Councilor Edwards issues statement on Housing Stability Notification Act

BOSTON (7 October 2020) - Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards has issued the following statement on the ordinance filed by Mayor Martin J. Walsh which would require landlords to distribute materials to tenants on their rights prior to filing an eviction:

“I want to thank Mayor Walsh for filing this ordinance and asking that the council pass it during today’s hearing. These actions show a sense of urgency that is required of all elected officials in Massachusetts with the eviction and foreclosure moratorium set to end in 10 days. I can promise the mayor, my colleagues on the council, tenants, landlords, homeowners and housing advocates across Boston that as the chair of both the Housing and Community Development and Government Operations committees I am committed to ensuring this body will pass a comprehensive ordinance protecting renters and owners facing eviction or foreclosure. I am committed to doing so before the moratorium ends on the 17th or immediately afterward during our weekly meeting on the 21st.

The ordinance filed by the mayor is a good starting point, but it is just that: a start. We must go further than what’s being proposed today to protect Bostonians from the coming housing crisis.

The Mayor should call upon the Boston Public Health Commission to issue an emergency order establishing a moratorium on eviction enforcement during the pandemic. This would prevent the levying of an eviction order on commercial and residential tenants and protect tenants against people entering their unit except in limited circumstances. Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh have requested that residents stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Evictions would make this impossible and would increase the risk to public health and safety.

Boston should also implement one of the proposals in the Housing Stability Act (H.5018/S.2918) at the statehouse and provide property tax relief for landlords that do not evict tenants for unpaid rent. This measure will provide much needed financial relief for landlords who are facing foreclosure as a result of their tenants not paying rent.

Finally, the mayor should call upon Governor Baker to do his job and lead the nation in cancelling rent and mortgage payments until the pandemic ends. Tenants, landlords, and homeowners throughout the Commonwealth are facing an unprecedented crisis on the 17th if we don’t take immediate action. I look forward to working with the administration, my colleagues and the housing advocates who have not had the opportunity to review today’s proposal on finding solutions to the challenges ahead.”

Source: Councilor Edwards' office 10/7/20

photo credit: EastBoston.com

Mayor Walsh signs "An Act to Further Leverage Commercial Development to Build Housing, Create Jobs, and Preserve Inclusionary Development."

BOSTON - Thursday, September 12, 2019 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined members of the Boston City Council, community residents and advocates as he signed "An Act to Further Leverage Commercial Development to Build Housing, Create Jobs, and Preserve Inclusionary Development." This Home Rule Petition enables the City of Boston to have more flexibility to fund affordable housing and workforce training through Boston's Linkage program, and will codify the Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) into Boston's Zoning Code to protect the City's ability to create and fund income-restricted housing. Mayor Walsh proposed the Home Rule Petition in January 2019 as part of his 2019-2020 legislative package. Following the signing, the proposal will move to the Massachusetts Legislature for approval. 

"We must use every tool we have to leverage Boston's growth to invest in affordable housing and workforce training for our residents," said Mayor Walsh. "I am proud to sign this legislation that addresses one of our most pressing issues in Boston: building more opportunities for all. I thank the City Council and many advocates for helping us take this critical step forward, and look forward to working with the Legislature to quickly move this bill into law." 

Boston's Linkage program provides funding for affordable housing and workforce training through payments by large-scale commercial real estate development. Under the current law, the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) is only allowed to adjust Linkage every three years based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Currently, commercial developments over 100,000 square feet pay $10.81 per square foot for housing and jobs Linkage. The money collected is made available through competitive funding rounds administered by the Neighborhood Housing Trust and the City of Boston's Office of Workforce Development.  

The Home Rule Petition signed today will allow Boston to make adjustments to the required payment and program guidelines, including annual adjustments, allowing for Linkage to be more closely aligned with the market and offering additional opportunities for the creation of affordable housing and workforce development.

Since 2014, the City has invested $43 million in housing funding from Linkage that it has leveraged for a total of $723 million in additional public funds across 66 developments. Those projects have created 1,546 new affordable units and preserved 749 existing affordable units. Between 2015 and 2016, Linkage helped more than 2,300 low- and moderate-income residents access job training and education programs. After job placement, graduates of the training programs earned an average wage of $15.23 per hour with 72 percent earning benefits as well.

