HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2608        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1418

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act establishing an affordable housing qualification commission.

_______________

PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2608        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1418

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

An Act establishing an affordable housing qualification commission.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there is hereby established a special commission and study on low and moderate income housing qualifications and recertification. The commission shall investigate and document the levels and impacts of recertification management and practices within local housing authorities and develop a strategy and recommendations to reduce, minimize or eliminate recertification fraud. The commission shall review the policies that underlay existing publicly financed and funded housing development programs and practices of low income and moderate income housing recertification in the commonwealth. The commission shall consist of the secretary of housing and economic development or a designee; 1 member of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1 member of the senate appointed by the senate president; 1 member of the house of representatives appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; 1 member of the senate appointed by the senate minority leader; and 2 members appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be a commissioner of a local housing authority and 1 of whom shall be an individual with expertise in low income and moderate income housing. The executive office of housing and economic development and its subdivisions shall provide technical support to the commission. The commission shall file its report, together with recommendations for charges to improve recertification management with the clerks of the house and senate, the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on housing, and the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on municipalities and regional government not later than December 31, 2021.