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Steve Grossman on Welfare & Poverty
Former Chair of DNC; Democratic Challenger MA Governor
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Support affordable housing fund & low-income housing credit
A safe and affordable home is an essential foundation for family stability. But for a growing portion of Massachusetts citizens it’s becoming unattainable. This is a complex problem
that will require a significant commitment and a lot of creativity to address. Steve believes we must start by strongly supporting successful programs, such as the state’s affordable housing trust fund and low-income housing tax credit.
Source: Campaign web site, Grossman2002.com
Dec 7, 2001
Supports employer-guaranteed mortgage assistance
Steve feels strongly that we must find new, innovative ways to support homeownership, and that employers can be partners in helping to solve this problem. New Jersey is experimenting with a mortgage program that allows the buyer to put 0% down
if his or her employer backs the mortgage for the first 5 years. And Intel linked up two priorities recently when it created a mortgage assistance program to help teachers buy homes in the area in an effort to attract and retain public school teachers.
Source: Campaign web site, Grossman2002.com
Dec 7, 2001
Active role for state in senior assisted living
Steve would like to see the state play an active role in making assisted living more affordable for the elderly.
A small set-aside in the housing trust fund could help us address the needs of our parents who can no longer live independently but do not need costly nursing home care.
Source: Campaign web site, Grossman2002.com
Dec 7, 2001
Moral imperative to help the homeless
The extreme end of the housing crisis in this state is the increasing number of those with no home at all. Across the state, shelters for the homeless have been overflowing every month since October 1998. At a time of unprecedented prosperity,
the numbers of homeless are going up, not down, and that is a disgrace. Steve believes we have a moral imperative to help the homeless and to do everything we can to help prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place.
Source: Campaign web site, Grossman2002.com
Dec 7, 2001
Tax credits for affordable housing & mortgage subsidies
This state has been a net exporter of people to other states every year since 1990. Most of them were between the ages of 25 and 34, and almost a third of them had college degrees. Young people leave the state in large part because of the relatively high
cost of living, especially our high housing costs. Our governor’s reply is, “A hot economy comes at a price.. The free market got us into this situation, and it will be the free market that gets us out of it.”
An imaginative strategy might
include the market-based initiatives supported by a coalition of business, civic and religious leaders: a state tax credit for developers of affordable housing, mirroring the federal credit; an increase in funding for the “soft second” mortgage program;
enabling communities to set aside tax proceeds for housing programs; and refinancing and renegotiating terms on expiring subsidized housing projects.
Source: Boston Business Journal, Op-Ed, “Economic Strategy”
Nov 12, 1999