- Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
AMHERST — On Monday, Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus addressed an audience of housing authority directors, board members, staff, and residents at the MassNAHRO Spring Conference at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Secretary Augustus announced $6.8 million in funding for local housing authorities to hire Resident Service Coordinators (RSC) to support the stability of residents living in state-aided public housing. RSC’s play a critical role in connecting seniors with services and managing the interactions of the young/disabled population with the seniors.
"Our public housing fills an essential part of our housing system in Massachusetts”, said Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) Secretary Ed Augustus. “But we also have to do more to support housing at every level. Resident Service Coordinators are community builders, and their mission is to enhance the quality of life for residents by providing education and access to services, all while empowering seniors to remain independent. With this funding, we are helping seniors age in place.”
EOHLC recommended funding for all 108 applications totaling $6.8 million, including 15 newly recommended grants. All previous awardees will increase by $10,000 to support staffing costs. In total 155 Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) were awarded funds. Grant funding is from existing appropriation which increased by $1.5 million in the FY24 GAA.
Filling Vacant Units
Secretary Augustus also highlighted statewide progress filling vacant public housing units. Beginning in September 2023, EOHLC began an initiative to provide financial and staffing support to LHAs with significant vacancies to help fill units faster. In that same month, EOHLC began long planned centralized screening of housing applications that claimed a priority status in the CHAMP system.
As a result of these initiatives, the number of vacancies across the state public housing system declined for the first time in eight years, and 30% of remaining vacancies are due to funded rehab, modernization, and redevelopment projects that will improve the lives of residents and preserve public housing for future use. Furthermore, LHAs leased 4,501 units in 2023, representing the most units filled by LHAs since 2016. EOHLC will continue to partner with LHAs to reduce PH vacancies during a time of clear need for housing.
“Thanks to an ongoing collaboration between LHAs and EOHLC to address vacancies, the state public housing tenant selection process is in a far better place now that it was in July of last year,” said Michael Lara, Executive Director of Watertown Housing Authority and MassNAHRO President. “Improvements to the CHAMP system made since then are positive news to assist in getting more individuals and families housed more efficiently.”
Previously, the burden to screen priority statuses fell on LHA staff. With this change, LHAs are relieved of the burden to screen for all priority-requested applications but will maintain review and determination on local preference priorities and standard applicants.
Taunton Housing Authority Executive Director Colleen Doherty, who also manages the Stoughton, Bridgewater, and Avon housing authorities, reports tremendous recent progress in applicant selection, specifically noting the EOHLC’s centralization of priority determinations as propelling both verified emergencies and local applicants to the top of waitlists.
“Applying for emergency status can be confusing and frustrating for applicants as the regulations and paperwork can be difficult to navigate,” Doherty said. “Centralizing the determination process allows applicants to work through the paperwork with one agency opposed to multiple agencies. Since EOHLC’s initiative began, we’ve been really picking up speed, offering units in half the time it was taking prior to centralized screening. Streamlining the process has been a ‘win-win’ for both the applicant and the LHA.”
Salem Housing Authority was among those able to answer the call when EOHLC ramped up their vacancy initiative.
“The vacancy initiative allowed housing authorities to assist colleagues in a manner that was responsive yet thoughtful,” said Cathy Hoog, Salem’s Executive Director. “Helping out made sense, because we’re all in this together, and we knew how to support agencies without judgement and get units turned over, ready to house applicants in need. EOHLC’s initiative is a model example for ensuring better outcomes, while also encouraging and supporting each other to build lasting partnerships.”
Looking to the Future
Massachusetts has the largest state-subsidized public housing system in the country with approximately 43,000 units across more than 200 local authorities. The Healey-Driscoll Administration has proposed significant funding and capital increases to support the long-term stability and success of the state’s one-of-a-kind public housing system.
Included in the Governor’s FY25 budget is $112 million in subsidy funding for LHAs, representing a 5 percent increase above FY24. This funding is bolstered by additional proposed $50 million for targeted public housing capital investments in the FY24 emergency shelter supplemental budget. Furthermore, the Governor’s Affordable Home Act proposed $1.5 billion in capital funding to continue rehab and repair across the state’s public housing system.
In addition to legislative and policy changes through the Affordable Homes Act, EOHLC has been working with Local Housing Authorities and tenant representatives on regulatory improvements to enhance supports for our public housing residents and LHAs. These updates will change rent calculation to incentivize job training and education while reducing administrative challenges. It also includes a long-awaited change to increase required funding for Local Tenant Organizations from $6 to $25 a unit.
About MassNAHRO Conference
Representing the 240 local housing authorities across the Commonwealth, MassNAHRO’s bi-annual conferences combine training and professional development with opportunities to hear from a variety of elected and appointed officials and other affordable housing experts. This was Secretary Augustus’ first opportunity to address a gathering of MassNAHRO’s members of this size.