Top Massachusetts housing official 'On The Record' about shelter crisis, need for more homes

view original post

IT’S SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22ND. MASSACHUSETTS HOUSING SECRETARY ED AUGUSTUS IS OUR GUEST THIS MORNING. LET’S GO ON THE RECORD. NEW UNITS IN THE PIPELINE. BUT GROWING CHALLENGES TO MEET DEMAND IS THE STATE’S TOOLBOX UP TO THE JOB? THE SECRETARY IS IN THE CHAIR. IT’S TIME TO GO ON THE RECORD FROM WCVB, CHANNEL FIVE. THE INSIDE WORD FROM WASHINGTON TO BEACON HILL. TODAY’S NEWSMAKERS ARE GOING ON THE RECORD. AND WELCOME TO ALL TO YA EVERYONE. I’M ED HARDING. I’M SHARMAN SACCHETTI WITH US AT THE TABLE IS ED AUGUSTUS, THE MASSACHUSETTS SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND LIVABLE COMMUNITIES. HE IS THE FIRST PERSON TO HOLD THAT OFFICE. GOVERNOR HEALEY MAKING IT A CABINET POSITION. BEFORE THAT, HE WAS CITY MANAGER OF WORCESTER FROM 2014 TO 2022. HE WAS ALSO A STATE SENATOR FROM 2005 TO 2009. A NATIVE OF WORCESTER, HE HOLDS DEGREES FROM SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY AND JOHNS HOPKINS. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. GREAT TO BE HERE. GREAT TO SEE YOU. THANKS FOR COMING IN. SO LET’S START WITH THE WITH THE POINTS OF PROGRESS, IF YOU WILL. THIS WEEK YOU ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF MORE THAN 1200 UNITS IN GATEWAY CITY’S AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IS IS I DON’T EVEN KNOW. I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW THE TERM FITS, BUT IT IS SUCH A PREMIUM. SO WHERE DO THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW? IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN I SAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHAT WHAT’S THE DEFINITION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING? BUT NONETHELESS, WELL, THERE’S A VARIOUS DEFINITIONS. WE TAG IT TO THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF INCOME HAVE APPROPRIATE, SAFE, HABITABLE PLACES TO LIVE. IN OTHER WORDS, SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN WELLESLEY, FOR EXAMPLE, VERSUS SOMEONE WHO MIGHT LIVE IN LYNN THE NUMBER WOULD BE DIFFERENT. THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT. YEAH, AND THERE JUST IS NOT ENOUGH SUPPLY OF HOUSING. ALL TYPES OF HOUSING, MARKET RATE HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOUSING FOR SENIORS, HOUSING FOR FOLKS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WHO NEED SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. SO WE’RE REALLY TRYING TO ADDRESS THE ENTIRE HOUSING ECOSYSTEM. AND THAT’S WHAT THE AFFORDABLE HOMES ACT THAT THE GOVERNOR SIGNED BACK IN AUGUST REALLY DOES, IS ADDS A LOT OF TOOLS TO OUR TOOLBOX. WE CERTAINLY WANT TO ASK ABOUT THAT. THE HOUSING LAW PUSHED THROUGH BY THE GOVERNOR, IT SUPPORTS THE BUILDING AND REHABBING OF 65,000 HOMES OVER FIVE YEARS. NOW, SHE SIGNED THAT LEGISLATION OVER THE SUMMER. AS YOU MENTIONED, IS FIVE YEARS ENOUGH TIME FOR WOULD BE HOMEBUYERS TO BE ABLE TO FEEL THIS CHANGE? WELL, WE HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY ABOUT THIS WORK. AND SO THERE’S A NUMBER OF POLICY CHANGES THAT ARE IN THAT BILL, AS WELL AS $5.1 BILLION OF AUTHORIZATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP SUPPORT THE CONSTRUCTION OF MORE HOUSING. WHEN YOU SAY POLICY CHANGES, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? SO ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS ARE OFTEN KNOWN AS IN-LAW APARTMENTS. THERE MAY BE A SPACE ABOVE YOUR GARAGE OR IN YOUR BASEMENT, OR AN ATTIC THAT COULD BE CONVERTED INTO KIND OF AN EFFICIENCY FOR THIS. THOSE WERE NOT LEGAL, AND NOW THEY ARE IN MANY COMMUNITIES. THERE WERE PROHIBITIONS ON THEM, AND NOW WE’VE MADE THEM LEGAL ACROSS THE STATE. ANY SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNER THAT HAS ENOUGH SQUARE FOOTAGE CAN CREATE ONE OF THESE UNITS. WE’VE SEEN OTHER STATES DO THIS. CALIFORNIA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE HAVE DONE IT. THEY CREATED THOUSANDS OF UNITS. WE EXPECT TO CREATE 