HousingPartnershipMinutes2017NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes
January 3, 2017 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Greta Hagen, Ali Brauner, Rev. Todd Weir,
Richard Abuza, Jim Reis. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. The minutes from the prior meeting
were approved as submitted. Action Plan Updates Op-Ed : Ms. Hagen said she had not yet created a draft for circulation but appreciated
the comments submitted by Mr. Reis and Mr. Abuza. She said the thrust of the piece
would convey who the Partnership is, where we are with creation of affordable units
and make a request for new members. Discussion followed. Other points made were
that market forces do not provide affordable housing and most incomes are insufficient.
Rev. Weir noted that he has heard from people that since Northampton exceeds the 10%
threshold, we are doing our share ( and don't need to do more). The message needs to
be about all the others in need that are not fortunate enough to be receiving assistance.
Also, that our activities need to address a broad range of affordability, the length of
time on waiting lists and reduction of those experiencing housing cost burdens (paying
more than 30% of household income for housing costs). There is a need for us to collect
2010 data on cost burden, income and poverty levels and demographic changes.
Discussion followed about the loss of rental units as landlords age and sell properties.
The student population in town seems to be composed of UMass graduate students and
they tend to find units in the Highland Ave., Market Street, Fruit Street and Damon
Road areas. Ms. Hagen will circulate the draft OP Ed piece shortly.
Fair Housing Update-CPC Application
Members Shaw, Hagen and Reis met with Peg to review the HUD Fair Housing
Assessment Tool and the CPC application requirements. Tasks were divided among
members. Mr. Reis will draft and circulate the request for support letters, Chair Shaw
will work on the narrative. People will be identified to speak at the public comment
1
session. Peg will submit the preliminary eligibility determination form due January 9th. The full application is due February 3rd. Zoning Committee Peg will schedule time to meet with Mr. Boughan and Mr. Reis regarding the Agora Report recommendations. Project Updates/ ❖Affordable Housing ProductionLumber Yard Project-Peg reported that the MassWorks infrastructure application for the Pleasant Street area and storm drain channel relocation was approved, giving the project the green light to move forward. DHCD funding will now be forthcoming. The City will contract for funds from CDBG and CPC to allow VCDC to close on the property at the end of the month. This is hugely exciting. VCDC is to be thanked for their perseverance on this project which will create 55 units of affordable housing and first floor commercial uses downtown. Live 155 -(formerly Northampton Lodging) Construction continues. The Pleasant Street project will also benefit from the street and sidewalk infrastructure improvements included in the Mass Works application. Friends of the Homeless/Dial Self-Rev. Weir reported that due to the difficulty identifying suitable properties, the Board is revisiting the scope. They will be considering the option of selecting a smaller property, or land with property allowing for expansion. With the success of the fundraising, the Board recognizes the need to produce a site/property soon before the momentum and interest wanes. 82 Bridge Street/ VCDC' s renovation and expansion project is moving forward for funding. It will be included in the January CPC round. The letter of support from the Housing Partnership will be included in their application. Their request for CDBG funding will be forthcoming. Burts Pit/ Laurel Street -DCAM is still trying to find survey plans to transfer the deeds from the Northampton Housing Authority to the City. ❖Expiring Use Update/ An updated subsidized housing inventory list (SHI) fromthe State has been issued. The Hathaway Farms units have been reduced. The2
percentage listed is 10. 76 % (of total units subsidized in Northampton, down
from 12.8). The 60 new Soldier On units are not listed, nor is the King St. SRO or
Phase 2 of Village Hill. Peg will follow up with needed revisions. She will also
contact the owner of Leeds Village to get an update on their plans ( expires in
2018).
❖Housing Rehab Program -first four applications are moving through the
process. There are many steps: initial application, verification of eligibility,
preliminary site inspection, Section 106 Historic Property review (local
Commission and Mass. Historical Commission), preparation of final specs,
project goes out to bid. Peg is in touch with PVPC to see when additional
outreach will be needed. Once the first phase gets going, a Gazette interview
with one of the homeowners could generate interest.
❖Resettlement Task Force -Peg described the efforts of the Steering Committee to
locate permanent housing, form and train Circles of Care and identify
employment opportunities. Locating the housing units remains difficult. Much is
up in the air due to the results of the Presidential election.
Election of Officers: will be postponed until February, as some members are absent.
Peg was asked to circulate an email describing the duties so members can consider it.
Meetings with the Planning Department:
Peg will talk to Carolyn Misch about attending a meeting to .provide an update on the
work of the Planning Board and Department relative to community development
activity and affordable housing preservation and creation.
Adjourn
With no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Peg Keller
3
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes
January 3, 2017 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Greta Hagen, Ali Brauner, Rev. Todd Weir,
Richard Abuza, Jim Reis. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. The minutes from the prior meeting
were approved as submitted. Action Plan Updates Op-Ed: Ms. Hagen said she had not yet created a draft for circulation but appreciated
the comments submitted by Mr. Reis and Mr. Abuza. She said the thrust of the piece
would convey who the Partnership is, where we are with creation of affordable units
and make a request for new members. Discussion followed. Other points made were
that market forces do not provide affordable housing and most incomes are insufficient.
Rev. Weir noted that he has heard from people that since Northampton exceeds the 10%
threshold, we are doing our share (and don't need to do more). The message needs to
be about all the others in need that are not fortunate enough to be receiving assistance.
Also, that our activities need to address a broad range of affordability, the length of
time on waiting lists and reduction of those experiencing housing cost burdens (paying
more than 30% of household income for housing costs). There is a need for us to collect
2010 data on cost burden, income and poverty levels and demographic changes.
Discussion followed about the loss of rental units as landlords age and sell properties.
The student population in town seems to be composed of UMass graduate students and
they tend to find units in the Highland Ave., Market Street, Fruit Street and Damon
Road areas. Ms. Hagen will circulate the draft OP Ed piece shortly.
Fair Housing Update -CPC Application
Members Shaw, Hagen and Reis met with Peg to review the HUD Fair Housing
Assessment Tool and the CPC application requirements. Tasks were divided among
members. Mr. Reis will draft and circulate the request for support letters, Chair Shaw
will work on the narrative. People will be identified to speak at the public comment
1
session. Peg will submit the preliminary eligibility determination form due January 9th.
The full application is due February 3rd.
Zoning Committee
Peg will schedule time to meet with Mr. Boughan and Mr. Reis regarding the Agora
Report recommendations. Project Updates/ ❖Affordable Housing ProductionLumber Yard Project-Peg reported that the MassWorks infrastructure application for
the Pleasant Street area and storm drain channel relocation was approved, giving the
project the green light to move forward. DHCD funding will now be forthcoming. The
City will contract for funds from CDBG and CPC to allow VCDC to close on the
property at the end of the month. This is hugely exciting. VCDC is to be thanked for
their perseverance on this project which will create 55 units of affordable housing and
first floor commercial uses downtown.
