News
Recent Real Estate and Affordable Housing News Updates - Kurt A. James
March 1, 2008
- On February 6, 2008, Kurt James moderated a training session for attorneys who will be participating in a pro bono legal services initiative sponsored by the City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development and the Real Estate Bar Association. The purpose of this initiative is to assist low income borrowers facing foreclosure as a result of the subprime loan crisis. Panelists presented an overview of issues which pro bono attorneys will be confronting in this representation including foreclosure prevention, bankruptcy, consumer protection claims and truth in lending claims.
- On February 20, 2008, John Palmieri, the new Director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, was a guest speaker at a Real Estate Bar Association Affordable Housing Committee lunch hosted by the firm. Mr. Palmieri provided an overview of the BRA's housing policies and new BRA initiatives, including the City's first Chapter 40R project at the former Boston State Hospital site.
- On February 21, 2008, Kurt James was quoted in a Boston Globe article on Chapter 40R Smart Growth initiatives on the North Shore. James is a member of the Smart Growth Advisory Committee in Marblehead, which recently received a PDF grant from DHCD to study possible development of smart growth overlay districts in Marblehead.
- On March 6, 2008, Kurt James was a presenter at the John LaWare Leadership Forum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The Forum was created by Cathy Minehan of the Federal Reserve Bank, John Hamill of Sovereign Bank and Paul Grogran of The Boston Foundation to highlight the efforts of business, civic and political leaders to address the challenges of Greater Boston. The focus of this Forum presentation was to highlight the dramatic rise of foreclosures following the subprime lending crisis. Kurt discusssed the role of the Lawyers Clearinghouse for Affordable Housing and Homelessnes and the Real Estate Bar Association in providing pro bono services to assist borrowers facing foreclosure.