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Gov. Maura Healey talks to reporters after speaking at the Retailers Association of Massachusetts annual meeting in Waltham on Wednesday, Nov. 20 after facing a heckler in the audience.
A protester interrupted Gov. Maura Healey during a speech at a Retailers Association of Massachusetts event in Waltham on Wednesday, after she signed legislation that some advocates say would shield a Boston-area nonprofit that has been accused of predatory lending.
Healey was speaking at RAM's annual meeting hosted at Bentley University. She had just begun her remarks about a $4 billion economic development bill she had signed Wednesday morning, when a man began shouting.
"I think it's a really, really terrific bill, $4 billion investment to drive our economy," Healey said before she was cut off by the protester.
"You need to veto section 269, that deals with predatory lending, BlueHub," he said.
She replied: "No, I didn't veto any section. The bill is signed in its entirety. Which is a great thing. Thank you."
People in the audience began to hesitantly clap, seemingly unsure about what to do.
The protester continued, "I know she's a longtime donor. But she is a predatory lender. You need to stop her. They're trying to get 50 percent of our equity."
Healey said, "Okay."
He continued, "... Why won't you veto it?"
The protester was escorted out of the room after about a minute, chanting "veto the bill." Healey stopped responding to the man.
A portion of the new law effectively protects BlueHub Capital, a Roxbury nonprofit that was sued in 2020 over predatory lending allegations, the Boston Globe has reported. The nonprofit buys properties from banks that are foreclosing on homeowners, then resells them to their original owners while taking on part of the mortgage that entitles BlueHub to a portion of an increase in the home's value.
Amendments to the bill, sponsored by Sen. Paul Feeney, codified the use of the shared appreciation mortgages and protect lenders from being liable for "monetary relief, injunctive relief or other equitable relief at common law or by statute," according to Globe reporting.
Homeowners suing BlueHub allege that the nonprofit misled them into debt without sharing necessary information that they're entering into a shared appreciation mortgage, but the nonprofit says the program has helped hundreds of families stay in their homes and that they have complied with the law.
Advocates had called for Healey to veto the relevant section of the bill, but Healey signed the bill Wednesday while making only one minor amendment to a section of the bill affecting auto insurance.
BlueHub's CEO Elyse Cherry has helped raise money for Healey in the past, the Globe reported. Cherry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Contrarian Boston reported that Cherry personally donated the legal maximum to Healey in 2021, 2023, and 2024.
In addition to facing lawsuits from numerous homeowners, Cherry has also drawn scrutiny for her pay package, which Contrarian Boston pegged most recently at $1.3 million
Once the protester was out of the room, Healey shrugged and threw her two hands in the air.
"Okay... I signed the bill," Healey said to the audience. "The gentleman -- by the way, I was your attorney general. I went after the subprime predatory lenders. I'm pretty well-schooled in this. And we took them on and took them down. So I probably, more than anybody, know what it means to stand up for homeowners and fight predatory lending."
The audience applauded. She pointed out that the policy came over in the bill from the Legislature.
"And I respect and value the views of my legislative colleagues in terms of policy, and that provision actually allows people who are in a tough situation facing foreclosure to actually have somebody come in and help them refinance and stay in their home. So that's that."
Later, after the event, reporters asked Healey if she had spoken with Cherry about the section of the law.
"No, I haven't had any conversations with her about this," she said. "Look, that's legislation that was proposed by the Legislature. I didn't file that. I did sign the legislation. I signed the economic development bill in its entirety, because I think it's super important that we get this done. It's going to be great for the state."
