MassHousing’s fiscal year ’23 annual report now available
MassHousing has published its online annual report for fiscal year 2023 (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023). This year's report focuses extensively on people – those we serve, those we partner with and the professionals at MassHousing. The report contains key performance indicators, highlights of some of the many housing communities we have supported, and updates on the programs we offer to confront the Commonwealth's housing challenges and improve the lives of its people. Read the report.
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Herby Duverné joins MassHousing Board
Governor Maura Healy recently appointed Herby Duverné to the MassHousing Board. Mr. Duverné is a founder and partner at Rise Development & Construction and is also the CEO of Windwalker Group, an award-winning 8(a) small business that offers physical and cybersecurity solutions, custom learning and training solutions and professional services solutions.
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$6 million in energy efficiency, other upgrades coming to 250-unit Prospect Estates in Webster
MassHousing recently closed a $7.55 million transaction with Affordable Housing Services and Collaborative (AHSC), which will make substantial property improvements to Prospect Estates, an affordable housing development in two former historic school buildings in the Central Massachusetts town of Webster. The project will receive financing from multiple sources, including a LIHTC bridge loan and construction and permanent financing from MassHousing. Read more.
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Senior housing in Sandwich to be improved, affordable rents preserved
A $6.2 million refinancing transaction between MassHousing and the non-profit Sandwich Senior Housing Corporation will extend affordable rents for senior residents of the 44-unit Shawme Heights by another 24 years. It will also help to finance significant upgrades to the property. The transaction used the highly successful Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) program. Read more.
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Rental groundbreakings and ribbon-cuttings
MassHousing was on hand to help celebrate milestones at a number of multifamily developments in recent months:
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Dot Crossing, Boston (Dorchester) | |
Dot Crossing is a new mixed-use, transit-oriented development built on an underutilized parcel on Dorchester Ave. MassHousing provided $8 million in financing for the 29-unit project, which was developed by TLee Development and is co-owned by 81 community investors. Read more. | |
250 Centre Street, Boston (Jackson Square) | The ribbon was recently cut at 250 Centre Street, a key milestone in the ongoing redevelopment of Jackson Square. MassHousing provided $28.8 million in financing to help The Community Builders create this new 110-unit transit-oriented development, which is located adjacent to the Jackson Square MBTA Station. View a feature on the project from WGBH. | |
Fabrica Lofts, a new 87-unit rental development built in a former industrial building, is now open in Lawrence. MassHousing provided $26.9 million in financing to Trinity Financial for the first phase of the redevelopment of the Marinner Mill complex. The building was once home to the Arlington Mills Company and later Malden Mills, known for inventing Polartec fleece. | |
Work is underway on the redevelopment of the Appleton Mill complex in Holyoke, where WinnDevelopment is converting what was once the world’s largest alpaca woolen mill into an 88-unit affordable rental housing community for older adults. MassHousing provided $27.1 million in conduit financing for the project. | |
Fitchburg Arts Community, Fitchburg | In November, ground was broken for the Fitchburg Arts Community, where $5.4 million in MassHousing financing is helping NewVue Communities convert the former B.F. Brown Arts Vision School, the former City Stables and the former Fitchburg High School annex into a 68-unit art and artist-centered development. There are three buildings on the site, all part of the Academy Street Education Historic District, constructed between 1869 and 1922. | |
Morton Station Village, Boston (Mattapan) | Morton Station Village consists of 28 new rental homes and 12 homeownership units built on a site formerly occupied by a Boston Police station in Mattapan. MassHousing provided the Planning Office for Urban Affairs and Caribbean Integration Community Development with $3.1 million in financing for the rental project and $1.8 million for the homeownership project. | |
Golda Meir Expansion, Newton | Congratulations to 2Life Communities on the completion of the expansion of Golda Meir House in Newton. MassHousing provided $23.5 million in financing to help add 68 new rental homes to the existing 199-unit development. | |
HOTMA & NSPIRE: Two new acronyms bring changes to rental housing asset management
MassHousing's Rental Asset Management, Subsidy Administration and Quality Assurance teams have been hard at work preparing to implement two new HUD initiatives that directly impact our multifamily portfolio: HOTMA and NSPIRE.
The Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) - which has been in the works for seven years - will be fully implemented on January 1, 2024. Our staff has been in training sessions and is collaborating with our industry peers to ensure effective implementation. We are updating the MassHousing Model Tenant Selection Plan to meet HOTMA requirements, and will share with the industry in the coming months. Staff is always available to answer questions and provide guidance on this important initiative.
