On March 24, 2017, the Real Estate Bar Association (REBA) Affordable Housing Committee hosted a brownbag lunch forum to discuss the Commonwealth’s legislative housing agenda for 2017-2018. Co-Chairs Kurt James of KJP and Beth Elliott, General Counsel at Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, moderated a panel discussion focusing on legislative priorities regarding existing laws, including Chapter 40B, the Community Preservation Act and Chapter 40S and proposed affordable housing legislation.
Included in this year’s legislative housing agenda, among other initiatives, are An Act Promoting Affordable Housing, An Act Promoting the Planning and Development of Sustainable Communities, An Act Expanding the Brownsfields Tax Credit to Encourage Affordable Housing, An Act to Expedite Multifamily Housing Construction, An Act Relative to Affordable Housing Units, An Act Relative to Public Housing Restrictions, An Act Promoting Rental Housing Stability, An Act Relative to Affordable Housing and Water Infrastructure, An Act Relating to Housing Types Considered Affordable under, An Act to Promote Local and Regional Planning, An Act Relative to the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, An Act Relative to Housing for Veterans, An Act Relative to Affordable Housing Built Near Wetlands and An Act Relative to Statutory Affordable Housing Covenants, and various budget proposals affecting public housing, the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, and the Community Preservation Act.
Representative Kevin G. Honan and Senator Joseph A. Boncore, Co-Chairs of the Joint Committee on Housing, were our guest speakers.