"Housing our communities and preparing residents for economic prosperity are critical priorities for the City of Boston," said City Councilor Lydia Edwards. "This legislation will ensure Boston secures lasting affordability for those who live here today as we plan for growth and development in Boston neighborhoods."

"Throughout the legislative process, my City Council colleagues and I heard from a range of stakeholders who expressed how this Home Rule Petition would be a specific tool to address the housing crisis in Boston," said City Councilor Michael Flaherty. "This legislation will enable Boston to update the Linkage exaction rates on an annual basis to allow for the City to make adjustments based on the realities of the real estate market. Giving the City more flexibility and local control over the exaction rates is especially important so as we continue to go through an  era of rapid growth and development. I join Mayor Walsh and my Council colleagues in advocating to move this bill forward."    

The Home Rule Petition also codifies Boston's Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) into the Boston Zoning Code. Under the current law, IDP requires that developers of buildings with 10or more units seeking zoning relief or building on City of Boston owned land set aside a percentage of their on-site units as income-restricted, create off-site income-restricted units, or make a payment to the IDP fund. As the BPDA completes comprehensive planning in Boston's neighborhoods and updates Boston's existing zoning, more market rate residential projects may become as of right and be exempt from IDP requirements. The Home Rule Petition strengthens Boston's IDP as a strategy to capture affordable housing units and funding from projects which are zoning compliant, expanding the work under Mayor Walsh to create and preserve Boston's affordable housing. 

"Workforce development and economic mobility go hand in hand in helping people achieve economic self-sufficiency," said Joanne Hilferty, President and CEO of Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, which operates MassHire Boston Career Center, and provides job training and career services for 7,500 individuals annually. "We applaud Mayor Walsh and the Boston City Council for their work on strengthening the Linkage Program to create more access to job training and career services for those who need it most."

Since the inception of IDP in 2000, the policy has resulted in 2,706 units of stable, income-restricted housing for moderate- and middle-income families, and $154 million in funding. When combined with other affordable housing resources, this funding has supported the completion or preservation of 2,006 additional units of housing, affordable to very low-, low-, and moderate-income households.

"It is important that the City continues to increase affordable housing options for Boston's households that are rent burdened," said Karen Chen, Executive Director of the Chinatown Progressive Association. "We need to do everything we can to ensure that our low-income residents can remain in their neighborhoods, near their jobs, schools and families. I want to thank the Mayor and the City Council for passing this important home-rule petition and commit that the IDP and Linkage coalitions will work hard to get this bill passed at the State."

The BPDA is currently working with outside consultants, the development community and housing and job advocates to explore policy changes to both Linkage and IDP beyond the legislative changes made in the Home Rule Petition.  

The Mayor's commitment to increasing affordable housing in the City is reflected in Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030, Boston's latest  quarterly housing report, and the City's overall housing goal of 69,000 new units by 2030. These 69,000 new units include 15,820 new income-restricted units, which would elevate Boston's income-restricted inventory total to 70,000, or one in five of all housing units. In addition, the plan set a goal to preserve 85 percent of Boston's most at-risk privately-owned affordable units, and to purchase 1,000 units of rental housing stock from the speculative market and income-restrict them for perpetuity. 

ABOUT MAYOR WALSH'S 2019 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

Mayor Walsh's legislative agenda continues his administration's work to create greater opportunity for all residents, and serves all people of Massachusetts through its focus on equity. The bills are grouped into different categories: housing security and economic mobility, environment and transportation, education, and health and public safety, and are aimed at ensuring Boston and Massachusetts' growth benefits all communities in the Commonwealth. For more information about the bills and to track the City's advocacy, please visit boston.gov/legislativeagenda. 

Boston Housing Authority Implements Small Area Fair Market Rents For Greater Boston Area

To expand opportunity and prevent displacement, BHA will apply the HUD’s Fair Market Rent formula by zip code

(BOSTON, July 1, 2019) –  Today, the Boston Housing Authority implemented a Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAMFR) policy, allowing more than 12,000 residents with federal Housing Choice Vouchers greater access to Boston area neighborhoods and towns.  The BHA, along with the Cambridge Housing Authority, are the first housing authorities in the Nation to voluntarily adopt the SAFMR standards.

Historically, housing authorities have been limited by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to one payment standard, known as Fair Market Rent (FMR), for each metropolitan area. However, under new HUD regulations, BHA can now adjust its payment standards for each zip code, more precisely matching the actual rental costs.   As a result, families will now have the choice to rent in areas that have historically been unaffordable with a voucher. This change affirmatively furthers fair housing goals and takes steps towards deconcentrating voucher families by providing expanded housing choices in Boston and the surrounding areas. 

