- Master Plan: Housing and Economic Development Subcommittee
- Master Plan Committee
Master Plan Subcommittee and Committee meetings on the schedule for this week May 7 & May 8 |
Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
Master Plan Subcommittee and Committee meetings on the schedule for this week May 7 & May 8 |
"Nursing home residents should find it dramatically easier to return to their communities after Massachusetts committed to spending $1 billion over the next eight years for new housing and community support for people seeking to leave long-term care facilities.The commitment was part of a settlement in a lawsuit filed in US District Court by the Massachusetts Senior Action Council and seven nursing home residents who wanted to return to their communities but could not find housing to accommodate them. The plaintiffs had physical or mental disabilities but could live outside a nursing home setting with some supports, said Steven Schwartz, a lawyer from the Center for Public Representation and one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs. He estimated that a majority of the state’s 21,000 Medicaid recipients receiving long-term care at nursing facilities would be eligible to leave for community settings.“Our very value as individual citizens [comes] from a set of community activities, working, voting, going to school, going to a baseball game,” Schwartz said in an interview. “None of these things we think of as valued experiences in our life are available living in nursing homes.”The settlement would apply to all nursing home residents on Medicaid, who make up the vast majority of those in long-term residential care, Schwartz said."
Jane Jacobs Walk - May 11 |
In accordance with MGL c. 30 section 39m, it is the intention of the Town of Franklin to retain the services of a company for the Franklin Ridge Booster Pump Station Project in the Town of Franklin.
Additional Information: Franklin Ridge Booster Pump Station Project
Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/purchasing/bids/ifb-franklin-ridge-booster-pump-station
Franklin Ridge Booster Pump Station - Invitation for Bid |
Auchincloss Secures District Wins in Passage of Federal Minibus
"Minibus" Funding Bill Includes Auchincloss Community Project Funding Requests
Last weekend, Congress passed a partial government funding bill that was signed by President Biden and includes key wins for the Fourth District. The bill provides funding for 15 Community Project Funding (CPF) requests sponsored by Congressman Auchincloss.
"Clean drinking water & better bridges have been my priority for three funding cycles," said Auchincloss. "These projects take time – they're not quick & flashy – but the benefits will extend for a generation."
Auchincloss Projects Included in Passage:
To learn more about Congressman Jake Auchincloss, visit https://auchincloss.house.gov or connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube.
Auchincloss Secures District Wins in Passage of Federal Minibus |
Voices of Franklin: Objection to the Senior Development Proposed on Summer Street for Franklin, MA |
With the scheduled public hearing before the Planning Board for the proposed 44 unit senior and inclusionary housing condominium on Summer St, it is good to go deep in the archives to be aware of the prior development for the same property.
A special report collected the history of the Residential VII zoning proposed for rezoning the property at the time which failed to gain approval.
The new proposal comes forward without a zoning change required only a couple of special permits (per public hearing notice https://www.franklinma.gov/legal-notices/agenda/488-496-summer-street-autumn-hill-senior-village-planning-board)
Autumn Hill development proposed for Summer St |
"The Town was awarded $8.5 million in grant funding this morning for the Franklin Ridge Senior Housing project, which will be funded by $2.5 million from the Low Income Federal Tax Credit (LIFTC) and $6 million from other state Executive Office of Housing and Livable communities subsidies.Today, the Governor announced that 26 projects in 19 communities will receive federal-state grant funding for affordable housing construction. I attended today’s ceremony at Hyde Square Task Force in Boston. Only 19 cities and towns were given money, which speaks to the Town's consistent and collective advocacy, as well as the shovel ready nature of the project.We cannot underestimate the consistent advocacy of all Town Councils, past and present, and also our entire delegation including Congressman Auchincloss, Jeff Roy and Becca Rausch, and even our former Senator Karen Spilka. This is exactly how federal-state-local partnerships are supposed to work. It is a true team effort!We will have more details as they become available. I suspect when we have a Franklin Ridge presentation update later this spring we will get a better understanding of how this all works and the timeline.BTW, this now brings the total allocated local, state and federal money to approximately $13 million (not including the municipal land, staff or permitting efforts). "
Franklin Ridge senior housing expansion proposal |
"The lack of affordable housing is the single biggest challenge facing my home state of Massachusetts."
Ahead of the reported bicameral, bipartisan tax deal being reached, Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D, MA-04) sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D, OR) and House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R, MO-08), urging them to include the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act in the final package.
In the letter Auchincloss stated, "The lack of affordable housing is the single biggest challenge facing my home state of Massachusetts. The Commonwealth faces a shortfall of hundreds of thousands of units of housing of all types, including rental units designated for extremely low-income households. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would expand the LIHTC program in a measured and thoughtful manner, allowing projects to carry less debt and making more projects eligible to receive funding. This would help Massachusetts build more affordable housing."
A full copy of the letter can be found attached and below.
January 11, 2024
The Honorable Ron Wyden
Chairman
Senate Committee on Finance
221 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Jason Smith
Chairman
House Committee on Ways and Means
1101 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Wyden and Chairman Smith:
I write to you today to request that you include the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2023 in the forthcoming tax package. This bipartisan legislation would finance the construction of nearly two million new affordable housing units over ten years by expanding the successful Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program to increase the amount of credits allocated to each state. Additionally, this measure would increase the number of affordable housing projects that can be built using private activity bonds, increase the credit for certain projects designated to serve extremely low-income households, and codify protections for veterans and victims of domestic and dating violence.
As I testified before the House Financial Services Committee on November 9, 2023, the lack of affordable housing is the single biggest challenge facing my home state of Massachusetts. The Commonwealth faces a shortfall of hundreds of thousands of units of housing of all types, including rental units designated for extremely low-income households. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would expand the LIHTC program in a measured and thoughtful manner, allowing projects to carry less debt and making more projects eligible to receive funding. This would help Massachusetts build more affordable housing.
I appreciate your attention to this important matter and hope to see the inclusion of the Affordable Housing Improvement Credit Act of 2023 in the forthcoming tax package.
Sincerely,
Jake Auchincloss
Member of Congress
cc: The Honorable Mike Crapo, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Finance
The Honorable Richard Neal, Ranking Member, House Committee on Ways and Means
To learn more about Congressman Jake Auchincloss visit https://auchincloss.house.gov or connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pt2h-w5ZsGj9hwr1g7Hk12Ijiip3_HfT/view?usp=drive_link