The new National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE), which went into effect in October, prioritizes health and safety issues and improves inspection protocols. MassHousing’s Rental Management staff has completed training and can help answer questions.
We will periodically send surveys out to our rental housing partners seeking feedback on these and other initiatives. We thank you in advance for taking the time to respond.
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Halfway through fiscal year, lending to low- and moderate-income buyers and buyers of color remains robust
We continue to closely track our lending to first-time buyers who identify as minority borrowers. As of the end of November – nearly halfway through our fiscal year - 49% of MassHousing's first mortgage loans had been made to minority borrowers.
Consistent with our goals of lending to low- and moderate-income buyers, 72% of loans to date this year have been to buyers with incomes below 100% of the area median income.
The 10 communities with the highest number of MassHousing loans so far this year are Fall River, Fitchburg, Haverhill, New Bedford, Brockton, Lynn, Boston, Lowell, Worcester and Springfield.
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Unibank, Greylock Federal Credit Union are two newest community banks to become MassHousing lenders | |
Unibank has 13 branches in Central Massachusetts, while Greylock Federal Credit Union has 14 branches in Western Massachusetts. Both have now joined the list of MassHousing-approved lenders, and are able to originate MassHousing loans and Down Payment Assistance. "Community banks and credit unions are so important to the MassHousing mission,” said VP for HomeOwnership Programs Mounzer Aylouche. “They have a personal relationship with many residents in their communities, and every year we rely on them to be trusted sources of MassHousing loans for hundreds of first-time buyers.”
MassHousing's Homeownership team recently visited Unibank (above) and Greylock FCU (below) to welcome them as approved lenders.
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Down payment assistance puts homeownership within reach
MassHousing's Down Payment Assistance is continuing to help make the dream of home ownership come true for first time homebuyers. We offer several different down payment options, depending on where buyers live and their income. In some cases, buyers are eligible for up to $50,000 in down payment assistance, in the form of low- or no-interest second mortgage loans. To learn more, visit our DPA page or contact a MassHousing-approved lender.
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Homeownership on the road | |
VP for Homeownership Programs Mounzer Aylouche (center) and MassHousing Relationship Manager Goretti Joaquim (left) met with one of MassHousing's top producing loan officers in Barnstable County, Daniela Morais, of Cape Cod Five. | |  |
Jamie Pollard (right) of Academy Mortgage, one of MassHousing's top loan officers and the top MassHousing producer in Berkshire County, with Mounzer Aylouche on a recent tour with lender partners. | | |
MassHousing selected by MMBA to provide affordable home buying curriculum for mortgage lenders across MA | |
As part of the NMLS (National Mortgage Licensing System) license renewal for loan officers, the MMBA (Massachusetts Mortgage Bankers Assoc.) requires licensees to complete continuing education courses that include statewide homebuyer programs. MassHousing was selected by the MMBA to present the information over the course of seven regional classes. Above are MassHousing Senior Relationship Manager Angelo Nuby (standing at left) and Relationship Manager Rocco Leone (standing right) presenting in Millbury in November. | |
MassHousing, partner agencies celebrate impact of MassHAF | |
Staff from MassHousing, the MassHousing Partnership and other organizations recently gathered to mark the end of the Massachusetts Homeowner Assistance Fund, MassHAF. The program used federal funds to help low- and moderate income homeowners who were behind on their mortgages due to a COVID hardship stay in their homes and avoid foreclosure. Learn more about MassHAF and its impact at www.mass.gov/haf. | |
Two new developments with affordable homeownership units to open in early ‘24 | |
Acre Crossing Residences in Lowell (being developed by Soucy Industries) and 25 6th Street in Chelsea (being developed by The Neighborhood Developers) are both on schedule to be ready for occupancy in early 2024. Acre Crossing (above) will have 32 new homeownership units for homebuyers with moderate incomes. 25 6th Street (below) will have 6 for-sale units and 56 rental units. Both received financing from MassHousing's CommonWealth Builder Program. | |
Ground broken for new affordable for-sale units in Boston's South End | In late November, a ceremonial groundbreaking marked the beginning of construction for the Northampton Street Residences in Boston’s South End, which will have 47 new homes for moderate-income, first-time homebuyers. The project is being financed with $11.8 million from MassHousing's CommonWealth Builder Program, one of the largest commitment of CommonWealth Builder funds to date. Other financing comes from Eastern Bank and the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation. The developers are THR Acquisition, LLC, an affiliate of Transom Real Estate and Harbor Run Development. | |
30 new, affordable home ownership units coming to Taunton
MassHousing has closed on approximately $10 million in financing through the CommonWealth Builder Program to Tremont Development Partners LLC to develop 30 new townhomes for purchase by moderate-income, first-time homebuyers in the Gateway City of Taunton. The Church Green Town homes will replace an abandoned, single-story medical office building, which has been demolished. Read more.
