"See how much the typical rental costs are in your town, according to Census data"

"Massachusetts renters ― like the state’s owners ― pay some of the highest housing costs in the nation, according to recent Census data.

Rents in Massachusetts are sixth highest among states, according to the data released last month, with the median renter paying $1,336 per month. That’s an increase from $1,006 in 2010. Lexington had the highest rental costs in the state at $2,431, followed by Brookline at $2,305, and Cambridge at $2,293.

The data, which cover a time period of 2016 to 2020, also offer a snapshot of the share of renters vs. owners. In Massachusetts overall, 33 percent of housing units were occupied by renters. Zooming into the city/town level, Chelsea has the highest share of rental housing, with 69 percent of units occupied by people who rent, followed by Lawrence at 66 percent, Somerville at 62 percent, and Cambridge at 58 percent."

Continue reading the article online (Subscription may be required)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/04/05/metro/charts-see-how-much-typical-rental-costs-are-your-town-according-census-data/ 

table view of Franklin specific data

Map view of Massachusetts data

Map view of Franklin data

"housing assistance programs have been gradually scaling down"

"AS A FEDERAL rental assistance program winds down, housing advocates are looking to the state to help fill the gap. But the state assistance programs are not as generous as the federal program was, leading to concerns that struggling tenants – particularly tenants of color – could increasingly face evictions. Housing assistance will be up for debate Thursday as the state Senate considers its version of a $1.6 billion supplemental budget bill.

On Tuesday, Homes for All Massachusetts and researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology released a report which found that evictions are disproportionately occurring in Black and Latino neighborhoods, neighborhoods with more single mother heads of households, areas with absentee and corporate landlords, and in central and southeast Massachusetts. Of all evictions filed between October 2020 and October 2021, 43 percent were in neighborhoods where a majority of residents are non-white, even though only 32 percent of rental housing is in these areas."

Continue reading the article online -> 

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/the-download/wind-down-of-housing-assistance-raises-concerns-2/ 

More info from the National Low Income Housing Coalition on MA housing

https://nlihc.org/housing-needs-by-state/massachusetts

More info from the National Low Income Housing Coalition on MA housing

"there isn’t a single US county where a full-time minimum wage worker can afford a modest two-bedroom rental"

"Nearly half of American workers do not earn enough to rent a one-bedroom apartment, according to new data.

Rents in the US continued to increase through the pandemic, and a worker now needs to earn about $20.40 an hour to afford a modest one-bedroom rental. The median wage in the US is about $21 an hour.

The data, from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, shows that millions of Americans – from Amazon warehouse workers to cab drivers to public school teachers – are struggling to pay rent. For the poorest Americans, market-rate housing is out of reach in virtually all of the country."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/aug/12/housing-renter-affordable-data-map

Guardian graphic. Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition. Note: In 2021 dollars

Eviction moratorium extended

"Amid intense pressure from progressive members of Congress, the Biden administration on Tuesday renewed a federal ban on evictions for renters at risk of losing their housing, with most of Massachusetts covered by the new order.

Citing the quick spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Tuesday announced a new 60-day federal moratorium on evictions in counties where the cases are again at elevated levels. Currently, that includes all of Massachusetts, except for Franklin and Hampshire Counties."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/03/business/biden-extends-eviction-moratorium-another-two-months/

New York Times coverage (subscription maybe required) ->    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/03/us/politics/evictions-housing-moratorium-pelosi-yellen.html

Link to the CDC order -> https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0803-cdc-eviction-order.html

MA News Updates: bailout funds create 'haves' and 'have-nots'; eviction moratorium expires

" ‘An extinction level event.’ Federal bailout funds split struggling restaurant industry"

"For 16 months, while scrambling to stay afloat, the restaurant industry has begged the federal government for money to help recover from the pandemic. But the $28.6 billion Restaurant Relief Fund didn’t play out as they’d intended. The funds became mired in legal challenges, and then ran out far too quickly, leaving more than 200,000 applicants — nearly two in every three restaurants that applied — in the lurch.

Now, food service workers say, it’s splitting the industry in two: the haves, and the have-nots.

“Imagine you live on a street and all the houses burn down, and the government says, ‘You’re going to be okay and we’re going to help you rebuild,’ ” said chef Steve “Nookie” Postal of Commonwealth in Cambridge, which didn’t receive any funds. “And then the government turns around and says, ‘We’re just going to give it to 30 percent of the houses on your block.’ They can rebuild their house. You’re [out of luck].”

