MassHousing has received three awards for program excellence at the National Council of State Housing Agencies'(NCSHA) 40th annual conference in Boston.
MassHousing and the Ohio Finance Agency were the only two housing finance agencies to win three awards, according to a statement.
NCSHA’s Executive Director Barbara Thompson said the annual awards for program excellence are the highest awards bestowed upon state housing finance agencies.
"This year in particular, the entries show the innovation and spirit of HFAs," said Thompson. "Even in these difficult times, HFAs are creating programs that help deserving people get and keep homes they can afford."
MassHousing’s program for local housing authority development received NCSHA’s encouraging new production of rental housing award. With Massachusetts’ existing public housing portfolio in need of significant capital improvements at a time when public funds are scarce, MassHousing has worked with local housing authorities to offer financing to make needed repairs and renovations to existing properties while also creating new affordable units, according to a statement.
MassHousing also received the NCSHA’s state legislative campaign award for MassHousing’s innovative responses to legislative and executive branch requests for funding for state housing programs. In all, MassHousing’s financial commitment to the state has totaled close to $170 million over the last three years, far surpassing any other Massachusetts authority’s contribution, the group said in a release.
Additionally, MassHousing received NCSHA’s financial management innovation award for the agency’s use of the federal temporary credit and liquidity program (TCLP) in which MassHousing replaced TCLP-supported variable-rate bonds with fixed-rate bonds.
"It is a great honor to be recognized with three awards from our peers in the housing finance industry," said MassHousing Executive Director Thomas R. Gleason. "There is an ongoing need for affordable housing in this state and we focus each day on meeting the needs of our residents who are not being adequately served by the market."