"Our housing efforts have always been grounded by our fundamental belief that every person, regardless of their income, is deserving of a home," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "By implementing the Small Area Fair Market Rent policy for voucher holders, we are doubling down on one of the most important aspects of our fair housing efforts - the right for people to choose a place to live that works best for themselves and their families."      

The Federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, known as Section 8, is a program funded by the federal government to subsidize rent for low-income families and individuals across the United States. Voucher-holders pay approximately 30% of their income towards rent and utilities, and the federal government covers the rest for apartments up to a certain dollar amount.

Prior to this change the BHA payment standards for a two-bedroom apartment was $1914 for every zip code, city, and town in the Boston area, regardless of the actual cost of housing in individual neighborhoods. With only one payment standard for the entire region, voucher holders have been historically concentrated in low-income income areas, while failing to meet the needs of renters who may wish to pursue housing elsewhere. The new SAFMR will adjust the payment standards in all 236 zip codes in the Boston Housing Authority coverage area to more precisely match the actual rents in those towns and neighborhoods. For example, the implementation of SAFMR increases the two-bedroom payment standard in Brighton to $2600, in Newton to $2800, and in Framingham to $2200, making more neighborhoods accessible and affordable for BHA voucher holders.

“When the Section 8 Program was first created, it was designed to empower low-income people with the ability to choose where they want to live and raise their families.” BHA Administrator Bill McGonagle said. “By matching our Housing Choice Vouchers with the actual cost of rent in our communities, we hope to fulfill that promise.”

In setting its policy, BHA utilized current rental data to ensure that payment standards are high enough to prevent the displacement of voucher holders who wish to stay in their current neighborhood, but not so high that they would have the effect of artificially driving up rents for both voucher and non-voucher renters.

This year, BHA was able to secure approximately $28,000,000 in additional funding for vouchers after BHA, Cambridge and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development initiated a rent survey and appealed the FMR. The survey demonstrated the need for a higher FMR after the previous HUD FMR rate lagged significantly behind the Boston region’s rising rental market. The new rate and additional funding allowed BHA to implement SAFMR without lowering the payment standards in some Boston neighborhoods.

A chart of the new 2019 payment standards by zip code can be found here.

This policy was submitted as an  amendment to the BHA’s 2019 Annual Plan Leased Housing Administrative Plan.  The policy change followed a public comment period and public hearing at the Copley Branch of the Boston Public Library.  The majority of comments were very favorable but the BHA did adjust some payment standards in response to comments related to concerns about actual rent levels in some communities and displacement. 

Mayor Walsh issues 1,000 new Section 8 vouchers for Boston families and residents

Vouchers will provide housing assistance to Boston chronically homeless individuals and families

BOSTON - Friday, April 26, 2019 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh together with the Boston Housing Authority and local shelter providers yesterday gathered in Roxbury to announce the release of 1,000 new rental housing vouchers for chronically homeless residents and families in Boston. The vouchers are funded through the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and will increase the BHA's portfolio of vouchers to 13,500.

"I am incredibly proud that through these 1,000 rental housing vouchers we'll be able to provide more residents and families with a home," said Mayor Walsh. "These vouchers are more than a rent subsidy -- they represent a foundation for stability, support and self-sufficiency. We will continue working together to create these homes for our residents and be a city where every single person matters and every single person is cared for."

Through partnerships with DHD and DHCD and the network of shelter providers and service providers, voucher holders will receive housing search assistance, funds for relocation, and stabilization services for at least six months.

"These vouchers not only help homeless residents and families find permanent affordable housing, they offer them the stability they need to pursue new opportunities and better their lives," said BHA Administrator Bill McGonagle.

The BHA will issue the 1,000 new vouchers through the Coordinated Access System referral program, the Rapid Rehousing program, the Moving On program, and the Leading the Way Home Program.

Rapid Rehousing is a form of supported housing designed to rehouse families who have recently become homeless. Moving On is a program that will assist formerly chronically homeless tenants who currently occupy traditional housing that has supportive services, and are no longer in need of those services, transition to independent housing. The  Coordinated Access System was developed under the Mayor's Action Plan to End Veteran and Chronic Homelessness and prioritizes matching the most vulnerable homeless individuals, including veterans, youth and young adults and long-term chronically homelessness individuals to housing opportunities. Leading the Way Home is a form of supported housing designed to help families transition out of emergency shelters by offering 18 months of supportive services focused on stabilization and self-sufficiency, along with Section 8 rental assistance.

