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2007 HousingPartnershipMinutes NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes January 31, 2007 Members Present: Martha Ackelsberg, Chair, Betsy Siersma, Alan Ells, Mari Gottdiener, Peg Murray, Richard Abuza, Gordon Shaw. Also present Joann Campbell, Valley Community Development Corporation, Jerry Ray, Mental Health Association, David Modzewelski, Department of Mental Health, and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Ackelsberg introduced herself and the Partnership members. Peg K. reminded members that at an earlier session, it was agreed that representatives of organizations that develop the types of housing that the Partnership has prioritized as needed in the community, would be invited to attend. Jerry Ray/Safe Havens Model Highlights are as follows: 􀂃 Model created in 1992, by HUD to fill a gap in the sheltering types to serve those unwilling/unable to be in emergency shelter 􀂃 Low demand; high expectations/premise of operation 􀂃 MHA has 2 programs, both with 6 residents; no time limits for stay 􀂃 Staffed 24/7; based on the harm reduction model for those with mental health, substance abuse and serious mental illness issues 􀂃 Designed as a portal of entry to access other services, based on individual needs 􀂃 Clients come in at all levels 􀂃 First Springfield program opened in 1996 as specialized shelter; 2nd one opened in Westfield and started out the same design but went to a permanent housing model (requires the clients to have a lease) Other comments made by Mr. Ray and Mr. Modzewelski: There is money to develop and rehab properties; the problem is finding the money for the accompanying social services to make the programs work. Service tiers include the chronic street population, those hanging on in shelter and those stuck in shelter. Regarding siting issues and NIMBY sentiments, their experience in Springfield has been when programs go in and renovate dilapidated properties, anchor neighborhoods, offer another set of eyes on neighborhood activity, and introduce a program with mandated supervision, the results have been positive. Mr. Ray thinks every community should have at least one Safe Havens program. 1 Mr. Modzewelski described the Housing First model. There are those in the shelter system requiring 50-70% of shelter staff resources, that visit over and over. Some of those clients may just need housing, in order to be stable enough to work on their other issues. Rather than holding the housing resource out as a reward at the end of a series of phases, the housing is secured first. Such a pilot project is underway in Springfield. Efforts are being made to house the most debilitated. Private landlords are being sought to accept the clients. They will come with wrap around services. 8 clients have already been placed in the first 7 months of the programs operation, 12 others are being funded through a Mass. Behavioral Health Network pilot. Safe Havens could be one of those housing types suitable for a Housing First placement. Mr. Ray emphasized that in researching Housing First models across the country, the programs vary greatly. He felt it best to use the term to describe an idea that could take many forms. They both agreed it might look differently in Northampton than Springfield, where there are many tax title properties. They said the best way to erase the NIMBY aspects is to provide good management and insure support services. Funding sources usually include HUD, Department of Mental Health, Rental Assistance and guest fees. With regard to turnover, Mr. Ray said that with the first 70-80 people served, 50% went on to permanent housing with support services, such as Shelter Plus Care or the ATARP Program (Aggressive Treatment and Relapse Prevention Program). 25% went to permanent housing without support services such as public housing units and 25% bounced back and forth through the system, i.e. back to the streets, shelter. The length of stays for their clients have ranged from 3 hours to 8 years, with 6-12 months being the average. As clients move towards recovery, they like to move to more independent living situations. Mr. Modzewelski noted that all service providers in the relevant network meet regularly for coordinated case management. Vacancies are filled immediately and people who “fall” are provided with a “soft landing”. He reiterated that affordable housing and support services are required, either one alone will not work. Members discussed the Million Dollar Murray article (Peg will circulate), CORI issues and families with chronic issues. Mr. Modzewelski said that State Homeless Initiative monies are flowing again, so now is a good time to find State service dollars. He said the challenge for Northampton is finding property and the need to secure continued operating sources. All present then discussed SRO development. Siting issues were discussed. The other important requirement for affordable housing to be truly affordable, is the need for deep subsidy. Assistance is needed for those earning 30-40 % of area median income, or less. Ms. Campbell said that even if land is free and grants 2 3 are secured rather than loans, rental subsidies are needed. She said that SRO operations are tenuous