Live 155 -(formerly Northampton Lodging) Construction continues. The Pleasant Street
project will also benefit from the street and sidewalk infrastructure improvements
included in the MassWorks application.
Friends of the Homeless/Dial Self -Rev. Weir reported that due to the difficulty
identifying suitable properties, the Board is revisiting the scope. They will be
considering the-option of selecting a smaller property, or land with property allowing
for expansion. With the success of the fundraising, the Board recognizes the need to
produce a site/property soon before the momentum and interest wanes.
82 Bridge Street/ VCDC' s renovation and expansion project is moving forward for
funding. It will be included in the January CPC round. The letter of support from the
Housing Partnership will be included in their application. Their request for CDBG
funding will be forthcoming.
Burts Pit/ Laurel Street -DCAM is still trying to find survey plans to transfer the deeds
from the Northampton Housing Authority to the City. ❖Expiring Use Update/ An updated subsidized housing inventory list (Sill) from
the State has been issued. The Hathaway Farms units have been reduced. The
2
percentage listed is 10. 76 % (of total units subsidized in Northampton, down from 12.8). The 60 new Soldier On units are not listed, nor is the King St. SRO or Phase 2 of Village Hill. Peg will follow up with needed revisions. She will also contact the owner of Leeds Village to get an update on their plans (expires in 2018). ❖Housing Rehab Program -first four applications are moving through theprocess. There are many steps: initial application, verification of eligibility,preliminary site inspection, Section 106 Historic Property review (localCommission and Mass. Historical Commission), preparation of final specs,project goes out to bid. Peg is in touch with PVPC to see when additionaloutreach will be needed. Once the first phase gets going, a Gazette interviewwith one of the homeowners could generate interest.❖Resettlement Task Force -Peg described the efforts of the Steering Committee tolocate permanent housing, form and train Circles of Care and identifyemployment opportunities. Locating the housing units remains difficult. Much isup in the air due to the results of the Presidential election.Election of Officers: will be postponed until February, as some members are absent. Peg was asked to circulate an email describing the duties so members can consider it. Meetings with the Planning Department: Peg will talk to Carolyn Misch about attending a meeting to provide an update on the work of the Planning Board and Department relative to community development activity and affordable housing preservation and creation. Adjourn With no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes
March 6, 2017 Members Present: Todd Weir, Chair, Greta Hagen, Vice-Chair, Michael Roy, Patrick
Boughan, Gordon Shaw. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Weir called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. The minutes from the
February meeting were approved as submitted. Motion was made by Mr. Boughan,
seconded by Mr. Shaw, vote in favor unanimous. Action Plan Updates Op-Ed Submission
The Op Ed submitted by Greta with assistance from other members did run in the
Gazette. All were congratulated for making that happen. Chair Weir asked if there were
themes that could be considered for the next submission. Possible topics listed in the
email from Jim Reis were: Community Housing Support Services Project, the Housing
Rehab Program, the Fair Housing Assessment Analysis and required focus groups and
community outreach, the Friends of the Homeless/Dial Self Project, and updates on the
HAP and Valley CDC projects. Chair Weir agreed to write one about the Fair Housing
work and need for community input later in the year, after funding for the Fair Housing
Assessment is secured. Greta and Patrick agreed to write the one for May publication.
Landlord Workshop
Gordon reported that the workshop went well. There was a good turnout of attendees
and the presentation was clear and informative. Attorney Lindley followed the
questions submitted by Michael Roy as the overall format, adding additional topics that
came from the 20 attendees. The overall message was that cutting corners is a
potentially costly approach. People in attendance seemed to be smaller landlords and
they expressed appreciation for the session.
Greta said the next Op Ed topic could be a recap of what was discussed at this
workshop. Members suggested that an evaluation survey to follow these workshops
could be used to gauge their value. Perhaps sessions could be held more often, although
the direct mail to every landlord only happens once a year (via the census). It was
suggested that the resources listed on the back of the annual census letter should be put
1
on the City web-site. Patrick will undertake that task and said it would be great to see
the traffic flow on the city site to ascertain what information is sought. Gordon said
there are many sites with Frequently Asked Questions from landlord and tenant
perspectives that could be put on the web-site as well. He will send some links to
Patrick. Members also discussed their own liability/protection as Housing Partnership
members if, for example, erroneous information was disseminated under their name.
Peg will ask the City Solicitor about Board member protection.
Community Preservation Committee Application/ Fair Housing Assessment
Peg summarized that the application has been submitted, the follow up questions
answered (there were 2), people have been lined up to speak during the public
comment session so the next steps are to attend the meetings. The next role for the
Housing Partnership will be to craft and disseminate the Request for Proposals and
identify possible consultants. Greta, Jim and Gordon agreed to work on the RFP. Peg
offered to circulate the RFP Karen Sunnarborg did for the Housing Plan which can be
used as a model. There may not be many consultants in the area. Peg emailed Jamie
Williamson, former director of the Mass. Fair Housing Center. Jamie is now the Chair of
the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and she sent a list of
Consortium members in the statewide Fair Housing Coalition, which contains some
names of consultants. Crafting the RFP will happen in the late spring, early summer but
work can start now (assuming the CPC makes an award).
Zoning Committee
Patrick reported that he, Peg and Jim met with former Partnership member and local
architect Peter Frothingham last Monday. This was to follow up on the work Peter had
done analyzing issues with small scale development and barriers to affordable housing
development that he himself has experienced in Northampton. The conversation
focused on "little a" affordability. He said most of the requests he gets for work are for
detached accessory apartments and for re-using barns, carriage houses and other out
buildings for accessory uses such as housing. He said those projects are often rendered
impossible due to the dimensional set back requirements currently in place.
Patrick said he, (Patrick) has reviewed the City's efforts over the years to analyze and
revise the Zoning Ordinance. He has reviewed the Housing Plan (2011 ), the Sustainable
Northampton Plan (2008), the Zoning Revisions Committee Report (2010-12) and the
Agora Report. He also reviewed subsequent Planning Board minutes to gauge
implementation activity. He ascertained the existence of consensus and support for
many of the recommendations. He showed a table he has created summarizing the
2
recommendations and the implementation status. He will circulate it for review and
comment shortly. The plan for the Committee is to then meet with Planning Dept. staff
to solicit their input on the implementation status of the revisions. The Committee
members are also talking to additional developers who have experience with smaller
residential projects in town to learn about their experiences. He mentioned the amnesty
program in Barnstable which utilizes CPC funding for property owners to bring illegal
units into code compliance in exchange for affordability restrictions. He said there
appear to be a variety of tools in existence, but we need to identify the ones that actually
produce units.