8 TO 10,000 UNITS IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, AT NO EXPENSE TO THE FIVE YEARS, FIRST FIVE YEARS. SO BUT MASSACHUSETTS IS LOSING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, LIKE TENS OF THOUSANDS EVERY SINGLE YEAR. AND THESE ARE WORKING AGE ADULTS. SO DOES THE STATE HAVE TO MOVE QUICKER THAT WE ARE MOVING WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY? THAT’S WHY WE’RE WORKING BOTH ON THE POLICY SIDE OF THINGS AS WELL AS THE SUBSIDY SIDE OF THINGS. AND THAT $5.1 BILLION IS THE LARGEST HOUSING BILL IN THE HISTORY OF THE COMMONWEALTH. IT IS PUTTING NEW DOLLARS INTO PRESERVING THE HOUSING THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, LIKE OUR STATE OWNED PUBLIC HOUSING. THERE’S ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH, AS WELL AS HELPING SPUR THE PRODUCTION OF MORE HOUSING, SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS FAIRLY INNOVATIVE IS THE NEW MOMENTUM FUND, WHICH WAS CREATED WITH THE LEGISLATION THAT’S GOING TO ALLOW US TO HELP TAKE EQUITY POSITIONS IN DEALS THAT HAVE BEEN STALLED. THEY’RE ALREADY PERMITTED. THEY’RE ALREADY DESIGNED, THEY HAVE LOCAL APPROVAL. BUT WHEN INTEREST RATES WENT UP, THEY NO LONGER FINANCIALLY WORKED. RIGHT. AND WE THINK THAT CAN UNLOCK THOUSANDS OF UNITS OF HOUSING. SO SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THE MBTA COMMUNITIES ACT. SURE. BRENTHAM, FOR EXAMPLE, PUSHED BACK ON THE COMMUNITIES ACT LAST WEEK, THE THE STATE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT IS CONSIDERING, IN FACT, A CHALLENGE FROM THE TOWN OF MILTON. AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, MOST TOWNS HAVE MOST HAVE SIGNED ON. BUT HOW WORRIED ARE YOU ABOUT THIS? IN OTHER WORDS, THERE CONTINUE TO BE THOSE THAT PUSH BACK, PUSH BACK, PUSH BACK. THAT’S BEEN HONESTLY PART OF THE CHALLENGE WHY WE’RE IN THE HOUSING CRISIS. WE ARE THERE ARE MANY COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN WILLING TO STEP UP AND BUILD THE HOUSING THAT WE NEED AS A STATE, BUT THEY NEED AS A LOCAL COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE OPTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT THEY COUNT ON TO MAKE THEIR COMMUNITY RUN. THE SCHOOL TEACHERS, THE DPW WORKERS, THE FIREFIGHTERS. YOU CAN’T OPERATE A COMMUNITY WITHOUT THOSE WORKERS, AND THOSE WORKERS NEED A PLACE THEY CAN AFFORD TO CALL HOME, CLOSE TO WHERE THEY WERE AND WHAT RUNS PARALLEL WITH THAT IS THE MBTA. AND IT MADE SOME PROGRESS THIS YEAR, ELIMINATING MANY SUBWAY SLOW ZONES. SO HOW ESSENTIAL. I KNOW THIS MAY SOUND LIKE A SIMPLE QUESTION, BUT HOW ESSENTIAL IS RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION IN SOLVING THE HOUSING DILEMMA? YEAH, IT’S CRITICAL. IT’S CRITICAL NOT ONLY TO ALLOWING PEOPLE TO GET TO WORK IN A TIMELY WAY OR RELIABLE WAY, BUT IT’S SMART DEVELOPMENT. WHEN YOU PUT HOUSING CLOSE TO THOSE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, AND IT ALSO ADVANCES OUR CLIMATE GOALS. IT REALLY SHRINKS THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF PEOPLE SPENDING HOURS ON THE ROADWAYS, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD FOR THEIR HEALTH, THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, AND NOT GOOD FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT. WELL, THE EMERGENCY SHELTER CRISIS, THAT’S ANOTHER HOUSING ISSUE THAT THE STATE IS STRUGGLING TO DEAL WITH. IT COST $1.1 BILLION THIS YEAR, $1 BILLION LAST YEAR. THE GOVERNOR SAYS IT’S UNSUSTAINABLE. SHE’S MAKING MORE CHANGES TO THE SHELTER POLICY. SOME, OF COURSE, NEED LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL. HAS DEALING WITH THIS EMERGENCY PREVENTED YOU FROM MAKING PROGRESS ON OTHER HOUSING ISSUES? IT REALLY HASN’T. IT IS SOMETHING IT HAS NOT. IT HAS NOT. AGAIN, WE PASSED THE LARGEST BILL IN THE HISTORY OF THE STATE. WE’VE PUT ADDITIONAL UNITS ONLINE THROUGH THINGS LIKE THE HDIP PROGRAM THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, AS WELL AS EXPANDED TAX CREDITS THAT ARE ONE OF OUR BIG TOOLS TO CREATING MORE HOUSING. WE ARE DOING BOTH