at best, subsidies don’t go up but operational costs do. The Strategic Plan that Valley has just completed recommends proceeding cautiously with the development of any SRO’s, for those reasons. The guests were thanked for their presentations. It was very informative. Misc. Updates 1.) Chair Ackelsberg noted that she had been in contact with the Mayor regarding tenant relocation to the Bedford Terrace property. The Mayor told her that she was aware of the complaints and was following up. Chair Ackelsberg has not heard back. 2.) Member Murray reported that the Big Y was closing soon for reconstruction. This poses a hardship for families at Hampshire Heights. She was wondering if any plans were afoot that the City was initiating to accomplish transport to another shopping location. Peg K. was not aware of anything. Ms. Murray agreed to follow up with the Housing Authority and personnel at Big Y. Member Siersma noted she had seen something in the Gazette about the D’Amour family offering that exact thing, a shuttle to another location. Peg K. will ask the Mayor if she is aware of any plans, or if there is anything the City can do. Adjourn/The meeting concluded at 9:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes April 26, 2007 Members Present: Martha Ackelsberg, Chair, Richard Abuza, Maureen Carney, Gordon Shaw, Mari Gottdiener, Peg Murray. Also present, Joanne Turcotte, interested citizen and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Ackelsberg called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. and noted that minutes had been submitted prior to last months meeting, which had been postponed. Announcements Regional Plan to End Homelessness/Peg reported that Mayor Higgins and Mayor Michael Sullivan of Holyoke were co-chairing a regional effort to create a 10 year plan to end homelessness. Similar efforts are occurring all over the country. The kick-off meeting will be held in the morning, April 27th at Heritage State Park in Holyoke. A Leadership Council has been formed, with the invitees representing many community sectors. The guest speaker will be Philip Mangano, former Director of the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance who is now serving as Director of the Federal Inter-Agency Council on Homelessness. Mr. Mangano has successfully brought together all the Federal agencies involved in homeless and housing services to create targeted strategies. He has launched 300+ entities across the country (states, counties, cities) that are now engaged in creating and implementing plans to end homelessness. The Leadership Council members will chair working groups focused on housing supply, mainstream resources, family stabilization, data and research and chronic homelessness. The effort will continue during the summer and wrap up in October. Peg will be integrally involved. McKinney Application/Peg informed the group that she is assembling her 11th McKinney application for the Three County Continuum of Care that she administers. This is a million dollar+ grant she submits annually for 10-12 programs throughout the region for homeless service programs. It takes about 2 months to assemble, and she holds meetings monthly throughout the year as well as the fiscal administration and monitoring. The regional plan to end homelessness will provide an overall vision for the continued work of the Continuum of Care participants. 1 2 Mary McColgan House Opening/New Housing Authority housing on Grove Street will have a grand opening ceremony on May 14th. Will provide 6 units of housing for clients of the Department of Mental Health. Local Workshop Session/Peg Murray reported that a meeting will be held at the Florence Savings Bank on June 26, 2007 in conjunction with the Mass. Fair Housing Center. The topic will be predatory lending and several lending institutions will be attending. Sustainable Northampton Steering Committee Update Chair Ackelsberg reported on the last meeting. She circulated a draft of the current plan and members reviewed relevant sections. The Steering Committee is continuing to work with the Cecil Group to finalize language. Committee members were asked to review the language with their constituents/boards and prioritize the goals and tasks. The housing and homeless sections, as well as the social equity section were discussed and revised. The Chair will take the revisions back to the Steering Committee. An interested citizen, Joanne Turcotte, asked several questions about various topics during the meeting. She expressed interest in being informed about the working groups for the Regional Plan to End Homelessness. She said consumers needed to be involved or the plan would not have much value. Members said they appreciated her comments and Peg took her email address in order to keep her informed. Adjourn/The meeting concluded at 7:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes May 24, 2007 Members Present: Martha Ackelsberg, Chair, Betsy Siersma, Mari Gottdiener, Gordon Shaw, Richard Abuza. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Ackelsberg called the meeting to order at 5:37 p.m. