Tagged: housing

The top federal law enforcement official in Massachusetts highlighted efforts to enforce civil rights laws during a speech in Springfield on Friday. The U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, Carmen Ortiz, was the keynote speaker at a conference marking the 45th anniversary of the passage of the Federal Fair Housing Act.

Efforts by residents of a low- income housing cooperative in Springfield, Massachusetts to recover  from the June 2011 tornado have been dealt another setback.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development , which funded the  90- unit complex nearly 40 years ago, is weighing foreclosure.

City councilors in Springfield Massachusetts have voted to reject a settlement with several banks over a foreclosure ordinance.

The vote means the city can implement the ordinance even if the banks continue to challenge its legality in the federal appeals court.  The ordinance, passed in 2011, and upheld by a federal judge last year requires banks to post a$10,000 bond to maintain and secure vacant foreclosed property.  City councilor Melvin Edwards said city taxpayers will no longer have to pay to eradicate the blight that results from foreclosure.

Community activists in several US cities are calling for changes in housing policies. They point to a shortage of affordable housing in the midst of a surplus of vacant, bank-foreclosed properties. One of  the cities where anti-poverty activists point to what they see as a housing crisis is Springfield Massachusetts.