Chair Weir said it would be valuable to invite Carolyn Misch (Permits Planner) and
Wayne Feiden (Planning Director) to attend a meeting once the Zoning Committee has
completed its due diligence. It will also be valuable to have Carolyn attend a couple
times a year to update on Planning Board activity. Peg noted that Wayne is moving
forward to identify a consultant to investigate Form Based Zoning in the more dense
residential zones, so we need to connect with the Planning Department soon. Chair
Weir complimented Patrick on his efforts and moving the work forward.
Expiring Use Update/Subsidized Housing Inventory
Patrick has offered to help Peg update the Inventory. There are several items needed,
including applications, to submit to the State to get projects listed on the inventory. Peg
and Patrick will meet to identify the items needed. Peg reported on a conversation she
had with the owner of Leeds Village Apartments, as those units expire in 2018. No solid
information has been forthcoming, but she also contacted MassHousing who has the
loan products that can help continue the affordability. They said their staff will contact
Mr. Berizen to see if he is interested in any of their products. Peg will check back with
Mr. Berizen in a couple of weeks, as he agreed she could. Affordable Housing Production Updates Friends of the Homeless/Dial Self Housing and Support Services for Youth
Chair Weir, also a board member of the Friends of Hampshire County Homeless
Individuals, reported that FOH has an option to purchase a property which contains an
existing house and an adjacent empty parcel. The existing house will accommodate 4
youth and an additional 4 will be housed in the new building, along with an office and
community room. Design plans are now being formulated. Very exciting; additional
fundraising will be necessary.
Pleasant Street Developments
3
The HAP Live 155 Project continues to move forward, as does Valley CDC's Lumber
Yard Project. Valley's 82 Bridge Street SRO renovation/expansion project is currently
before the Community Preservation Committee for requested funding.
Housing Rehab / the first four projects are moving forward, about to go out to bid. Walk
-thrus are scheduled with contractors for mid-late March.
Refugee Resettlement/ temporary housing has been found for the first family;
permanent housing has yet to be identified. If and when additional families may arrive
is not known at this time, due to the travel ban instituted by the President. CDBG Action Plan Peg reported that the Annual Action Plan is being formulated for the program year
beginning July 1. The Public Service applicants are being interviewed by the Ad Hoc
Committee (Greta Hagen, representing Safe Passage, Rev. Todd Weir representing the
Housing Partnership, Christine Young representing the Human Rights Commission
and City Councilors Labarge and Sciarra) on March 13, 14 and 15.
Other projects being considered for inclusion are handicap accessibility activities at the
Vernon Street School, continuation of the Housing Rehab Program, physical
improvements to the confidential emergency shelter administered by Safe Passage, and
the SRO renovation/addition at 82 Bridge Street. Friends of the Homeless may apply for
renovation work at their new site, as well. (HUD has not issued any information about a
funding award amount, but the process continues anyway). Western Mass Network to End Homelessness Peg reported that the Network which is integral to regional homeless services
coordination has lost its State line item earmark. Local fundraising will need to occur to
maintain its' Coordinator staff position. The advocacy work and delivery system
enhancements that have occurred over the last 8 years would not have been as
successful without Network leadership. Peg hopes it will be able to continue. Adjourn/ Chair Weir summarized the accomplishments of the meeting and expressed
appreciation for everyone's efforts.
Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller
4
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP April 3, 2017
Minutes
Members Present: Rev. Todd Weir, Chair, Greta Hagen, Vice-Chair, Ali Brauner,
Gordon Shaw, Mark Goggins, Richard Abuza, Jim Reis, Michael Roy, Patrick Boughan.
Also present, Peg Keller, staff and new member Kyla Prior.
Call to Order: Chair Weir called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. and welcomed two
student observers from Greenfield Community College. Members also introduced
themselves to new member Kyla Prior.
Minutes: were approved as submitted. Action Plan Updates Op Ed Submission / City Web-Site additions
Greta will do a draft for circulation next week. The topic will be landlord resources.
Gordon said he would be available to discuss the landlord workshop with her and
review her draft. The support services for the landlord community listed on the annual
census letter are now on the City's web-site thanks to Patrick. Jim suggested each Op Ed
submission include information about the Partnership as well. Patrick and Greta noted
that a list of social service resources (from Safe Passage) that has been updated, as well
as other landlord and tenant information has also been added. Peg said it is great to
finally have relevant information on the City website. The Op Ed will be submitted to
the Gazette for publishing in May.
CPC Application/ Fair Housing Assessment
Jim reported on the many questions he and Meris Bergquist, Mass Fair Housing Center
Director, faced during the presentation to the Committee. He said the concerns focused
on "why do this now in face of the uncertainty at HUD" and "why this particular tool"
and "who will benefit from the information". He said he tried to make a case for why
the data is needed. Richard suggested emphasizing the Federal requirement and that
our Federal funds could be at risk without the assessment. Gordon pointed out the
statutes are not changing (yet), just the funding sources. Chair Weir added that this is
not just an analysis about people with low incomes, but the elderly, disabled and
LGBTQ populations as well. The data will drill down into investment patterns, access
1
issues, etc. Peg, Chair Weir and John Fisher of HAP will attend the next meeting and
provide additional information as needed.
Zoning Committee
Patrick reported that he has been reviewing recent history including the 2008
Sustainable Northampton Plan, the 2010 Zoning Revisions Committee Report and the
2014 Agora Report, as well as the Housing Plan and Zoning Ordinance. He said that
there is consensus on several areas that have yet to be implemented. He said he has
been doing outreach with architects/developers attempting smaller residential projects
in town to see what obstacles they have faced with the permitting process. He met with
Joel Russell former member of the ZRC. He is gathering information to present to the
Planning Office relative to what has yet to be implemented that will facilitate the
creation of "small a" affordable projects (non-subsidized). Detached accessory
structures, and increasing flexibility and density in walkable neighborhoods are a few
of the components. He also mentioned the issue of accommodating parking when those
things occur. He said the City already has a system where through an ordinance, a
street can request a permit system for on-street parking. He has derived that 64 % of
people in Northampton drive to work alone and 6% carpool; everyone else bikes or
walks. This could indicate support for shared parking. Peg said Carolyn and Wayne are
being kept up to speed and a meeting will be held soon to compare notes and plan a
strategy for additional zoning revisions.
Expiring Use
Peg said she has been told by MassHousing there has been a development related to
Leeds Village, but that she has not heard that confirmed by the property owner. She
will continue to try to ascertain what the owners intentions are, relative to the 2018
expiration date. The remaining units at Hathaway Farms are slated for removal from
the Subsidized Housing Inventory in 2019.
