Senate Debates Affordable Housing Bills

BOSTON-A package of affordable housing bills that has passed the House is currently being debated in the Senate. The legislation includes a controversial amendment on how to define affordable housing.

One of the bills in the Senate–which is similar to the House version–authorizes $508 million in bond spending to develop and maintain affordable housing. This was passed with very little changes from the House, according to a representative from state Senator Steven Panagiotakos’s office. Panagiotakos is the chairman of the housing committee in the Senate.

But it is the definition of affordable housing that is sparking the most debate in this package. This was scheduled for debate yesterday but was put off because of the recent terrorist attacks. Panagiotakos’s representative tells GlobeSt.com that the senator “does not support adding section 8 vouchers or mobile homes” to the definition of affordable housing.