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Four CommonWealth Builder proposals approved in Boston
Four CommonWealth Builder proposals have been given financing commitments, meaning more affordable, for-sale housing will soon be built in Boston:
- 405 Washington St. | 13 units | Dorchester (Sponsor: Urbanica, Inc.)
- 1039 Blue Hill Ave. | 18 units | Dorchester and Mattapan (Sponsor: DVM Housing Partners)
- 24 Westminster Ave. | 12 units | Roxbury (Sponsor: Dream Development, LLC)
- Norfolk Scattered Sites | 12 units | Dorchester and Roxbury (Sponsor: Norfolk Design & Construction)
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Planning Grants Available for Cities and Towns
The Planning for Housing Production Program provides cities and towns with the technical capacity needed to implement local planning and transform priority development sites into new affordable homes.
Communities can use Planning for Housing Production grants of up to $100,000 to
- Build equitable, transit-oriented multifamily developments
- Meet or exceed their Chapter 40B 10% affordable housing goal
- Develop new homeownership opportunities (in disproportionately impacted communities)
Applications are now being accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more and apply today.
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Neighborhood Hub application deadline extended
The application deadline for the 2024-2027 Neighborhood Hub Funding Round has been extended to Wednesday, January 10.
The Neighborhood Hub is a technical assistance program that helps municipalities and their local or regional partners identify and implement strategies to repair and renew neighborhoods with high rates of vacant, abandoned and deteriorating homes. Learn more about the Neighborhood Hub, view examples of participating communities and apply today.
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More than 100 young people got summer job experience through this MassHousing program |  | |
Home City Development Corporation's employment initiative focused on community gardening and farming. Participants learned organic gardening principles, studied food justice and developed entrepreneurial/marketing skills
In 2023 the Housing Stability team funded more than 100 job opportunities for youth residing in MassHousing-financed properties. These young people worked at seven organizations across Massachusetts: Home City Development, Madison Park Development Corp., MassHire Holyoke, The Philips Brooks House, Project R.I.G.H.T., The BASE, and Worcester Community Action Council.
Jobs were in fields such as housing, agriculture, administration and youth development. All programs offered opportunities for financial education, leadership development and mentors.
Housing Stability will offer the Summer Youth Employment (SYE) program again in 2024, with plans to release its Request for Proposals (RFP) in early Spring. To learn more about the SYE program or other Housing Stability Impact Initiatives, contact Gloria Brand or visit the Impact Initiatives web page.
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Winter 2024 Housing Stability trainings announced
MassHousing's Housing Stability Department has announced a new slate of online trainings that will take place from January to March 2024. Housing Stability trainings are focused on the intersection of social issues and affordable housing and are tailored to property management and social service staff. Trainings are open to anyone and are free for staff of TAP member sites. View the training schedule and register today.
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Diverse Business Engagement | | |
MassHousing helps diverse business owners connect with opportunities
MassHousing’s Diverse Business Engagement Department (formerly Diversity & Inclusion) offers a number of tools and resources to help diverse businesses connect with opportunities at rental developments financed and overseen by the Agency.
Search Business Opportunities: The Business Opportunity feature allows diverse businesses to search active opportunities posted by MassHousing rental developments by trade, region and other criteria. In addition businesses can subscribe to receive alerts when new opportunities are posted in their region and/or field.
List Your Company in the Diverse Business Directory: By listing your company in the Diverse Business Directory, you make it easier for management companies, general contractors and other multifamily partners to find and connect with your business. The directory allows you to provide information about your company, including certifications and classifications, as well as a capability statement.
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NEAHMA honors Joseph Hughes | |
MassHousing Senior Subsidy Manager Joseph Hughes was recognized as the 2023 Agency Person of the Year at the New England Affordable Housing Management Association’s Annual Conference and Trade Show in November. Joe is pictured receiving the award from NEAHMA President-Elect Jillian Pinola (left) and NEAHMA President Kerry Dervil. | | | | |