Subsidized Housing Inventory
Patrick has offered to assist Peg with getting some of the uncounted units onto the
inventory. There is an application that requires a lot of documentation that must be
submitted to DHCD to get the units on the inventory. There are 4-5 projects that need to
be added.
Tax Abatement Program
2
Patrick has been researching the Amherst and Provincetown models, as Mike Roy did
previously. They compared notes and it was agreed that additional research should be
done. Ali asked if tax relief could be garnered for existing units. This could also be
pursued. Chair Weir suggested linking tax strategies with zoning incentives. Kyla noted
the need for community education on where the City is in relation to the 10% threshold
for affordable units. Richard said there is a long standing debate that happens regularly
regarding the single vs. split tax rates that we should be aware of and the question of, if
the tax revenue decreases, how do we pay for services, is perennial. New families could
increase school enrollment, which would be an advantage now. Regarding Chair Weir's
comment on linking strategies, Patrick said it could be sequential -zoning first, working
through the Planning Office, then the Assessor, City Council and State legislature
regarding the Home Rule petition for the tax incentives. Mike wondered if the Tax
Work off program for seniors could be expanded, as now it is only for 5-10 people for a
$500 credit.
Discussion followed about when to dialogue with the Planning Office. May was
suggested but will be delayed to insure Patrick's ability to attend. He also reported that
Columbia Gas has funding for doing work on houses 5 units and larger through
Community Action and supplied them with Assessor's information on those properties.
Project Updates
Peg reported on steady progress for Live 155 (formerly Northampton Lodging), the
LumberYard Project (currently applying for funding through the CPC), Friends of the
Homeless/Dial Self Housing with Support Services for Youth project has purchased a
house (!) and the Housing Rehab Program is moving forward on 4 homes.
The Welcome Home Northampton Refugee Resettlement Program has now welcomed 2
families and may see more. The housing is coming up organically within the
community but permanent housing units are still needed. -
Joint Housing Partnership Meeting/ May 16th is the date for the joint meeting with the
Amherst and Easthampton Housing Partnerships. Agenda items will be solicited to
yield full and fruitful discussion. This is sponsored by the Valley CDC. Adjourn/ There being no additional business to discuss, the meeting concluded at 7:05
p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Peg Keller
3
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes
May 1, 2017 Members Present: Rev. Todd Weir, Chair, Greta Hagen, Vice-Chair, Patrick Boughan,
Gordon Shaw, Kyla Prior, Mark Goggins, Jim Reis, Richard Abuza, Michael Roy. Also
present, Lynne Wallace, Northampton Housing Authority Commissioner, Cara
Clifford, NHA Executive Director and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Rev. Weir called the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m. Members introduced
themselves to the guests and held the minutes approv�l until later. Northampton Housing Authority Update Lynne Wallace, former chair and member of the Housing Partnership for many years
and member of the Board of Commissioners of the NHA for 3 years, greeted members.
She articulated that the relationship between the two bodies is an important one and
she wants to come as often as the NHP would like and bring whatever information the
NHP is interested in having. She then introduced Ms. Clifford. Upon her arrival, and
over the past two years, she has focused on the following: •Organizational policies and protocols•Addressing the back log of unit maintenance requests
•Internal organizational structure
•Working with the Northampton Police Department to remediate drug activity
•Hiring staff with customer service skills, support services expertise
•Soliciting feedback from tenants about NHA' s operation and to build trust•Facilitate residents feeling of community and not that they are living in housing
of last resort
Lynne added the following points: •Housing authorities across the state are operating with shrinking and limited
resources•The NHA is updating and upgrading units and keeping them on line•There has been a culture change as tenants are being welcomed and respected•Commissioners have learned that their actions are limited by the lack of
resources but aware of some doing very creative work
1
Michael Roy asked what areas were lacking compared to other housing authorities.
Lynne said the need to get services to people to increase self-sufficiency. Ms. Clifford
added that she has changed the way funds are expended and has used the State's
Mixed Population Grant (to assist elders who are housed alongside younger disabled)
to hire a Resident Services Coordinator. Lynn King, the RSC is meeting with tenants
and discerning their needs. She has also organized classes, brown bag lunches and
health care access. Since it is a State grant, however, she can only work with residents of
State properties. Cara hopes to get her services expanded to serve the residents of the
Federal properties as well. The NHA's inventory encompasses 618 units and 1800
vouchers.
Gordon Shaw asked about implementation of the smoking ban, it's potential impact on
their tenants, and what steps will they take to help people avoid eviction. Ms. Clifford
said the Federal law (affecting Federal properties) went into effect in February. In
March it was applied to new tenants and it will be implemented June 1st for existing
tenants. She said they are encouraging tenants to participate in smoking cessation
sessions held at the Senior Center and will commit to working with people to avoid
eviction. She is researching II smoking shelters" similar to bus shelters so people can
have protection while smoking in designated areas. She may reach out to Smith Voe to
see if something can be crafted locally. The lexan plastic ones run about $1,900.00 each.
Richard Abuza asked about the deferred maintenance burden and how many units
were off line. Ms. Clifford said no units were off line except for those being used for
community space. She mentioned reaching out to the Hampshire County House of
Corrections for volunteer labor and noted that she can engage in creative thinking and
community collaboration now that the II chaos" of the first 18 months has dissipated.
She reported that she was contacted by the Holyoke Mayor's office and was able to
house a Holyoke fire victim, accepted several residents from the Northampton Lodging
and has expanded tenant selection to include CORI checks from other states. Gordon
asked about the unit turnover rate. She said she will get that data. Gordon said it is a
good indicator of the capacity of NHA to house people within a reasonable amount of
time. Ms. Clifford said the waiting list is 5-10 years for public housing (500+/-names)
and the Section 8 list is not open, with +/-350 households on that wait list.
Michael Roy asked about the movement from NHA units to other housing types. Ms.
Clifford said not for the elderly as much, but for the families, there is movement and
she is participating in self-sufficiency programming in order to build skills for
households and prevent the multi-generational tenancies.
