Massachusetts Statutes

Section 44. The requirements with respect to rentals and tenant selection for low-rent housing projects shall apply to units leased by a housing authority under the rental assistance program, except that (a) as between applicants, who need not be residents of the city or town, bu…

Section 44A. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a housing authority, in addition to its other powers and for the purpose of replacing dwelling units or said other housing units subject to regulations promulgated by the department of community affairs not inconsi…

Section 45. It is hereby declared that substandard, decadent or blighted open areas exist in certain cities and towns in this commonwealth; that each constitutes a serious and growing menace, injurious and inimical to the safety, health, morals and welfare of the residents of the…

Section 46. An urban renewal agency shall have all the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes of relevant provisions of the General Laws, and shall have the following powers in addition to those specifically granted in section eleven or elsewhere …

Section 47. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this chapter, an urban renewal agency may, with the consent of the department and municipal officers, and after a temporary loan contract for the purpose has been executed under the federal Housing Act of 1949, as amended, tak…

Section 48. No urban renewal project shall be undertaken until (1) a public hearing relating to the urban renewal plan for such project has been held after due notice before the city council of a city or the municipal officers of a town and (2) the urban renewal plan therefor has…

Section 49. If an urban renewal agency shall sell or lease any property acquired by it for an urban renewal project, the terms of such sales or leases shall obligate the purchasers or lessees, (a) to devote the land to the use specified in the urban renewal plan for said land; (b…

Section 5. Every housing and redevelopment authority shall be managed, controlled and governed by five members, appointed or elected as provided in this section, of whom three shall constitute a quorum. Every member of a housing or redevelopment authority shall be a fiduciary of …

Section 50. An urban renewal agency is hereby authorized to delegate to a city or town or other public body or to any board or officer of a city, town or other public body any of the powers or functions of the agency with respect to the planning or undertaking of an urban renewal…

Section 51. A housing authority of a city or town which, prior to the organization of a redevelopment authority in such city or town, has initiated an urban renewal project may complete, operate and maintain such project notwithstanding such organization of a redevelopment author…

Section 52. Each urban renewal agency shall keep an accurate account of all its activities, receipts and expenditures in connection with the planning and execution of urban renewal projects and shall annually in the month of January make a report of such activities, receipts and …

Section 53. Any city or town, acting by and through its urban renewal agency, may apply to the department for an urban renewal assistance grant to meet in part the cost of an approved urban renewal project. Any city or town, acting by and through its urban renewal agency, may app…

Section 54. Upon receipt of an application under the provisions of section fifty-three the department shall examine such application and any facts, estimates or other information relative thereto, and shall determine whether the proposed project complies with the provisions of th…

Section 55. From time to time, the department shall certify to the comptroller, and the state treasurer shall, within thirty days after each such certification, pay to the several cities and towns, from any amounts appropriated therefor, the amounts due them in accordance with th…

Section 56. The commonwealth, acting by and through the department, may contract with the cities and towns of the commonwealth, acting by and through urban renewal agencies to provide financial assistance for residential, commercial including the conduct of a trade or business by…

Section 57. The department may make advances of funds to local urban renewal agencies for up to seventy-five per cent of the estimated cost of surveys and plans and administrative expenses in preparation of projects which may be assisted under this section, and contracts for such…

Section 58. It is hereby declared (a) that there exist in certain cities and towns in the commonwealth substandard dwelling houses in urban renewal project areas which constitute a serious and growing menace and create a housing shortage, injurious to the public health, safety, m…

Section 59. The commonwealth, acting by and through the department, may enter into a contract or contracts with an operating agency having powers under this section for state financial assistance in the form of a guarantee by the commonwealth of notes and bonds of such agency iss…

Section 5A. A housing authority may request a waiver of the requirement to appoint a tenant member to a housing authority board if the department determines that a housing authority provided notice pursuant to section 5 and there is no person who is eligible and willing to serve …

Section 5B. The department shall establish and implement a comprehensive training program for members of a housing or redevelopment authority. The training program shall be developed by the department in consultation with representatives of local housing authorities, municipal of…

Section 6. The mayor or city council or board of selectmen may make or receive written charges against, and the mayor with the approval of the city council, or the board of selectmen, as the case may be, may accept the resignation of, any member of a housing authority or redevelo…

Section 60. (a) There shall be a Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund, which shall be administered by the secretary of housing and livable communities. Monies in the trust fund shall be deposited with the state treasurer in a manner that will secure the highest inter…

Section 7. A housing or redevelopment authority shall elect from among its members a chairman and a vice-chairman, and may employ counsel, an executive director who shall be ex officio secretary of the authority, a treasurer who may be a member of the authority and such other off…

Section 7A. The department shall promulgate guidelines for contracts to be executed by the housing authority and an executive director. The department may review all contracts between the housing authorities and executive directors and all terms for payments or monetary remunerat…

Section 8. The operating agencies having the powers and subject to the limitations provided in sections twenty-five to thirty-three, inclusive, shall be housing authorities.