In addition to the tenant-based Housing Choice Vouchers, the BHA will offer up to 150 project-based vouchers to preserve affordability in developments subsidized through the expiring Mass Housing 13A mortgage program. 13A developments may use these vouchers to help tenants remain in their homes and prevent any risk of homelessness.

BHA was able to secure approximately $28 million in additional funding for vouchers this year after they initiated a rent survey and appealed HUD estimates for Fair Market Rent (FMR) in the Boston area last fall. The survey demonstrated the need for a higher FMR, which sets the payment standard housing authorities can set for voucher-subsidized rents, and determines subsidy levels for voucher holders. The previous HUD FMR rate lagged significantly behind the Boston region's rising rental market. The new rate and additional funding will allow BHA to issue at least 1000 new housing vouchers. The BHA last issued new vouchers in late 2017.

"The Section 8 voucher provided me with the ability to find a place for my children and I to call home. With this new stability, I have been able to maintain a decently paying job along with childcare for my children." said Paulina Morillo, a voucher holder from Dorchester. "These vouchers will do the same for many families like mine."

In addition to today's announcement, Mayor Walsh last week announced his FY20 recommended budget, which includes $4 million to support the creation of approximately 50 new units of permanent supportive housing each year. Creating new permanent supportive housing is a critical component of Boston's Way Home, the City's action plan to end veteran and chronic homelessness in Boston.

In addition, the FY20 recommended budget includes $1 million to provide connections to employment, rental assistance and supportive services for youth, building on the City's action plan to support young Bostonians experiencing homelessness. These funds will help support early identification and outreach, increase access to effective supports, and develop a collaborative system to create pathways to opportunity for those experiencing homelessness. This investment is in addition to a $4.9 million Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The FY20 budget proposal also includes a $300,000 investment that will fund four formerly homeless individuals to work as peer navigators across Boston shelters to connect individuals currently experiencing chronic homelessness with permanent housing pathways. Peer housing navigators will help clients with their housing applications, gathering documentation needed for housing, and mentoring others as they transition from homelessness to housing.

Earlier this week, Mayor Walsh celebrated a $30 million capital investment to revitalize Boston Housing Authority's Bunker Hill Housing development in Charlestown, the first time in the City's history that City bond dollars have been invested directly into a BHA project.

Photo credits: EastBoston.com

Councilor Lydia Edwards Proposes Fair Housing Amendment to Boston Zoning Code

Change Would Advance Civil Rights In Housing & Planning

(Boston, MA, APRIL 11, 2019) - Today, on the eve of the 51st anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, Councilor Lydia Edwards introduced a zoning amendment at the city council to advance fair housing through planning and zoning in the City of Boston.

“Planning and zoning can be tools of equity or tools of exclusion,” said Councilor Edwards. “As we move into the next 50 years of the Fair Housing Act, Boston can advance civil rights by adopting fair housing into our zoning code and ensuring we plan community development for all residents.”

The Fair Housing Act, signed into law on April 11, 1968, outlawed discrimination in sale, rental, and financing of housing. The Act does more, however, than just ban discrimination: it calls for processes that actively promote equity. The zoning change will require the city to engage in a thorough analysis of displacement and access to housing for protected classes, such as people of color, families with children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and other protected classes when reviewing new large-scale development projects.

Under the zoning change, large-scale developments would be subject to a fair housing analysis, ensuring that city plans include protected classes of residents, such as people of color, the elderly or persons with disabilities. The amendment focuses particularly on multi-acre “planned development areas” (PDAs). In reviewing PDAs, the city would be required to use data on barriers to housing, and local demographic information, in its decision about whether or not to approve the development, and just as importantly, in how it negotiates public benefits. 

Fair housing is already a commitment of the City of Boston and there are several laudable efforts underway. The Office of Fair Housing and Equity conducts fair housing trainings and, with the Fair Housing Commission, supports residents in addressing discrimination complaints. The Department of Neighborhood Development runs an Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Program to promote equal access to government-assisted housing.The Boston Housing Authority operates a Fair Housing and Employment Unit to enforce fair housing standards. However, there are not currently procedures in planning and zoning, which fundamentally shape community development, to affirmatively further fair housing or monitor how zoning and planning impact fair housing. The proposed zoning amendment would address that gap.