2
Patrick Boughan asked about energy efficiency programs/modifications and mentioned that Columbia Gas has funding for units larger than 5; Ms. Clifford took the information gratefully. Greta Hagen asked what methods they are using to solicit tenant feedback. Ms. Clifford said she welcomes residents making appointments with her so she can have one on one meetings and hear concerns directly. Patrick asked about transportation issues (bus availability, poor sidewalk outside Florence Heights) but she has not heard that directly. Rev. Weir asked how the Partnership can help them. Ms. Clifford asked that if we hear any concerns that we let her know. Jim Reis offered the NHP' s ability to create letters of support for any grant requests they undertake. Rev. Weir and Jim relayed they have heard positive comments about the NHA lately. Ms. Clifford expressed her appreciation for that information. Lynne noted that the State is still considering regionalizing housing authorities, as it is difficult for smaller ones to operate. Ms. Clifford described her prior employment and successful efforts to rid an apartment complex of drugs. Public/private partnerships were discussed and Michael Roy noted the potential of the Federal Home Loan Bank for grant funds. Members agreed that an annual visit would suffice for general updates, but that the NHP' s "door is always" open to them any time they might need our assistance. They were thanked for their attendance; they departed. Minutes -were approved as submitted. Action Plan Update Op-Ed/ Greta and Patrick and Gordon and Jim have worked on the current draft. It was circulated for review. Edits will be made and Greta will circulate it again for final review. It will be submitted to the Gazette for publishing sometime this month. Congrats to all! Two in a row!! CPC/ Fair Housing Assessment/ Peg reported that the CPC opted not to fund the project. The Committee felt because it is a Federal mandate, the City should fund it. Peg will talk to the Mayor. If it can be funded in this year's budget, the NHP can move ahead on crafting the RFP. Zoning Sub-Committee/ Patrick has continued to gather information with developers. A meeting will be scheduled with Wayne Feiden when he returns to the office. Affordable Housing Updates/ were provided on the Friends of the Homeless/Dial -Self project, the Valley CDC/ TCB development at Village Hill, 82 Bridge Street and the Refugee Resettlement effort. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:07 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Minutes
June 5, 2017
Members Present: Rev. Todd Weir, Chair, Greta Hagen, Vice-Chair, Patrick Boughan,
Ali Brauner, Gordon Shaw, Kyla Prior, Mark Goggins, Jim Reis, Richard Abuza,
Michael Roy. Also present, Rachel Madsen, PHD candidate studying affordable
housing in the Pioneer Valley, Becky Lockwood, potential member and Peg Keller, staff.
Call to Order: Rev. Weir called the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m. Everyone present
introduced themselves. The minutes were approved as submitted.
Toint Housing Partnership Meeting Update
Chair Weir asked if anyone had any feedback from the meeting held last month with
housing advocates from Valley CDC, the Easthampton Housing Partnership and the
Amherst Housing Committee. Patrick said the need for shared staff, someone working
with small developers and someone to administer and monitor deed restrictions,
resales, etc. was notable. He said some of those issues came up in the meeting Habitat
held with regional housing advocates as well. Richard spoke about the shared need for
community education to garner wide(r) support for affordable housing activities. The
topic of shared op ed pieces was discussed. Some thought it was preferable to publish
separately, but if all do it, the cumulative result is more powerful. Greta noted the
Gazette's encouragement of submissions. Jim said on occasion it might make sense to
tackle a topic common to all communities. Arguments can be strengthened with more
voices. Jim said Amherst's tax abatement program may be more suitable to larger
developments. We may still want to consider the Provincetown model. All agreed it
was a valuable session and expressed gratitude to Valley CDC for pulling it together.
Notes from that session will be circulated once received.
Action Plan Updates
Op-Ed Submission
The second article, on landlord resources ran and Stan Moulton is ready to publish
again in August. Members applauded Patrick and Greta for their great work.
Community Housing Support Services Project Renewal
Peg will check with Sarah La Valley, CPC staffer to see if the second round schedule is
out yet. The application will need to be filled out again and people lined up for support
letters and public comment. Rev. Weir and Gordon agreed to work on the renewal.
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Fair Housing Assessment Tool
Peg reported that the City Council has included $20,000 in this year's budget for this
important piece of work. Jim Reis and Peg are meeting with John Fisher this week to
identify activities we can undertake in the immediate future. The Sub-Committee
offering to work on the RFP to hire the Consultant for the Assessment Tool is composed
of Jim, Kyla, Ali and Gordon. Peg will find out when the funds are actually available.
Zoning Sub-Committee
Patrick reported on his work as of late. He has reviewed the Zoning Revisions Study
Committee Report, the Sustainable Northampton Plan, the Housing Needs Assessment
and Strategic Housing Plan and the Agora Report. He has compiled a summary of what
has been enacted from those reports, noted what items have general consensus, and
which items remain to be enacted. We have a meeting scheduled with the Planning
Office to review the list tomorrow.
Subsidized Housing Inventory/ Expiring Use
Patrick is helping Peg gather the supporting documentation to add more units to the
State list of affordable units. Peg has not heard back from Mt. Holyoke Management
Company regarding the Leeds Village Apartment building. She will continue to gather
information and offer the City's assistance.
Affordable Housing Production
Peg summarized the progress on 155 Live/Pleasant Street, 256 Pleasant Street (
LumberYard Project), the Dial/Self-Friends of the Homeless project, 82 Bridge Street
SRO Renovation, and the new Village Hill affordable housing proposal.
Guest/ Rachel Madsen/ then asked members about their perceptions of the challenges to
this work, what brought them to the Housing Partnership and what we do if our views
are not shared by others. Discussion followed.
Sad News/ Greta Hagen announced she will be leaving town, and therefore the
Partnership, in August. Members expressed their disa@ointment, as her contributions •••and participation has been valuable and appreciated. .-. Adjourn/ the meeting concluded at 7:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller
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NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP July 10, 2017
Minutes Members Present: Rev. Todd Weir, Chair, Greta Hagen, Vice-Chair, Ali Brauner,
Gordon Shaw, Mark Goggins, Richard Abuza, Jim Reis, Michael Roy, Patrick Boughan,
Kyla Prior. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Weir called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. The minutes were
approved as submitted and no one was present for the public comment period. Action Plan Updates Op-Ed's
The Gazette is willing to publish another piece in August. Members opted to revisit
possible topics at the conclusion of this meeting to see if something particularly
pertinent revealed itself.
Fair Housing
Jim reported that he and Peg met with John Fisher about possible workshop topics. Two
of the remaining areas from the 2012 Analysis of Impediments are fair housing
protections for victims of domestic violence and those in the LGBT community. Gordon
suggested that Community Legal Aid be involved with the former, as they administer a
VOWA (Violence Against Women) grant program. Peg noted that the Mass Fair
Housing Center wants to work on these workshops with us and the new Outreach and
Education Coordinator says she is capable of presenting the material. Jim, Peg and
Margaret Curran (MFHC) will meet to determine a strategy to reach these affected
populations. Discussion followed about whether the best approach is to work through
property managers, landlords, service providers or the community at large. Greta
suggested we work with Meredith Morrison at Safe Passage for the DV session.
Tapestry, Womanshelter Companeros, NELQUIT and Free Style Boogies were
mentioned as potential places to inform us about outreach.
Gordon noted that people often do not seek out resources until they are in crisis mode,
so attracting the general public might not be a successful approach. Educating service
providers and housing providers may be more fruitful. It was suggested that an OP Ed
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piece could be used as an educational tool that could reach the general public. That
would not require people showing up to a session and having to self disclose anything.
