SEB Housing

  However, the HAC’s discretion to overturn local decisions applies only to cases involving a city or town that has not met its regional fair share obligations under the statute. If the city or town meets one of the statutory minima, the HAC is required to uphold the decision as “consistent with local needs.” For more details, please contact our top 40B Compliance Agents at 617-782-2300.

  However, the HAC’s discretion to overturn local decisions applies only to cases involving a city or town that has not met its regional fair share obligations under the statute. If the city or town meets one of the statutory minima, the HAC is required to uphold the decision as “consistent with local needs.” For more details, please contact our best  40B Compliance Consultants at 617-782-2300.

Who ends up getting served? The recently released 2011 Household Income Levels for Massachusetts, and the Boston area in particular, have raised significant questions about who is supposed to be helped versus who will actually be helped, based on the HUD figures and the State’s subsidizing agencies’ interpretation of these income categories. Those of us dealing with households at the ground level, ie., assisting in the application process, recognize the dilemma, as follows:  • The Area Median Income for the Boston MSA increased from 2010 to 2011 • The 50% AMI numbers as published by HUD also increased from 2010 to 2011 (because the overall AMI increased) • For properties where rents are calculated from the 50% AMI numbers, this means that rents also increased Now, no MSA can have a higher 80% AMI income limit than the United States 100% AMI number unless the area is designated a “High Housing Cost Area”. But, isn’t it perplexing that by HUD’s strange methodology, Boston is no...