THINGS AT THE SAME TIME, BUT THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES WHO NEED THAT EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE, SHELTER IS ANOTHER SYMPTOM OF THE HOUSING CRISIS THAT WE’RE EXPERIENCING. HALF OF THOSE FAMILIES A LONG TIME MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED HOUSING INSECURITY, MAYBE THEY LOST A JOB. MAYBE THEY’VE HAD A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. THEY FIND THEMSELVES HOMELESS. I’M PROUD TO LIVE IN A STATE THAT DOESN’T LEAVE CHILDREN AND PREGNANT MOMS UNSHELTERED. LET ME LET ME ASK YOU, DO YOU THINK THERE ARE MORE EFFICIENCIES TO BE HAD IN THAT SYSTEM? WELL, WE’RE CERTAINLY AS AS WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF CATCH OUR BREATH BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE ACTIONS THE GOVERNOR TOOK A YEAR AGO. SHE PUT A CAP ON THE SYSTEM, 7500 FAMILIES, WHICH IS SHE SAYS IT’S UNSUSTAINABLE. IT IS UNSUSTAINABLE. IT’S UNSUSTAINABLE OPERATIONALLY AND FINANCIALLY. AND WHAT WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS REALLY REFOCUS INSTEAD OF JUST BRINGING PEOPLE INTO SHELTER, WHICH SHELTER IS REALLY A SHORT TERM SOLUTION? THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS PERMANENT HOUSING. THAT’S WHERE THE FAMILIES WANT TO BE. THAT’S WHERE THE TAXPAYERS AND THE STATE WANTS THEM TO BE. SO WE’VE FOCUSED ON REALLY INTENSIVE SERVICES UP FRONT AND TRYING TO MAKE SHELTER. BRIEF, NON-REOCCURRING AND RARE. THOSE ARE THE WATCHWORDS OF WHAT WE’RE DOING WITH THE CHANGES THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS MADE IN THE SHELTER SYSTEM, AND MORE HELP IS BEING OFFERED WITH WITH WORK AUTHORIZATIONS AND JOB PLACEMENTS AND ENGLISH CLASSES, WHICH WHICH IS ALL IMPORTANT. BUT BUT THAT’S NOT A PLACE TO LIVE. SO HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THAT? WELL, WE’RE WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO REALLY EXPEDITE THE WORK AUTHORIZATIONS. AND WE’VE GOT THOUSANDS OF FOLKS WHO ARE NEW ARRIVALS WHO NOW HAVE THE AUTHORIZATION TO WORK. AND WE KNOW YOU CAN’T GET TO PERMANENT HOUSING AND SUSTAIN YOURSELF WITHOUT A JOB. PART OF THAT IS ALSO SUPPORTING THEM WITH SOME ENGLISH SKILLS. AND THEN QUICKLY MOVING THEM TO AN APPROPRIATE PLACE. HOTELS AND MOTELS ARE NO PLACE FOR KIDS TO LIVE LONG TERM. THEY HELP PUT A ROOF OVER PEOPLE’S HEAD IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT REALLY, THE CHANGES WE’RE MAKING NOW ARE DESIGNED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS BRIEF AND RARE, AND THAT WE GET PEOPLE TO WHERE THEY WANT TO BE AND WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO THRIVE AND WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO SUCCEED. I HAVE TO ASK BECAUSE WE’VE TALKED WITH ADVOCATES FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES WHO HELP PLACE THEM AS WELL. AND THEY SAY THEY WORRY THAT NOT EVERYBODY WILL FIT INTO THE CATEGORIES THAT NOW THIS TWO TRACK SYSTEM IN THE SHELTER, IN THE EMERGENCY SHELTER SYSTEM ALLOWS FOR. AND THEY WORRY THAT WHILE HOTELS AND MOTELS, THEY AGREE THAT THOSE ARE NOT GREAT PLACES FOR FAMILIES, BUT THEY SAY TRANSIT STATIONS, LOGAN AIRPORT, THAT KIND OF THING. THOSE ARE ALSO NOT GREAT OPTIONS, AND THEY FEAR THAT WE’LL SEE THAT AGAIN. DO YOU THINK THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN? I REALLY DON’T YOU KNOW, WE HEARD THAT WHEN THE GOVERNOR PUT A CAP IN, WE HEARD THAT WHEN SOME OF THE CHANGES WERE MADE EARLIER THIS YEAR TO LIMIT THE LENGTH OF STAY TO NINE MONTHS, AND WE HAVE NOT SEEN FAMILIES OUT ON THE STREETS, WE REALLY HAVE SEEN THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES WHO ARE AT LOGAN AIRPORT OR IN EMERGENCY ROOMS GO AWAY. I THINK AS WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF MANAGE THE SIZE OF THE SYSTEM, WE’RE ABLE TO GIVE THE KIND OF FOCUSED KIND OF RESOURCES AND INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT WE KNOW THE FAMILIES NEED IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY LEAVE SHELTER TO A PERMANENT HOME. AND AUGUSTUS IS WITH US. WE’