Kyla and Ali suggested reaching out to the rental management companies (RentNOHO)
to see if they could contact the landlords they work with. This would be a way to reach
them out of the annual census letter cycle. Radio PSA's were also mentioned as a way to
communicate information. Peg appreciated the input and acknowledged the need to
give more thought to how to reach these populations who were unlikely to show up at
a public meeting targeted to them. Jim and she will continue to move this forward.
With regard to the Fair Housing Assessment Tool, the funding authorized by the City
Council is available for use. Peg will assemble a sub-committee to begin working on the
RFP.
Zoning
Patrick reported on the meeting held with he, Peg, Jim Reis and Carolyn Misch and
Wayne Feiden in the Office of Planning and Sustainability. Wayne and Carolyn were in
agreement with the areas Patrick identified as potentially impeding the development of
affordable housing. They were very receptive to moving forward on some of the items.
They expressed concern about the public's receptivity and asked that the Housing
Partnership be willing to provide public testimony and support should some of the
items move forward.
Expiring Use
Peg was contacted by the owners of Leeds Village apartments and told that although
they were paying off their MassHousing loan, they intend to keep the development
affordable(!). They have asked if there is any possibility of getting some project based
Section 8 vouchers for the property, so Peg is in communication with the Northampton
Housing Authority about that. This is very good news. They were required to go
through the notification process to pay off the loan, but they say they were not
considering going market rate. Peg will try to confirm and get more information from
MassHousing about how this works then meet with the Housing Authority.
Community Housing Support Services Project Renewal
Peg noted that the second CPC round for this year is coming up. The contact person for
the Center for Human Development, Jane Banks is leaving the organization shortly. Peg
will call a meeting of the NHP members offering to work on the renewal (Chair Weir
and Gordon) and CHD to plan the application strategy.
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Op Ed topic/ members decided that a piece on some of the recent changes in fair
housing laws, and announcement of an upcoming workshop should be the next topic.
Jim and Patrick will work together on it. Greta mentioned that Rachel Madsen, PHD
candidate who visited us last month had offered her services to research topics if we
needed her assistance. Project Updates Live 155 circulated a time lapse video of the construction to date, which Peg will
circulate. They will be taking applications in the fall, with occupancy scheduled for
Spring of 2018.
The LumberYard Apartments is moving forward, with a DHCD closing scheduled for
this fall. Work funded by the MassWorks award including streetscape improvements
and relocation of the storm drain channel is underway.
82 Bridge Street will be coming in for additional funding in the next CPC round, and
will be submitting to DHCD in the fall.
Friends of the Homeless/ Dial-Self are moving ahead with renovation plans for the
existing house on Hatfield Street and are conducting additional fundraising to plan and
construct the new building on the adjacent parcel.
The Community Builders and Valley CDC are formulating plans to move forward with
the new construction of affordable housing at Village Hill. CPC and CDBG awards will
be sought.
The Housing Rehab program has several homes under contract with work occurring. It
is running smoothly. There appears to be sufficient demand from just the single family
detached property owners at this time.
Welcome Home Northampton continues its efforts to support and house families that
are still coming, despite the ban. No additional families are expected in the next 90
days, however. The Circles of Care are in place and assisting those who have arrived. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded and cake was served to send Greta on her way with
our gratitude for her participation on the Partnership. We all wish her well. She will be
missed. There will be no meeting in August. The next meeting will be held September
11th. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes September 11, 2017 Members Present: Rev. Todd Weir, Chair, Patrick Boughan, Gordon Shaw, Jim Reis, Richard Abuza, Kyla Prior, Becky Lockwood, Michael Roy, Edgardo Cancel. Also present, Megan McDonough, Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity, Laura Baker, Valley CDC and Rachana Crowley from The Community Builders and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order Rev. Weir called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. All present introduced themselves and new Partnership member Edgardo Cancel was welcomed. Housing Project Presentations/ Requests for CPC Support Letters Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity Ms. McDonough is applying for two projects. One is for the former market rate lot in the Verona Garfield subdivision. This is a long term project that has seen the construction of 5 Habitat homes. Habitat seeks $20,000 to assist with associated costs which will complete the sub-division. The CPC application reads as follows: PVHH seeks to build a prototype small home on this small lot to provide access to homeownership for a low income household .... Through the generosity of a local donor, we are now poised to build the sixth and final house in this extension of Garfield Ave. on a small lot that was the focus of a design competition by the City called 'Small lot, Big Ideas' of building a "big enough" (600 sq. ft.+/-) house on this lot to increase the diversity of housing types available in the neighborhood and through Habitat. "Estimated start date is October 2018 with completion scheduled for November 2019. Population target is a household earning at or below 60% area median income, which is roughly $22,000 of annual income a year. The second project is for proposed development on a recently acquired large parcel on Glendale Road. The Office of Planning and Sustainability used multiple funding sources (including $220,000 from CDBG) to purchase a formerly approved subdivision that had never been developed. The bulk of the parcel will be preserved for open space, but 4 house lots were carved out. The City issued an RFP and Habitat was the 1
developer selected. Now, Habitat is seeking CPC funding to construct 3 zero net energy
modular homes on a common driveway. Volunteers will be utilized for finish work.
There is a fourth home that will be built along the Glendale Rd. frontage that may or
may not be of modular construction. The project summary on the CPC application
reads as follows: "Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity seeks to build three zero-net energy modular homes on a common driveway off of Glendale Road through an innovative partnership with the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC), the MA Dept. of Energy Resources and a modular home builder called Vermod. After the success ofVEIC's mobile home replacement program in Vermont, bringing zero net energy homes to low income residents, they are working on a pilot program to bring zero net energy "vermodular" homes to Massachusetts. Habitat has been selected as a pilot site ... "
Ms. McDonough continued that construction of this type will allow for the homes to be
built much quicker than usual. Estimated start date is January of 2018, with completion
scheduled for May 2019. Population target will be households earning less than 60% of
area median income adjusted for family size. The affordability will be permanently
protected by a deed restriction. A regulatory agreement has already been completed
with DHCD as part of the Local Action Unit Program, so the units will be included on
the State's Subsidized Housing Inventory.