Summary of key changes:

• Adds definition of "affirmatively furthering fair housing" and "analysis of impediments" to zoning code 
• Adds definition of “exclusionary displacement” to zoning code
• Changes "Article 80" (the zoning procedure for reviewing large development) to address fair housing and displacement concerns
• Changes standards for approvals for future review, amendment or updates to massive “planned development areas” like Suffolk Downs or Seaport Square, to incorporate fair housing and displacement concerns
• Raises the standards for public benefits in planned development areas affecting East Boston specifically. 

Source: Councilor Edwards office 4/10/2019

Councilor Edwards Releases Policy Brief on City Affordable Housing Programs

Report calls for updates to Linkage and Inclusionary Development Programs

Councilors Lydia Edwards, Chair of Boston's Housing and Community Development Committee, has released a policy brief (http://bit.ly/building4allbostonians) on two key city housing programs. Inclusionary Development requires certain developers to produce deed restricted units (for rental units, at up to 70% of the Area Median Income) or pay towards a fund that accomplishes the same purpose, and Linkage (also known as Development Impact Fees) generates funds for the Neighborhood Housing and Neighborhood Jobs Trust.

Boston's inclusionary development and linkage requirements are substantially lower than neighboring communities of Cambridge and Somerville. Inclusionary development in Boston is currently set at 13%, with up to 18% applying in certain areas, while Cambridge and Somerville have adopted 20% inclusionary requirements. In addition, many Boston renters, and Black and Latino households on the whole, tend towards income levels below those required by inclusionary development. Linkage, which in Boston applies to buildings over 100,000 square feet, is currently $10.81 / sq foot with $9.03 for housing. A 2016 "Nexus" study commissioned by the Walsh administration recommended increasing the housing portion to $16.08 - $21.39, depending on exemptions, for a total of $18.07 to $24.04. In January, Councilor Edwards filed legislation to implement the recommendations of the linkage Nexus study.

The report by Councilor Edwards calls for an array of updates to these programs, including:

• Modeling 20% and 25% affordability standards for inclusionary development in Boston; 
• Adopting new rental affordability measures to increase the affordability of deed-restricted properties, which may still be out of reach for many Bostonians;
• Eliminating loopholes that allow developers to avoid affordable housing contribution "triggers," such as building numerous 8-unit or 9-unit buildings when 10-unit buildings are subject to inclusionary requirements
• Evaluating decisionmaking on inclusionary development, which in most cities is done by the Mayor and City Council as opposed to by a quasi-public entity;
• Improving data reporting to track beneficiaries of the inclusionary development program to facilitate city's efforts toward advancing racial equity;
• Clarifying inclusionary development requirements for Planned Development Areas like Suffolk Downs; 
• Promoting long-term affordability by dedicating a portion of inclusionary development funds to community-owned housing, such as community land trusts;
• Adjusting Boston's zoning code to automatically update linkage and avert missed opportunities;
• Updating state law to codify inclusionary development and modernize linkage.

  

Table 1: Comparison of Inclusionary Development in Metropolitan Boston Municipalities

Municipality	Inclusionary %	Unit threshold	Authorization
Boston	13-18%, varies based on zones	10 units or more	Policy; cannot be adopted via zoning article or ordinance
Cambridge	20% citywide	10 units or more	Zoning Act + Ordinance
Somerville	20% citywide for large developments; 17.5% for 8-17 units; 6-7 units have option of building affordable unit or paying into fund	6 units, 8 units and 18 units each trigger deeper requirements.	Zoning Act + Ordinance
Quincy	10% citywide	10 units or more	Zoning Act + Ordinance

Table 2: Comparison of Development Impact Fees in Metropolitan Boston Municipalities

Municipality	Linkage	Exemption	Revision
Boston	$10.81 / sq foot ($9.03 for housing)	First 100,000 square feet	Can ONLY be changed every 3 years per statute, adjusted based on change to CPI.
Cambridge	$15.95/ sq foot, all housing	First 30,000 square feet	Automatically re-evaluated every 3 years; annual increase based on change to CPI.
Somerville	$12.46 / sq foot ($10 for housing)	First 30,000 square feet	Zoning ordinance requires 2020 study; annual increase based on change to CPI.