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/01/business/an-extinction-level-event-federal-bailout-funds-split-struggling-restaurant-industry/ 

The Franklin restaurants (there are not many) who were among the 'haves' can be found in this listing  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/07/sba-restaurant-revitalization-fund.html

Lets Eat Franklin operates 3

"End of eviction moratorium brings worry"

"ANXIETY IS HIGH among tenants, landlords, and housing advocates as the midnight Saturday expiration date for the federal eviction moratorium looms, but what the end of the tenant protection will actually mean is uncertain.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention imposed a nationwide moratorium on evictions 11 months ago. The state had earlier put in place its own stricter ban. The state measure, which precluded landlords from filing nearly all eviction actions, expired in October, but the federal ban remained in place until now."

Continue reading the article online 

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/economy/end-of-eviction-moratorium-brings-anxiety/

MassConsumer: "Eviction Moratorium to Expire This Month" - resources available

"Throughout the pandemic, state and federal governments developed policies to protect residents facing job loss and other COVID-19 related hardships. Among those orders were moratoriums placed on home evictions. When the state’s pause on evictions expired on October 17, 2020, the federal moratorium established by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) became effective in Massachusetts.

The CDC order, which has been extended several times, prohibits residential landlords nationwide from evicting certain tenants through July 31, 2021. Over the past year while the moratorium has been in place, courts have accepted filings, processed cases, and in some cases even entered judgments; however, no orders of execution (a court order that allows a landlord to evict a tenant) have been permitted. The CDC has said there will be no additional extensions on the eviction moratorium which means these cases can move forward. "

Continue reading the article online

http://blog.mass.gov/consumer/massconsumer/eviction-moratorium-to-expire-this-month/

 "Eviction Moratorium to Expire This Month" - resources available

"Swimply has 43 pools 'live' on its platform in Massachusetts, and another 170 are on a waitlist pending approval"

"If you order an Uber, you’ll ride in someone else’s car, and if you book an Airbnb, you’ll sleep in someone else’s home. Now, with an app called Swimply, you can stay cool in other people’s pools.

Erin Moriarty, a teacher who lives in Waltham, heard about the swimming pool app when a friend asked her to download it so he could rent her backyard oasis for his wife’s upcoming birthday party. Moriarty decided to give it a try, but she didn’t expect the flood of interest in her backyard that followed.

“I listed my pool on a Saturday, and when I woke up the next day, I had 10 bookings,” she said. “I’m surprised how many people know about the app.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/11/business/business-their-backyard-some-mass-residents-are-renting-pools-by-hour/

Greg and Kelly Daniell posed by their backyard pool. This summer, the Chelmsford couple have started using the app Swimply to rent out their pool by the hour.ERIN CLARK/GLOBE STAFF

Behind on your rent and worried about eviction?

Behind on your rent and worried about eviction? by Sana Chriss - Attorney, Division of Consumer & Business Education, FTC Lots of people are having difficulty paying their rent due to the pandemic. But today, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released an eviction moratorium order. It protects people from being evicted for not paying their rent if they complete a declaration form and give it to their landlord. This protection lasts until June 30, 2021. Read more >  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/03/behind-your-rent-and-worried-about-eviction?utm_source=govdelivery

Baker-Polito Administration Extends Moratorium on Evictions and Foreclosures to October 17

From the Boston Globe, an article of interest for Franklin:

"As concerns mount about a potential wave of evictions this fall, Governor Charlie Baker on Tuesday extended the state’s ban on evictions and foreclosures into mid-October, citing the ongoing health and economic crisis set off by the pandemic. 

The ban, which was set to expire Aug. 18, will remain in effect until Oct. 17, buying time for tenants as the state slowly starts to recover economically from the impact of COVID-19-related shutdowns. The measure blocks nearly all eviction cases from being filed in the state’s housing courts. 

“The extension I am declaring today will provide residents of the Commonwealth with continued housing security as businesses cautiously re-open, more people return to work, and we collectively move toward a new normal,” Baker wrote to the Legislature."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/07/21/metro/gov-baker-extends-eviction-moratorium-until-oct-17/

Link to Press Release  https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-extends-moratorium-on-evictions-and-foreclosures-to-october-17

PDF of the extension letter  https://www.mass.gov/doc/foreclosures-and-evictions-moratorium-extension-july-21-2020/download

Baker-Polito Administration Extends Moratorium on Evictions and Foreclosures to October 17

"exempts people who rent their homes 14 or fewer nights a year"

From the Boston Globe, an article of interest for Franklin:

"Governor Charlie Baker on Friday signed first-of-its-kind legislation to tax and regulate the short-term housing rental market in Massachusetts, capping years of debate over how to navigate an industry that has exploded through companies like Airbnb. 

The new rules will take effect July 1 and could transform a market that spans the state, from Cape Cod summer homes to Boston apartment buildings to Western Massachusetts vacation retreats. 