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved. There were no announcements. Sustainable Northampton Chair Ackelsberg circulated the latest version of the Housing Section of the Sustainable Northampton plan. The entirety of the meeting was spent revising the language. Chair Ackelsberg was then taking the revisions to a 7:00 p.m. meeting (after this meeting) at the High School. The Cecil Group, Planning and Economic Development City staff were conducting a public hearing. There was some discussion about whether the Housing Partnership’s language needed to be different, in view of the fact that the Committee is advisory in nature. The other boards involved are permit granting authorities. Chair Ackelsberg also expressed frustration that earlier changes worked on by the Partnership had not been incorporated into the current version. Adjourn The meeting concluded at 6:50 p.m. so Chair Ackelsberg and others could attend the Sustainable Northampton public hearing at the high school. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes June 28, 2007 Members Present: Martha Ackelsberg, Chair, Richard Abuza, Gordon Shaw, Peg Murray, Betsy Siersma, Maureen Carney. Also present, Daryl LaFleur, Fran Volkmann, Peter Frothingham, Rosa Ibarra, Joann Campbell. Public Comment Period: Interested citizens were in attendance to address the proposal for the Hilton Garden Hotel in the Roundhouse Parking lot, adjacent to the New South Street apartments. Chair Ackelsberg asked those present to address the Partnership, while waiting for Joann Campbell to come. Daryl LaFleur began by summarizing the community forum that had been held the previous night. Peter Frothingham said he was there as a private citizen and reviewed the site plan with the Partnership members. The primary issue of concern to the Partnership is the close proximity of the hotel and garage to the apartments. Ms. Volkmann said she was on the Planning Board last October when the special permit for the hotel was unanimously approved. She said she was informed at the time, that just the use was under discussion and all design issues would be addressed through the site plan review process. She said now she is being told that the venue for the setback discussion was during the special permit process. She said she does want the project to work but only if it is respectful to abutting residents. Mr. LaFleur asked Councilor Carney what input the City Council had in this process. Councilor Carney replied that the Council held a vote to surplus the property. They were presented with 2 bids, an office and a hotel. They did not see any plans. They approved the contract award to the bidder. So, the extent of Council involvement was to surplus the land and to approve 1 of 2 bids. Joann Campbell (arrived and) provided the following background. Valley CDC owns ½ of 1% of the New South St. apartments. The Mass. Housing Investment Corporation is the owner, holding the tax credits. She said that MHIC knew the waste remediation would occur in the parking lot, initially due due to her being a member of the Mill River Study committee. She was a member of that due to the proximity of their Millbank project to the river. Valley saw the study renderings of the hotel project that were included in the Mill River plan, but at that time the building was shifted away from the apartments. They were surprised when they 1 saw the plans submitted to the Central Business Architecture Committee, how close the hotel and garage would be to the building. Rosa Ibarra (New South Street resident) wondered about the construction impacts. She said there were already cracks in the walls from the waste remediation activity. Chair Ackelsberg then asked the Partnership members if they should be involved in this public discussion. Member Abuza responded affirmatively, as the Partnerships role is to advocate with other City boards when City activity impacts affordable housing. The Partnership then voted unanimously to ask the Planning Board to do whatever it can to mitigate the impacts of the hotel development on the New South Street apartments. Ms Ibarra thanked the members and wondered if the scenario would be the same had it been high end condominiums that were being impacted. Councilor Carney said the issue will come up when the police station is rebuilt. Mr. Frothingham then reviewed the Site Plan Approval criteria language in the City Zoning Ordinance. He pointed to Section 350-11.6 a. and b. as being within the Planning Board purview. A discussion followed of the public funding sources that went in to the renovation of the building and the conversion to affordable units that was supported by the Partnership back in 1996. Ms. Campbell said there are 18 units, 6 three bedrooms, 6 one bedrooms and 6 efficiencies. The Partnership agreed, through a motion made by Member Abuza and seconded by Member Siersma, to draft a resolution to be circulated publicly that formalizes the Partnership’s concerns. The draft of the motion was as follows: “Given the City’s long term commitment to affordable housing and the difficulty in creating and preserving it; the importance of the New South Street apartments and the enormous public resources that financed the redevelopment of this property, the Northampton Housing Partnership is very concerned about the impact of the proposed Hilton Garden Inn and parking garage on the quality of life of current