Special Initiatives in Public Housing

EOHLC runs several special initiatives to bring in new resources to preserve public housing, improve management and operations at Housing Authorities, and offer economic mobility and social support services to public housing residents.

Public Housing Innovations Program

Beginning in November 2015, the Public Housing Innovations Program helps Local Housing Authorities interested in seeking creative strategies to redevelop their o state-aided public housing portfolio. This program seeks to bring in new resources to preserve public housing. Completed grant rounds funded strategies including mixed-income redevelopment, transferring units to federal regulation and subsidy, and mixed-finance redevelopment involving tax credits and addition of new affordable units. As of July 2022 awarded projects include 

• Chelsea, Innes Apartments: Mixed-Income (Awarded 2016, Closed) 

• Somerville, Clarendon Hills: Mixed-Income, Mixed-Finance (Awarded 2016) 

• Medford, Walkling Court: Federalization, Mixed Finance (Awarded 2022) 

• Worcester, Curtis Apartments: Federalization (Awarded 2022) 

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

Under the American Rescue Plan Act, passed by the federal government in March 2021, Massachusetts state, county, tribal and local entities will receive federal aid to respond to the public health and economic impacts of the public health emergency created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through that plan, the Division of Public Housing received $150,000,000 which it is distributing to LHAs through formula funding and targeted awards for addressing expired components including replacing obsolete electrical panels and upgrading fire alarm & suppression systems.

Chapter 235

In August 2014, Chapter 235 of the Acts of 2014, An Act Relative to Housing Authorities (“the Legislation”) was signed into law (St. 2014, c. 235). The Legislation mandated a series of new performance management and capacity building actions to improve the management of state public housing in Massachusetts. 

Chapter 235 

M.G.L. 121B 

Agreed Upon Procedures (AUP)

Chapter 235 of the Acts of 2014 requires each Local Housing Authority (LHA) to contract with an independent external certified public accounting (CPA) firm annually to perform “Agreed Upon Procedures (AUP)” review of the LHA’s financial records. 

AUP Reports 

Annual Plan

The Annual Plan is a requirement mandated by Chapter 235 of the Acts of 2014. It provides residents and the public with a broad array of information about LHA operations, performance and policies, including; the Capital Improvement Plan, Maintenance and Repair Plan, Operating Budget, Narrative responses to Performance Management Review, Policies list, Waivers received by DHCD, and public comments. 

Annual Plans 

Local Housing Authority Mandatory Board Member Training

Chapter 235 of the Acts of 2014 required that the Department of Housing and Community Development - DHCD (now EOHLC) establish a comprehensive training program for board members of state-aided LHAs. 

Performance Management Review (PMR)

Chapter 235 of the Acts of 2014 requires an LHA to participate in a comprehensive performance-based monitoring program, or Performance Management Review (PMR), as established by DHCD (now EOHLC). 

Regional Capital Assistance Team (RCAT) Program

The Regional Capital Assistance Team (RCAT) Program is legislatively mandated under Chapter 235 of the Acts of 2014. There are three regional teams, operating out of Housing Authorities, of technical assistance providers assisting smaller LHAs in developing capital plans, executing capital projects, and seeking additional funding for capital projects. Current RCATS:  

• RCAT North-East: Chelmsford Housing Authority 

• RCAT South-East: Taunton Housing Authority 

• RCAT Central-West: Worcester Housing Authority

Public Housing Tenant Survey

Included in Chapter 235 of the Acts of 2014 is a requirement that the Department of Housing and Community Development - DHCD (now EOHLC) conduct an annual survey of residents living in state-aided public housing.

Self Sufficiency Program (SSP)

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) funds grant awards for the Self Sufficiency Program (SSP) to serve residents in state-aided public housing at nine Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) and participants in the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) through two Regional Administering Agencies (RAA).  