Valley CDC
Laura Baker provided an update on the 82 Bridge Street SRO renovation and expansion
project.( The NHP already sent a support letter to the CPC for the prior round, so no
new letter is needed). The CPC awarded $50,000 on a $500,000 request but they
encouraged Valley to come back, so they have an application in this current round as
well. Laura showed a schematic rendering of the property and noted that since she was
last at the NHP, Valley has secured $150,000 of CDBG funds in this year's allocation,
secured $50,000 from the CPC, applied for $500,000 from the Federal Home Loan Bank,
put in a request to Smith College's Affordable Housing Fund and secured design
approval from the Mass Historical Commission. VCDC will submit a One Stop
Application to DHCD in the spring for the remaining funds. Two units will be set aside
for clients of the Dept. of Mental Health and 8 units will have a preference for homeless
individuals. This is a 7 million dollar project. There was no opposition to the permit
issued by the Planning Board. The implementation schedule is dependent on if the State
award is made in the first round or not (which is not usually the case). If it were to be
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funded in the first round, the project would begin in 2019, as tenant relocation is
involved.
The Community Builders
Rachana Crowley introduced herself as a Project Manager for TCB, a national non
profit housing developer. TCB was involved in the initial master planning for the State
hospital property and developed the early phases of affordable housing on the campus
and the sub division at Ice Pond Drive. The Hilltop Apartments are composed of two
existing buildings that were renovated for affordable housing containing 33 units. The
Hillside Apartments were 40 newly constructed townhouse style units. TCB has always
wanted to return to the Village to create additional affordable housing.
The parcel on the northern end of the campus became available after Transformations
went bankrupt. The proposal had been for estate lots with energy efficient large homes,
and a co housing development. MassDevelopment issued a request for proposals and
VCDC and TCB proposed to construct a 53 unit apartment building on the north end
and a 12 unit building close to the entrance of the campus. MassDevelopment liked the
proposal and gave them the go ahead to move forward. They are requesting $350,000
from the CPC, $150,000 from CDBG and will apply for this project as well, in the spring
One Stop round to the State. TCB will be the developer and the property manager. Total
development cost will be 19 million -$300,000/ per unit. Rents will be about $850 for
one bedroom units with utilities and the market rate/work force units will be about
$1,100 without utilities, similar to market rate rents in Northampton. Units will be set
aside for clients of the Department of Mental Health, as prescribed in the Master Plan.
Because it is financially difficult to develop affordable rental housing and to meet local
needs, they are utilizing MassHousing' s Work Force Housing program which will
produce units affordable to households earning from 60 -120% of ami. This range picks
up where the tax credit rents leave off. Gordon asked about larger apartment sizes to
accommodate larger families and wondered if the subsidies can be flexible according to
unit size. Becky asked about the funding sources and Richard asked about vehicle
charging facilities. Bus availability and transportation options were discussed. The
division of duties between TCB and VCDC were also described.
Chair Weir summarized the project requests. Member Abuza made the following
motion:" to authorize the Chair, or the Chair's designee, to issue three letters of support
(for the above referenced projects) to reflect the Northampton Housing Partnership's
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recognition of the critical need for housing across all income levels and how fundamentally difficult it is for households with lower incomes to find housing in Northampton. These three extraordinary projects address these needs in different ways and the letters should highlight the benefits of each proposal and convey the Partnership's whole hearted endorsement, particularly for the creation of affordable rental units, which is inherently difficult to develop." The motion was seconded by Mr. Boughan, and the vote in favor was unanimous. The applicants were thanked for their proposals and their presence. Gordon Shaw then described the other project seeking Community Preservation Act funding, the renewal of the Community Housing Support Services Project. This project was initiated by the Housing Partnership and received a three year award, which is now expiring. The funding supports a Coordinator focused on working with families facing eviction due to non-payment of rent. He emphasized that the majority of families seen in Housing Court facing eviction (40-60%), live in subsidized housing. The program has been extremely successful, with 58 cases -54 evictions were prevented. Discussion followed. Mr. Abuza made the following motion: " The Northampton Housing Partnership recognizes the value of addressing housing stabilization for families at risk of homelessness. The success of this effort demonstrates the cost benefit (human and financial) of this intensive case management program, and encourages its continued support." Mr. Reis seconded the motion, the vote was unanimous in favor. Op Ed/ Daily Hampshire Gazette Mr. Reis and Mr. Boughan have worked on a draft that addresses fair housing, which was circulated for review. The workshop date and outreach strategy need to be nailed down, as well as the statistics supplied by the Mass. Fair Housing Center. Comments on the draft should be submitted to Jim and Patrick, within the next week. Final discussion on the logistics will be one of the primary agenda items for the October meeting (October 2, 2017). Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 4
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes October 2, 2017 Members Present: Rev. Todd Weir, Chair; Patrick Boughan, Gordon Shaw, Jim Reis, Richard Abuza, Kyla Prior, Becky Lockwood, Mark Goggins and Peg Keller, staff. Members Roy, Brauner and Cancel were absent. Call to Order: Rev. Weir called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. All present introduced themselves. No one was present for the public comment period. The minutes were approved as submitted. Action Plan Updates Op-Ed Submission -Copies of the current draft were circulated for review. The date and time for the workshop have been established. The segregation rates and numbers of units that may contain lead paint were verified. Outreach was discussed. Safe Passage, other DV agencies, the Center for Women at UMASS, other housing partnerships, Peg's email listserv, private property managers, Housing Authority, Stavros, etc. were all mentioned. It was decided to ask the property managers and service providers at the November session how best to reach their respective clients. A second evening session will be planned for the spring, to reach those that cannot attend during the day. Co-sponsoring with an agency like Safe Passage in the spring, might increase attendance for a particular population segment, such as victims of domestic violence. Fair Housing Assessment Tool Update Members who have expressed a willingness to draft the Request for Proposals for the consultant are Kyla, Gordon, Jim and Becky. Peg will send the Housing RFP and any other RFP models she has found. The group will schedule a time to meet and develop a timeline and assign tasks. Zoning Sub-Committee Patrick will send an email to Wayne and Carolyn in the Planning Department to identify specific zoning revisions to advance. A commitment was made to have the Partnership support their efforts at public forums. Expiring Use Update 1
Peg reported that the Holyoke Housing Authority is willing to work with Mt. Holyoke Management to assign project based Section 8 subsidies to Leeds Village. Peg met with the HHA staff and the HHA will now meet with Leeds Village personnel. The HHA has experience with this process and are very willing to participate. They will contact the Northampton Housing Authority out of professional courtesy before they begin. Affordable Housing Production Peg gave updates on the Lumber Yard Apartments, Live 155, the DIAL/SELF Teen Housing Project, Village Hill North and 82 Bridge Street. Community Housing Support Services Renewal Strategy Peg reported on the number of CPC applications in this round (10). Members discussed who would speak at the application/ public comment sessions and what should be emphasized. Chair Weir will speak to all the housing projects and encourage the Committee to fund them all! Gordon and Peg will attend the first meeting on October 4th to answer specific questions about the CHSSP application and attempts to secure other funding. Linda Driscoll-Sbar and one of her client families will attend on Nov. 1st, as well as Chair Weir and Jen Dieringer, Community Legal Aid Attorney, one of the originators of the project when she served on the Housing Partnership. It will be an extremely competitive round with limited funds available. Housing Rehabilitation Program The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is administering the program smoothly. One unit has been finished and the family was very pleased with the results. Seven projects are currently in progress. Vice-President Election Patrick Boughan offered to serve and he was elected unanimously. Thank you Patrick! Adjourn There being no further business to discuss, the meeting concluded at 7:05 p.m. The next meeting will be held November 6th. Respectfully submitted,
Peg Keller
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CITY OF NORTHAMPTON Community and Economic Development Office
City Hall, 210 Main Street
Northampton, MA 01060-3199 (413) 587-1288 Fax: (413) 587-1275 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Meeting Notice DATE: November 6, 2017 TIME: 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PLACE: City Hall Hearing Room 18 210 Main Street Northampton 1.) Public Comment Peri 2.) A roval of Minut 3.) Action Plan U d es •Fall Wo shop Outreach/ Op Ed Submission•Fair ousing Update/ Develop RFP•Zo · g Sub-Committee•xp_iring Use/ Subsidized Housing Inventory Update4.) Affo dable Housin Production Pro ress 5.) CP Applications/ Process Update 6.) Other Business •Homeless Service Delivery System Discussion7.) Adjourn Peg Keller
Housing and Community Development Planner
413 -587-1288 pkeller@northamptonma.gov
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Minutes
December 4, 2017 Members Present: Rev. Todd Weir, Chair; Patrick Boughan, Gordon Shaw, Jim Reis,
Richard Abuza, Kyla Prior, Becky Lockwood, Mark Goggins and Peg Keller, staff.