and future future residents of the New South St. apartments and the continued financial viability of the property, in which significant public resources have been invested. The Housing Partnership strongly urges the Planning Board to exercise its authority under all Code provisions including Section 350 –11.6 a. and c. to mitigate the negative impacts of this project on the current and future residents of the New South St. apartments. We are particularly concerned about natural light, air quality, building and automobile exhaust, and other factors that might affect the health and quality of life of the residents. We encourage all parties, including the Office of Planning and Development, the Mayor, the Planning Board and neighbors to look at creative design approaches such as step-backs and other changes in scale to allow this project to co-exist in harmony with its neighbors. ” 2 3 Member Abuza made a motion to give “scriveners duty” to the chair and staff, to edit the resolution as appropriate. That motion was seconded by Member Siersma; vote was unanimous in favor. Members agreed to distribute the resolution to the Planning Board, Planning Office, Mayor, the City Council, the Gazette, the Paradise City Forum and the Valley Advocate. The latter 2 sources were suggested by Mr. LaFleur. Peg Keller agreed to email it to him once finalized. Members agreed to meet July 19th rather than the 26th, due to vacation schedules. Adjourn/The meeting concluded at 7:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes July 19, 2007 Members Present: Martha Ackelsberg, Chair, Richard Abuza, Betsy Siersma, Alan Ells. Also present, Gabby Templet, interested citizen and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Ackelsberg called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. No quorum was present. There was no official public comment, nor any announcements. Project Updates Hotel Resolution Peg circulated the resolution that the Partnership created regarding the Pioneer Valley Hotel Group’s proposal for construction of a new hotel directly adjacent to the New South Street affordable housing. It was distributed to the Valley Advocate and the Paradise City Forum, the Gazette, the Planning Board, Planning Staff, the City Council and Mayor. Discussion followed regarding the status of the permit process and members expressed hope that the Planning Board would hear the public’s concerns. (hearing scheduled later this evening) Sustainable Northampton Plan Additional revisions were made to the Housing Section at a meeting with Joann Campbell of Valley CDC, Peg Keller and Chair Ackelsberg. These will be passed on to the Cecil Group via Teri Anderson in the Mayor’s Office. Copies of the current additions were emailed to members for their review. Comments should be made to the Chair for incorporation. Community Preservation Committee’s Project Review Criteria Members took a first look at the Committee’s initial draft of review criteria. Comments and revisions were made. Chair Ackelsberg will provide feedback to Jack Hornor, Chair of the Community Preservation Committee, although it appears the official feedback period has not yet begun. Much more discussion will be needed to identify what the City’s priorities should be for awarding funds, to whom and for what type of affordable housing projects. Adjourn/The meeting concluded at 7:00 p.m. so members could attend the Planning Board hearing on the Hotel application. There will be no meeting in August. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes October 25, 2007 Members Present: Martha Ackelsberg, Chair, Gordon Shaw, Richard Abuza, Betsy Siersma. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: The meeting began at 5:45 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. 36 Bedford Terrace/Chair Ackelsberg began the meeting by relaying concerns from an interested resident about the high rents being charged at the Bedford Terrace property. She was also in receipt of a memo from Fran Volkmann, the Partnership representative on the Smith Affordable Housing Committee. The memo was a request for information on the final configuration of the units, relative to income eligibility and rent levels charged. After some discussion, the members agreed to send a memo to Mayor Higgins and President Christ asking to be included in the response for information from O’Connell Development Group. The Chair circulated draft letters to the resident and to the Mayor. At a prior meeting, the Mayor told the Partnership that she would be responsible for monitoring the development agreement. To be able to respond fully to the concerned resident, the Partnership members asked staff to get a copy of the final agreement. They also agreed, that once they obtain a copy of the information requested from the O’Connell Development Group to ask Valley CDC to verify the rent figures. Those requests will be made. Sustainable Northampton/Members reviewed the current language in the housing section, for final comments. Community Preservation Act/Members reviewed the project review criteria for housing proposals to the CPA fund. Peg relayed that Don Bianchi, the Mayors appointment to the Committee(and former Partnership member) has given thorough input that we should be aware of. Chair Ackelsberg will contact him. Members agreed to review the contents of the Community Preservation Plan on their own and to forward their comments to staff. Adjourn/The meeting concluded at 7:10 p.m./Next meeting will be held November 20th, to adjust for the Thanksgiving Thanksgiving holiday. