending practices, MAHA's Tom Callahan discusses the need to update the Community Reinvestment Act, to increase the lending responsibility of mortgage companies.

BOSTON --- The Executive Office for Administration and Finance has announced plans for greater support of affordable housing and job creation through the use of tax-exempt private activity bonds.

NEEDHAM --- With a boost from town-approved CPA funds, Needham prepares to move forward with a 40B effort that will add 40 units of affordable housing, including 20 homeownership and 12 low-income rental units.