You'll want to understand how the federal Build America, Buy America law will impact your housing project from the very start. BABA requires all federally funded HUD and other projects use materials and products made in the U.S. That means steel, iron, construction materials, and manufactured products. Event info here.
MAHC Needs Photos of Your Developments by 9/30 - Submit here
As MAHC continues to advance our mission to promote housing affordability across Maine, we need your help. We need high-quality photography of your developments that can be featured in our marketing and communication materials, both in print and digital formats. Your contributions will help us showcase the impact of our work together and highlight the beauty, design, and importance of affordable housing across Maine.
To ensure that we receive photography that meets our technical needs and can be used effectively in a variety of outputs, our marketing partner, Sutherland Weston, has created a simple web form where you can easily upload your assets. These assets will be for the express purpose of supporting MAHC’s public outreach and will not be used for any other purpose. How to Submit Your Photos - click here: Photo Submission for MAHC and share:
Development Name: The name of the project or development featured in the photos.
MAHC Member Organization's Name
Contact Person: Name, email, and phone number of the person who can provide more info if needed
Photo Upload: Upload your photos directly through the form. We need high resolution and suitable for both print and digital use.
Additionally, by submitting your photos, you are granting MAHC express permission to use these images in our marketing and communication efforts. This includes, but is not limited to, brochures, websites, social media, and public presentations.
Deadline: September 30, 2024. This will allow us to incorporate your contributions into our upcoming campaigns.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Your contributions will play a crucial role in helping us communicate the impact of our collective work across the state.
MAHC Research Highlighted in Housing Matters Podcast; and Housing Policy News
Portland ReCode Eliminates Affordable Housing Setback and Height Bonuses; and Makes Select Affordable Housing Projects Noncompliant - Portland Businesses Take Note
The City of Portland released its Final Draft of ReCode and it eliminates the affordable housing setback and height bonuses. The thought behind this was that eligible zones have become more flexible as part of ReCode and thus the affordable bonuses are no longer necessary. Height allowances under the base standards have generally increased, but there will undoubtedly be parcels that suffer from the elimination of these bonuses. Further, several affordable housing properties (either previously approved or constructed) would now be impermissible if the current form of the Code were adopted. These properties would become non-conforming. Because our state's housing affordability crisis is driven by a shortage of housing, businesses in Portland might want to weigh in on whether this moves housing forward in the community, and whether enough analysis of the impact of this has been done in the short timeframe before voting for adoption.
A standalone ReCode workshop with the Planning Board is schedule for 9/17. With Planning Board vote, a recommend would go to City Council for adoption on 9/24 at its regular meeting.
Some already identified projects that have been previously permitted/constructed would have had to reduce size with the new ReCode. Overall, 104 units lost across 5 projects at the bare minimum. Although none of the reductions seem to put any of the projects below the magic 30-unit count for a LIHTC deal, I don’t think it’s a given that all the projects still pencil out if they were to lose a floor or two.
89 Elm St: 201 affordable units; if the project was still viable, 49 units would be lost
Equinox: 43 affordable units; if the project was still viable, 12 units would be lost
Winter Landing: 52 affordable units; if the project was still viable, 10 units would be lost
Woodfords Senior Housing: 43 affordable units; if the project was still viable, 11 units would be lost
COMB Block – Phase 1: 55 units – mostly affordable; if the project was still viable, 22 units would be lost
Porter Station: 60 units – mostly affordable; height limit allowable; however, ordinance is unclear if new height restrictions in B zones when adjacent to R zones would result in loss of approximately 10 units.
MaineHousing would like to gather input on these new procedures to ensure compliance with the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). BABA will apply to most MaineHousing Federal resources, and MaineHousing will need to show HUD or other allocating agenices that MH has made a best effort attempt at compliance. The new Recovery Housing Program and Supportive Housing Program will require BABA compliance. It is essential that architects, general contractors, and others who might specify and/or price compliant materials and products are well-aware of these requirements early in the design process so as to eliminate rework and repricing.
HUD training to understand how to implement on our project to optimize flexibilities with general waivers, and requesting project-specific waivers https://www.hudexchange.info/trainings/courses/beyond-the-basics-implementing-the-bap1/. Attendees noted that OMB is the final waiver determination office. Waivers have a 30 day determination phase and then a 45 day opportunity for a U.S. manufacturer to offer a BABA compliant product.
Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab, in collaboration with Enterprise Community Partners, is launching the Coordinated Entry Systems (CES) Housing Optimization Initiative to better understand the operational challenges jurisdictions face as they refer and place people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing. Harvard GPL will provide selected jurisdictions technical assistance, develop a learning community and more. Respond to the SURVEY if you:
Work within Coordinated Entry Systems and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH);
Manage PSH referrals and placements;
Work within Continuums of Care or local government
The Persistently Missing Middle: The State of Housing Design and Development in New England - 9/17, 5:30 pm, Remote
Throughout the United States, the housing deficit has created an affordability crisis. The underbuilding of new homes following the recession coupled with restrictive policies has led to historically low housing supply–and the high costs that come with it. To highlight the solutions that will address this crisis, Zillow and the Casita Coalition have assembled a playbook of strategies to “Build the Middle” by expanding affordable, middle-scale housing options.
Thank you to Our 2024 Housing Policy Conference Sponsors to Date!
MAHC Housing Policy Conference
Coming up on November 13, 2024 at the Doubletree by Hilton, Portland. Get your sponsorship and vendor table today.