Members Roy, Brauner and Cancel were absent. Guests City Councilor Ryan O'Donnell
and Gina Louise Sciarra were also in attendance. Call to Order: Chair Weir called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. All present
introduced themselves. The minutes from the October meeting were approved as
submitted. (The November meeting had been cancelled due to lack of quorum). CPA Allocation Proposal/ Councilors O'Donnell and Sciarra
Chair Weir introduced the Councilors and asked them to present their proposal.
Highlights of their comments were as follows:
•There are three formal categories of spending: open space, historic preservation
and affordable housing•A minimum of 10% is required to be allocated per each category, annually, by
law
•They have been observing that the affordable housing category has seen lower
allocations than the others and Patrick's research helped reinvigorate this
discussion
•Housing projects have been seen to be cyclical; there are not always projects
before the Committee, then a big demand (as evidenced this last round)
•The proposal is to increase the percentage of funding for affordable housing and
to require allocation set-a-sides when there are no projects before the Committee,
so funding is available when projects come forward
•This is their first meeting; they came to float the concept and see if the NHP feels
this is a path to be pursued; subsequent conversations with Planning and CPC
will follow
•Their goal is to analyze how things work now and insure affordable housing gets
the resources it needs and to make sure the policies and practices are the best fit
for our community
•He noted that a slot for a Housing Partnership member would be an asset to the
CPC; either instead of or in addition to the Housing Authority slot
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Councilor Sciarra added that the percentage of affordable units (10.7) fluctuates, as new
units get added to the inventory while others come off, and that as a community, we
can do better. Discussion followed.
Richard Abuza said he was thrilled to see the proposal because reliance on CPC funds
has increased as CDBG funding has decreased. Also, the constituency for affordable
housing is not as strong as those for the other categories.
Jim Reis also expressed his support. He asked if any thought had been given to how the
funds would be set aside. He asked about anticipating potential objections and
preparing to address them. Councilor O'Donnell said one II ask" would be for the CPC
to raise the percentage from 10 (to another number); another "ask" would be for them
to designate a II savings plan". Peg said she was not sure a NHP member could be
substituted for the NHA member, according to the State statute. Patrick asked if the
Councilors were asking for a specific recommendation now. Councilor O'Donnell said
that if a something formal is introduced at the Council level, it would be referred back
to the NHP for action. An endorsement would come at that time. The Councilors were
thanked for their efforts and their attendance; they departed the meeting.
Action Plan Updates
Fair Housing Workshop
Peg said the event held November 14th was very successful with about 30 in
attendance. She passed around the sign in sheet so members could see the cross section
of representation between service providers, small landlords and property managers.
Discussion followed about doing an evening session in the spring. Peg remembered
that the annual census letter to the landlords with the message from the Mayor and the
invitation to the February landlord workshop needed to go out now. She will contact
the City Clerk's office. Gordon Shaw agreed to identify a lawyer to participate.
Fair Housing Sub-Committee/ AFFH Assessment Tool RFP
Peg reported that the Sub-Committee met and had begun to divvy up tasks to create
and release the RFP. She noted that while at a Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
meeting, housing and community development officials from Holyoke and Springfield
requested that we conduct the Fair Housing Analysis as a region. Peg will meet with
them soon to discuss logistics. In the meantime, the NHP Sub-Committee will be on
hold.
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Zoning Sub-Committee
Patrick reported that the Planning office wanted to wait on more substantial changes
until after the City Council revamps it's Committee memberships, etc. in the new year.
Their priority is eliminating the URA zone and changing it to URB, in which multi
family uses are allowed by right. He said they will appreciate NHP support during
those public hearings. The form based zoning report being prepared for the downtown
by a consultant, has been expanded due to increased financial resources. He said OPD
may have already introduced the change that will allow more residential uses in mill
buildings to the Council.
Expiring Use/ Subsidized Housing Inventory
Peg had no update on Leeds Village, other than that the Holyoke Housing Authority is
working with Mt. Holyoke Management on securing project based Section 8 vouchers.
CPC Round Results
Members took a moment to celebrate the success of all the housing projects getting
funded in this last CPC round. Habitat was fully funded for their three requests, Valley
CDC got a second big chunk for 82 Bridge and a "placeholder" allocation for the Village
Hill North project, and we got one additional year for the Community Housing Support
Services program. The public comment session was unlike any the Committee had ever
seen (standing room only) and the housing presentations were compelling. Congrats to
all!
Valley CDC Annual Meeting
Peg noted that Rev. Weir was the keynote at Valley's annual meeting last week and he
spoke elnquently about the Housing Partnership, the great wnrk of Valley and the
critical, ongoing need for affordable housing in Northampton and the region.
APE Gallery Event
The Office of Planning and Sustainability is sponsoring a design competition for a
Burt's Pit Road site the City has just purchased. The parcel is slated for development of
3 affordable units. The APE Gallery will show the results of the competition and events
will be held all week (February 4-10). The NHP has been invited to sponsor an event for
one of the evenings. Patrick and Kyla agreed to work on this. Peg will contact a
professor she just met at Mt. Holyoke about a potential presentation for our session.
Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:10 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted, Peg Keller
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