The bill requires every rental host to register with the state, mandates they carry insurance, and opens the potential for local taxes on top of a new state levy. A chief negotiator for the House said the goal is to register every short-term rental in the state by September, and local officials, including in Boston, say the new law will help buttress their own efforts to regulate the booming market."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/12/28/baker-signs-long-awaited-airbnb-bill-opening-new-era-for-industry/gyCoryp9D15nLPYxYk5cTN/story.html

exempts people who rent their homes 14 or fewer nights a year {WALDO SWIEGERS/BLOOMBERG NEWS}

Additional info on MA.gov
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2018/Chapter337

In the News: tax deal on short term rental units; House hires a HR director

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"With the clock ticking on the end of the two-year session, House and Senate leaders finalized a deal Thursday to tax and regulate short-term housing rentals through websites like Airbnb, reviving a bill that passed in July but was imperiled by concerns raised by Gov. Charlie Baker. 

The new version still would apply the 5.7 percent hotel and motel room tax to units rented on a short-term basis. Legislative leaders, however, agreed to a change proposed by Baker that would exempt homeowners who rent out their units for 14 or fewer days a year from having to collect the tax. 

The House and Senate also agreed to postpone an extra Boston Convention and Exhibition Center financing fee on short-term units rented in Boston, Cambridge, Worcester, Springfield, West Springfield and Chicopee for about 10 years, or until the bonds on the BCEC are paid. 

“We’re excited that we were able to accomplish this before the end of the year because there were a lot of twists and turns throughout the process, but we got it done,” said state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, the co-chair of the Committee on Financial Services."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181222/house-senate-agrees-to-baker-proposals-on-short-term-rental-tax

AirBnB screen grab

"The Massachusetts House has hired a woman with experience running human relations for Raytheon Co. and Bright Horizons Family Solutions to serve as the House’s human resources director, a new position created as the branch works to update its policies dealing with harassment reporting and prevention. 

The House Committee on Rules announced on Thursday that it has appointed Katherine Palmer, who has most recently worked as a human resources consultant, to serve as the House’s chief of human resources for a two-year term. The committee said Palmer specializes in “employee relations, workforce planning, employment law and establishing governance and compliance practices.” 

In March, the House adopted a package of new rules -- recommended by the House counsel and a team of attorneys hired to study the House’s policies around workplace sexual harassment -- that included a new investigation process for harassment claims and new human resources employees, including a director of human resources."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181222/house-hires-hr-director

Instrument Petting Zoo and Rental Night - Jun 14

The Franklin Music Department, along with Music and Arts, will be holding an instrument petting zoo and rental night. 

The evening is intended for incoming 6th graders. Any incoming 6th grader who rents an instrument that night, will have their instrument delivered to their music classroom in time for the first day of school in the fall. 

This exciting event will take place in the Franklin High School Media Center from 5-7 P.M on Thursday, June 14. 

Elementary students entering grades 3-5 in the fall will be offered another rental night on September 6. You may however come look at the instruments at the petting zoo!

Music and Arts will offer a variety of band and orchestral instruments for students to look at and hold. High school music students will be available to demonstrate the instruments and to teach the beginners how to make sounds on the instrument. We hope you will join us! 

If you have any questions, please call Diane Plouffe, Director of Music at 508-613-1650.

6th Grade Instrument Rental Information Night - June 14 
(some of the instruments shown may not be available for rental)

MA Gov: Know Your Rights as a Tenant

The MA Gov blog ran a two part series for renters recently. Citing a stat from the Census, 37% of MA live in rental units. Excerpts from each of the two parts are shared here. 

Follow the links for additional details on "Knowing Your Rights as a Tenant"

Part 1 - before you move in:

According to the United States Census Bureau (USCB), as of 2013, more than 37 percent of Massachusetts homes were occupied by renters. 

Searching for a rental home, signing a lease, and meeting new neighbors can be exciting, but it’s also important that you keep your rights as a tenant in mind. The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) and the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) provide information on what you should expect from your landlord before renting a home in Massachusetts.

Continue with Part 1 here

http://blog.mass.gov/blog/living-in-massachusetts/know-your-rights-as-a-tenant-part-1-before-you-move-in/

image from Part 1 of  Know Your Rights as a Tenant

Part 2 - after you move in

Once you’ve learned your rights as a tenant prior to signing your lease, it’s time to figure out what happens after you move in. The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) and the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) share information about your rights once you have signed the lease and begun your tenancy.

Continue with Part 2 here

http://blog.mass.gov/blog/living-in-massachusetts/know-your-rights-as-a-tenant-part-2-after-you-move-in/