SSP awards support the efforts of residents in state-aided public housing and participants in MRVP to make measurable gains in employment, financial capability, and education. Participants work with a self-sufficiency coach to set and complete goals centered around economic mobility. As participants’ income increases and their rent goes up, they are able to escrow the increased amount of rent, up to $20,000. This combination of individualized, participant-led coaching with earned escrow savings supports participants’ path towards greater economic security in a manner that treats participants as the experts in their own lives.    

Since launching in 2020, the SSP program has served over 240 participants across the Commonwealth since its launch in 2020. Funding for the SSP program renewed in 2025, and EOHLC added 5 new grantees to the cohort. Funding for current grant awards is available annually for an initial three years, with the option to renew the contracts for two one-year extensions.   Current grantees are:  

• Arlington Housing Authority & Waltham Housing Authority (New)
• Brookline Housing Authority (Continuing)  
• Chelsea Housing Authority & Everett Housing Authority (Continuing)  
• Gloucester Housing Authority (New)
• Lowell Housing Authority (Continuing)
• Neighborworks Housing Solutions (Continuing)
• Salem Housing Authority & Marblehead Housing Authority (New)
• Somerville Housing Authority (Continuing)
• Taunton Housing Authority & Stoughton Housing Authority (New)
• Watertown Housing Authority (New)
• Wayfinders (Continuing) 

Resident Service Coordinator (RSC) Program

Resident Service Coordinators (“RSCs”) and Mixed Population Service Coordinators (MPSC) support the stability of residents in c. 200, c. 705, or c. 667 state-aided public housing developments to enable seniors to age in place and families to maintain their residency. An RSC helps residents access services available in the community and designs programs and services to meet the needs and desires of the LHA’s residents. The RSC/MPSC role is a critical support for residents of state-aided public housing, a community that has unmet needs and faces significant barriers to accessing resources. RSCs help to coordinate the provision of supportive services to help all residents continue to age in place and delay or avoid the need for higher levels care. The RSC/MPSC’s role is to amplify the residents’ capabilities to assist themselves. By focusing on the resident’s capacities, rather than deficits, service coordinators help empower residents to maximize their independence. The RSC program currently serves about 24,000 residents and preserves some 3,400 tenancies each year. The RSC Program has expanded since its inception, though it does not yet cover all Local Housing Authorities (LHAs). In March 2020, EOHLC awarded $1.5M in annual funding to 36 RSCs via grants pursuant to PHN 2019-19. Building from the first round of awards and pursuant to PHN 2021-02, EOHLC awarded 21 additional RSC grants in 2021 following the expansion of RSC funding to $3M in the fiscal year 2021 state budget. EOHLC continued to expand the program in 2022, pursuant to PHN 2022-14, making 17 new awards with the addition of $2M of funding to the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. Most recently, the Fiscal Year 2024 General Appropriations Act included an additional $1.5M ($6M total) in funding for RSCs. These appropriations allow EOHLC to augment existing RSC and Mixed Population Service Coordinator awards and offer a competitive funding opportunity for new awards, as explained in PHN 2023-18. The RSC/MPSC grant program currently funds 106 awards covering 131 LHAs.  

Vacant Unit Task Force

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) formed the Vacant Unit Turnover Task Force Program (VU Task Force) to assist struggling Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) and address unmanageable increases in vacant units due to: an influx of concurrent vacancies, temporary staffing shortages, severe weather events, or other operational shortfalls which have directly contributed to an inefficiency or breakdown in normal Local Housing Authority (LHA) functions. The VU Task Force is a pilot program, competitively awarded by EOHLC, and comprised of experienced LHAs that have consistently demonstrated an ability to successfully manage multiple vacant units and quickly re-occupy them.

The primary objectives of the VU Task Force are to:

• Reduce vacancies and expedite re-occupancy in state-aided public housing across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
• Provide short-term workforce capacity and relief in response to staffing shortfalls, difficult turnovers, or sudden vacancy increases;
• Turnover vacant units to a high standard, while meeting all provisions of the MA State Sanitary Code and any other applicable codes or regulations;
• Leverage economy of scale by utilizing regional service contracts and bulk material procurements.

Last updated:	March 18, 2026