Section 9. The operating agencies having the powers and subject to the limitations provided in sections forty-five to fifty-seven, inclusive, to be known as urban renewal agencies, shall be:— (a) each redevelopment authority; (b) each housing authority of a city or town in which …

Section 1. In this chapter, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:— (1) ''Corporation'', the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation created by section three. (2) ''Cost of a project'…

Section 10. To provide funds for the general purposes of the corporation, including working capital, the corporation may from time to time issue debentures; provided, however, that such debentures outstanding at any one time shall not exceed five million dollars unless specifical…

Section 11. The municipality may raise and appropriate or may borrow, or may agree with the corporation or with the federal government or the commonwealth to raise and appropriate or to borrow, in aid of the corporation, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes and…

Section 12. The corporation is hereby authorized to provide by resolution, one time or from time to time, for the issuance of revenue bonds of the corporation for the purposes of paying all or any part of the cost of a project or projects. The principal of and interest on such bo…

Section 13. In the discretion of the corporation such revenue bonds or revenue refunding bonds may be secured by a trust agreement by and between the corporation and a corporate trustee, which may be any trust company or bank having the powers of a trust company within the common…

Section 14. Revenue bonds and revenue refunding bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter are hereby made securities in which all public officers and public bodies of the commonwealth and its political subdivisions, all insurance companies, trust companies in their commer…

Section 15. Any holder of bonds or debentures issued under the provisions of this chapter or of any coupons appertaining thereto, and the trustee, except to the extent the rights herein given may be restricted by the trust agreement, may, either at law or in equity, by suit, acti…

Section 16. Insofar as the provisions of this chapter are inconsistent with the provisions of any other law, general or special, excluding any state or the municipal building code and the municipal zoning code, the provisions of this chapter shall be controlling.

Section 17. The provisions of this chapter are severable; and if any of its provisions shall be held unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, the decision of such court shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions.

Section 18. This chapter, being necessary for the welfare of the commonwealth and its inhabitants, shall be liberally construed to effect the purpose thereof.

Section 2. It is hereby declared that decadent or blighted open areas exist in the municipalities of the commonwealth zoned for industrial or manufacturing uses; that each such area constitutes a serious and growing menace, injurious and inimical to the safety, health, morals and…

Section 3. There is hereby authorized in each municipality in the commonwealth the organization of an economic development and industrial corporation, a public body politic and corporate, hereinafter referred to as the corporation. No such corporation, however, shall be organized…

Section 4. The directors of the corporation shall adopt a corporate seal for the corporation, and designate the custodian thereof; may from time to time appoint and at pleasure remove a clerk, a treasurer or such other officers of the corporation as they may deem necessary, and m…

Section 5. The corporation is hereby authorized: (a) To sue and be sued in its own name, and plead and be impleaded. (b) To adopt by-laws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business, and to alter the same at its pleasure. (c) To make and enter into all contr…

Section 6. No economic development project shall be undertaken until (a) a public hearing relating to the economic development plan covering such project has been held by the corporation after due notice; (b) the economic development plan has been approved by the municipality by …

Section 7. Except as provided herein rents and charges for services or facilities furnished or supplied by the corporation shall not be subject to supervision or regulation by any department, division, commission, board, bureau or agency of the commonwealth or any political subdi…

Section 8. The corporation shall be liable in contract or in tort in the same manner as a private corporation. The directors, employees, officers and agents of the corporation shall not be liable as such on its contracts or for torts not committed or directly authorized by them. …

Section 9. The real estate and tangible personal property of the corporation shall be deemed to be public property used for essential public and governmental purposes and shall be exempt from taxation and from betterments and special assessments; provided, that in lieu of such ta…

Section 1. As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:- ''Agency'', the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, established by section 3 of chapter 708 of the acts of 1966. ''Committee'', the advisory committee established by section 4. ''Fund'',…

Section 2. (a) There shall be a separate fund to be known as the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which shall be sited within the executive office of housing and livable communities. The executive office shall enter into a contract with the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency for …