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes November 20, 2007 Members Present: Martha Ackelsberg, Chair, Alan Ells, Gordon Shaw, Richard Abuza, Maureen Carney. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Ackelsberg called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. Announcements/Peg gave an update on the Pioneer Valley Regional 10 Year Plan to end homelessness. Discussion followed about local programming and panhandling. Sustainable Northampton/Chair Ackelsberg reported that a public hearing on the draft plan was held November 8, 2007. Another meeting of the Steering Committee will be held December 10th, to incorporate the public comments. The planning process is in the final phases. Community Preservation Plan/Members spent the remainder of the meeting reviewing the draft plan. The Chair agreed to contact Don Bianchi to make sure the Partnership’s input is complementing his input into the plan and funding application review criteria. Comments will be forwarded to CP staff, for inclusion. This effort is also in in its final stages, with the Committee hoping to adopt the plan and give notification of the launching of the first funding round very soon. Membership/The quest for new members was discussed, as well as new officers to be elected in January. December Meeting/A new date was set for December 18, 2007 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Adjourn/The meeting concluded at 7:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes December 18, 2007 Members Present: Martha Ackelsberg, Chair, Peg Murray, Gordon Shaw, Betsy Siersma, Maureen Carney. Also present, Jack Horner, liaison to the State Hospital Citizens Advisory Committee, and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Ackelsberg called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. Mr. Hornor attended to give Partnership members an update on the housing activity at the State Hospital. Presentation: Mr. Hornor described a display board that depicted the location of the next phase of residential development at Village Hill. He circulated a handout showing the numbers and types of units planned for this new phase. NEW RENTAL HOUSING AT VILLAGE HILL (proposed 11/07) UNIT MIX & TARGET NET RENT (UNITS, AMI) 1BR 2BR 3BR Total LIHTC (Sec 8) 4 04AMI target 30% 582 00 LIHTC (Sec 8) 4 04AMI target 60% 582 00 LIHTC 11 13024AMI target 60% 683 8010 Unrestricted Market 628Market 0 1,0901,375 TOTAL 19 19240 CURRENT RENTAL HOUSING AT VILLAGE HILL (as of 12/07) UNIT MIX & TARGET NET RENT (UNITS, AMI) 1BR 2BR 3BR Totals LIHTC (Sec 8) 44 AMI target 30% LIHTC (Sec 8) 44 AMI target 50-60% LIHTC 51318 AMI target 60% 3317 Unrestricted Market Market TOTAL 1619233 ICE POND UNITS AT VILLAGE HILL (as of 12/07) • Two 1BR rental units in Ice Pond that are affordable to 60% AMI • Six homes affordable to 80% AMI -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Members appreciated the update. Peg will bring elevations of the next phases. Wright Builders is pursuing market rate lot development now also. Mr. Hornor then, as Chair of the Community Preservation Committee, described the application process for CPA funds. He said applications would be entertained quarterly, if funding remains past earlier rounds. The 10% categorical set asides were discussed. How the remaining 70% gets allocated remains to be seen. The CPC committee is meeting to finalize procedural details. All recommendations from the CPC will be reviewed by the Mayor, prior to submission to the City Council for final approval. Mr. Hornor then departed after being thanked by the members. Discussion followed regarding the Partnership’s possible role in vetting housing applications for CPA funds. It seemed that applicants would want letters of support from the City’s Housing Partnership, and that the CPA might want to require them. But since that did not happen as the application process was formulated, where does that leave the Partnership? The members agreed to invite the 2 applicants that are known, Valley CDC and Habitat to the next meeting. This way, assuming the applications are favorable to the Partnership, members could offer letters of support for inclusion in their final applications. The Partnership could then decide whether or not to put forward their own request for funding for a housing plan. Members had previously agreed to apply to the CPA for such a purpose. Member Murray has crafted a narrative for the Determination Form ( due Jan. 1 ). She and Chair Ackelsberg will revise it and submit it, to at least get it in for initial determination. If it is found to be in competition with the other proposals going forward, members agreed that putting in a final application in this round, could be revisited. Adjourn/The meeting concluded at 8:00 p.m. The next meeting will be held January 7th, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Feiden will attend with an update. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller