FY 2022 Year 39 CAPER CAPER 1
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-05 - Goals and Outcomes
Progress the jurisdiction has made in carrying out its strategic plan and its action plan. 91.520(a)
This could be an overview that includes major initiatives and highlights that were proposed and executed throughout the program year.
The City of Northampton's CDBG Program carried out its 39th year of operation from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. The City is pleased to submit
this Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). Through several subrecipient grantee activities, Northampton residents
with low- and moderate-incomes benefited from services that contributed to their health and wellbeing.
The City purchased the former First Baptist Church at 298 Main Street for the Community Resiliency Hub. This $3.17 million purchase of a 14,500
sq. ft. space was planned for several CDBG program years and was the culmination of several departments and City partners working together
over many months to find a suitable building.
The R.K. Finn Ryan Road Elementary School finished the installation of the Aeorglider, which is an inclusive play structure in the playground. This
piece of equipment will allow for children of all abilities to play and interact together. This project was not finished until after the program year
was completed, so the City expects a full report next year. The Forbes Library Bathroom Wheelchair Access Improvements have been started,
but this project has experienced delays due to unforeseen design challenges. This is an original stone building from the 1800’s which was not
built for accessibility or having to accommodate modern ventilation. The City expects this project to be complete before the conclusion of the
current program year.
Valley CDC purchased the former nursing home on Bridge Road, and renamed it as Prospect Place. This structure will become affordable housing
for 60 low-income households and is close to several amenities such as shopping, conservation areas, and a bus route. This adaptive reuse
project will need to be rehabilitated, as it has sat vacant, but it will add a significant amount of affordable housing units to the City. The City is a
proud sponsor of affordable housing projects like Prospect Place and is happy to partner with Valley CDC on another great project at 196 Cooke
Ave. The abandoned Moose Lodge at 196 Cooke Ave. was successfully remediated of hazardous materials and demolished. One half of the
parcel will now become four single-family housing units for first-time homebuyers through Habitat for Humanity, and the other half will become
a parking lot to serve the conservation area of Broad Brook Greenway. The four Habitat homes will be free of fossil fuels for heating and will be
made solar and Electric Vehicle (EV) ready.
CAPER 2
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
The housing rehabilitation program was successful in helping two homes over the program year. This was the first year with Community Action
as the new housing rehabilitation vendor, so the beginning of the program year was getting all of the documents and procedures dialed in. Once
the program was live, Community Action had a list of eligible clients and was busy getting scopes of work ready and receiving bids from
contractors.
The nine public service projects continued to do good work in the community, helping people attain English fluency, helping folks look for and
get stable jobs, developing youth leadership, preventing homelessness, and obtaining nutritious fresh and prepared food. ServiceNet’s passed
the responsibility of administering the two emergency shelters, Grove Street Inn and the Interfaith Winter Shelter, to another provider. The
City’s contract with them ended prior to the end of the program year. The new shelter services provider, Clinical & Support Options (CSO) is not
a CDBG recipient from the City. The Microenterprise Technical Assistance program did not fully draw down its funding during the program year,
but it is expected to finish during the current program year.
Comparison of the proposed versus actual outcomes for each outcome measure submitted with the consolidated plan and
explain, if applicable, why progress was not made toward meeting goals and objectives. 91.520(g)
Categories, priority levels, funding sources and amounts, outcomes/objectives, goal outcome indicators, units of measure, targets, actual
outcomes/outputs, and percentage completed for each of the grantee’s program year goals.
Goal Category Source
/
Amount
Indicator Unit of
Measure
Expected
–
Strategic
Plan
Actual –
Strategic
Plan
Percent
Complete
Expected
–
Program
Year
Actual –
Program
Year
Percent
Complete
Economic
Development
& Income
Maximization
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG:
$
Facade
treatment/business
building rehabilitation
Business 0 2 0 2
Economic
Development
& Income
Maximization
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG:
$ Jobs created/retained Jobs 50 0
0.00%
CAPER 3
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Economic
Development
& Income
Maximization
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG:
$ Businesses assisted Businesses
Assisted 50 69
138.00% 65 69
106.15%
Improve Public
Facilities &
Infrastructure
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Public
Facilities and
Infrastructure
CDBG:
$
Public Facility or
Infrastructure Activities
other than
Low/Moderate Income
Housing Benefit
Persons
Assisted 6450 802
12.43% 2753 802
29.13%
Improve Public
Facilities &
Infrastructure
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Public
Facilities and
Infrastructure
CDBG:
$
Public Facility or
Infrastructure Activities
for Low/Moderate
Income Housing Benefit
Households
Assisted 48 0
0.00%
Preserve
Affordable
Housing,
Tenancy Help
& Rehab
Affordable
Housing
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
CDBG:
$ Rental units constructed
Household
Housing
Unit
25 0
0.00% 60 0
0.00%
Preserve
Affordable
Housing,
Tenancy Help
& Rehab
Affordable
Housing
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
CDBG:
$
Rental units
rehabilitated
Household
Housing
Unit
35 2
5.71% 0 0
Preserve
Affordable
Housing,
Tenancy Help
& Rehab
Affordable
Housing
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
CDBG:
$
Homeowner Housing
Added
Household
Housing
Unit
12 0
0.00% 0 0
CAPER 4
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Preserve
Affordable
Housing,
Tenancy Help
& Rehab
Affordable
Housing
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
CDBG:
$
Homeowner Housing
Rehabilitated
Household
Housing
Unit
15 2
13.33% 5 2
40.00%
Preserve
Affordable
Housing,
Tenancy Help
& Rehab
Affordable
Housing
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
CDBG:
$
Direct Financial
Assistance to
Homebuyers
Households
Assisted 15 0
0.00%
Preserve
Affordable
Housing,
Tenancy Help
& Rehab
Affordable
Housing
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
CDBG:
$
Housing for Homeless
added
Household
Housing
Unit
0 2 0 0
Preserve
Affordable
Housing,
Tenancy Help
& Rehab
Affordable
Housing
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
CDBG:
$
Housing for People with
HIV/AIDS added
Household
Housing
Unit
0 0 0 0
Preserve
Affordable
Housing,
Tenancy Help
& Rehab
Affordable
Housing
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
CDBG:
$ Buildings Demolished Buildings 1 1
100.00%
CAPER 5
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Public Services
Affordable
Housing
Homeless
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG:
$
Public service activities
other than
Low/Moderate Income
Housing Benefit
Persons
Assisted 1900 2432
128.00% 2241 2432
108.52%
Public Services
Affordable
Housing
Homeless
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG:
$
Public service activities
for Low/Moderate
Income Housing Benefit
Households
Assisted 75 0
0.00%
Public Services
Affordable
Housing
Homeless
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG:
$
Homeless Person
Overnight Shelter
Persons
Assisted 1000 116
11.60% 185 116
62.70%
CAPER 6
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Public Services
Affordable
Housing
Homeless
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG:
$
Overnight/Emergency
Shelter/Transitional
Housing Beds added
Beds 25 54
216.00% 0 0
Public Services
Affordable
Housing
Homeless
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG:
$
Homelessness
Prevention
Persons
Assisted 500 82
16.40% 20 82
410.00%
Public Services
Affordable
Housing
Homeless
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG:
$ Jobs created/retained Jobs 150 0
0.00%
CAPER 7
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Removal of
Slums and
Blight
Affordable
Housing
Non-Housing
Community
Development
Public
Facilities
CDBG:
$ Buildings Demolished Buildings 1 1
100.00% 1 1
100.00%
Table 1 - Accomplishments – Program Year & Strategic Plan to Date
Assess how the jurisdiction’s use of funds, particularly CDBG, addresses the priorities and specific objectives identified in the plan,
giving special attention to the highest priority activities identified.
In Table 1, of the 2022 Program Year accomplishments, three of the City's actual accomplishment indicators exceeded or met the expected goal
numbers in the Action Plan, while four indicators fell short of the goal numbers. The “Public Facility or Infrastructure Activities other than
Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit” did not meet its goal because the projects cannot report on accomplishments until the projects are fully
operational. This often happens when multi-year projects, such as housing, cannot fully report until the units are fully occupied.
The “Rental units constructed” did not meet its goal because the project was to acquire the building (Prospect Place), which occurred, but the
activity cannot be reported until people are living in the building. The Housing Rehab program completed two out of five housing units. There
are currently four housing projects in process and many more on the waitlist. The “Homeless Person Overnight Shelter” did not meet its goal
because the shelter provider’s contract with the state expired three quarters of the way through the program year. There were no shelter beds
added during this program year.
There was $60,000 set aside for the removal of slums and blight at the former Moose Lodge (Cooke Ave.) was a critical piece to accomplish this
year, so that construction of the City parking lot could be completed, and Habitat for Humanity could start on its housing construction.
The actual number of jobs created/retained under the Economic Development accomplishments was zero when our expected strategic goal was
50. Due to the City configuring national objectives for Economic Development activities as LMC, which does not ask for jobs retained or created.
CAPER 8
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Last year, we updated the National Objective for microenterprise assistance activity to LMCMC and saw new fields for job creation/retention.
The direct financial down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers had an expected strategic outcome of 15 over the 5-Year Consolidated
Plan, which we will not fulfill since the subrecipient moved to a much larger funding source in the previous program year. The homebuyers were
having a hard time competing with wealthier homebuyers, who can afford to pay over asking price with cash. Many potential applicants dropped
out of the grant process or did not succeed in securing a home.
The Strategic Plan lists 500 expected for the Homelessness Prevention indicator under the Public Services, but Community Legal Aid helped 8
households and 17 individuals with their homelessness prevention program, so there is a mismatch in the goals and the outcome. This is likely
because there was a misconfiguration in the activity setup.
The expected goal for jobs created/retained in Public Services was set up as 150 in the Con Plan, but it is not an appropriate indicator since
public services focus on providing essential needs and helping secure employment, not create new jobs or retain existing jobs. Although we
identified some of these miconfigurations last year, we did not change them because doing so would throw off other objectives.
CAPER 9
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-10 - Racial and Ethnic composition of families assisted
Describe the families assisted (including the racial and ethnic status of families assisted).
91.520(a)
CDBG
White 3,943
Black or African American 538
Asian 107
American Indian or American Native 17
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 0
Total 4,605
Hispanic 1,326
Not Hispanic 3,279
Table 2 – Table of assistance to racial and ethnic populations by source of funds
Narrative
Hispanic households (about 20% of Northampton’s total households) benefitted from CDBG. The
majority race category in our community is White. The high cost of housing has definitely been
identified as one barrier to people choosing to move here. The analysis of impediments to fair housing
also examined other factors including local choice at the housing authority, which further excludes
people who do not already live in Northampton.
CAPER 10
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-15 - Resources and Investments 91.520(a)
Identify the resources made available
Source of Funds Source Resources Made
Available
Amount Expended
During Program Year
CDBG public - federal 892,030
Table 3 - Resources Made Available
Narrative
The resources made available column includes $643,411.00 in 2022 CDBG allocation, $189,989.30 in
carryover from the previous program year, $41,298.57 in program income. An additional $522,470.52 in
CDBG-CV allocation was also made available, which was a remainder from the 2020 COVID
disbursement.
The total amount expended during the program year was $1,397,141.28, which includes the
$643,382.89 in 2022 CDBG, carryover, program income, and $522.470.52 in CDBG-CV. Per CDBG
regulations, program income is given priority on spending, then prior year resources, before the current
CDBG allocation.
Of the CDBG-CV money that was spent, $450,113.19 was spent on the Community Resiliency Hub
acquisition and $72,357.33 was spent between Emergency Food Pantry, Community Kitchen, and COVID
Small Business Grants. There is a remainder from the CDBG-CV allocation of $1,733.77 that will be used
for Planning & Administration in the next program year.
The "other" category for available resources is composed of several other sources, including the
Community Preservation Act (CPA) which was used towards affordable housing, housing for the
homeless, and down-payments assistance funds.
Identify the geographic distribution and location of investments
Target Area Planned Percentage of
Allocation
Actual Percentage of
Allocation
Narrative Description
Table 4 – Identify the geographic distribution and location of investments
Narrative
The City has not designated any HUD defined target areas. All public service activities, as well as the
Housing Rehab program, First Time Homebuyer program and Micro-Business assistance programs are
available to all income eligible Northampton residents across the City. The City will target CDBG funds
toward LMI households and individuals.
CAPER 11
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Leveraging
Explain how federal funds leveraged additional resources (private, state and local funds),
including a description of how matching requirements were satisfied, as well as how any
publicly owned land or property located within the jurisdiction that were used to address the
needs identified in the plan.
CDBG allocations for public service agencies are very small amounts compared to their overall
budgets. The awards range from $9,000 - $15,000. The City’s support with CDBG funds is to
leverage other funding awards such as Community Preservation Act funding and other grants
from the state and private organizations. For the current program year (2023-2024), the City
asked for public service agencies to request higher minimum amounts so that there would be
more benefit to the agencies for applying. The City recognizes the administrative cost of
applying and reporting and wants to reward agencies for asking for more money.
Valley CDC leveraged $285,000 in CDBG, $664,068 in Community Preservation Act (CPA), and
$50,000 short-term rental fees. This money helped leverage an additional $27 million in state
funding for acquisition and rehabilitation in order to create affordable housing.
For all housing projects, the City will use a combination of funding sources as needed, from
Community Preservation Act, MassWorks (state), Housing Choice Grant (state), and fees from
short-term rentals (local) to acquire land and structures, install infrastructure (e.g., water,
storm water, sewer, electrical), cover soft costs (e.g., engineering, surveys), and prepare the
parcels ahead of disposition to an affordable housing developer. There are several
Massachusetts specific grants from MassHousing and the Executive Office of Housing & Livable
Communities (EOHLC, formerly DHCD) that incentivize the creation of affordable housing,
housing near transit, and higher density housing.
CAPER 12
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-20 - Affordable Housing 91.520(b)
Evaluation of the jurisdiction's progress in providing affordable housing, including the
number and types of families served, the number of extremely low-income, low-income,
moderate-income, and middle-income persons served.
One-Year Goal Actual
Number of Homeless households to be
provided affordable housing units 0 0
Number of Non-Homeless households to be
provided affordable housing units 60 0
Number of Special-Needs households to be
provided affordable housing units 0 0
Total 60 0
Table 5 – Number of Households
One-Year Goal Actual
Number of households supported through
Rental Assistance 0 0
Number of households supported through
The Production of New Units 0 0
Number of households supported through
Rehab of Existing Units 5 2
Number of households supported through
Acquisition of Existing Units 60 0
Total 65 2
Table 6 – Number of Households Supported
Discuss the difference between goals and outcomes and problems encountered in meeting these goals.
The housing rehabilitation program was successful in helping two homes over the program year. This
was the first year with Community Action as a new housing rehabilitation vendor, so the beginning of
the program year was getting all of the documents and procedures established. Once the program was
live, Community Action had a list of eligible clients and was busy getting the scopes of work ready and
receiving bids from contractors.
CAPER 13
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
In total, there are four projects that will not be reporting accomplishments. They are either not
completed (e.g. Forbes Library Accessibility) or they are ‘complete’, but they cannot report on
accomplishments until the beneficiaries are being actualized (e.g. Prospect Place Acquisition). The
projects not reporting accomplishments are: Forbes Library Bathroom ADA Improvements, Community
Resilience Hub, Ryan Road Elementary Playground Accessibility, and the Prospect Place Acquisition.
Since some people may utilize more than one public service program, they may get counted multiple
times across different activities. For example, someone living in a shelter is probably attending the
MANNA meals, or someone using the tenancy protection program may also be attending the Literacy
Project classes. This was especially true during the pandemic. We have seen an increase in safety-net
programs such as the emergency food pantry and the soup kitchen. The number of people experiencing
homelessness includes people served at the year-round Grove Street Inn and the Interfaith Winter
Shelter but does not include the unsheltered population. Some of those clients are not considered
homeless.
Discuss how these outcomes will impact future annual action plans.
The City will consider using more conservative goal outcome indicators for some of its projects in the
future as several did not meet its expectations. Some of this may be due partly to the direct effects of
the pandemic and the indirect effects such as more funding available from alternate sources. The City
will also look into how it configures the Goal Outcome Indicators in IDIS during the next Consolidated
Plan as several GOI did not align with how the projects were reported at the activity level.
The ongoing pandemic has demonstrated the need for increased shelter capacity and the need for
rental assistance. The shelter capacity has increased in the region overall, but at the same time, each
shelter had to house less people due to pandemic restrictions. There are also several affordable housing
projects in the development pipeline with the affordable housing developers that the City uses. These
projects often use multiple sources of money and the City will look toward where it can best utilize
CDBG to bring about affordable housing. The property for the Community Resilience Hub has been
acquired and staff is busy working to hire an architect for its rehabilitation.
Include the number of extremely low-income, low-income, and moderate-income persons served by each activity where information on income by family size is required to determine the eligibility of the activity.
Number of Households Served CDBG Actual HOME Actual
Extremely Low-income 0 0
Low-income 0 0
Moderate-income 2 0
Total 2 0
Table 7 – Number of Households Served
CAPER 14
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Narrative Information
In total 2 households benefited from CDBG project funding this past year with the housing rehabilitation
program.
CAPER 15
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-25 - Homeless and Other Special Needs 91.220(d, e); 91.320(d, e); 91.520(c)
Evaluate the jurisdiction’s progress in meeting its specific objectives for reducing and ending
homelessness through:
Reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their
individual needs
The City continued to work closely with Eliot Community Homeless Services. Their Outreach Coordinator
and Street Outreach Clinician attended monthly meetings of the Next Step Collaborative and regularly
reported on the needs and numbers of people living outside. The City also works with the outreach
worker from MANNA soup kitchen to engage with homeless persons. The City used its homeless
encampment notification protocol for addressing encampments, either through cleanup measures or
warning people camping in flood zones.
The City’s plan to create a Community Resilience Hub in downtown that houses several public service
agencies is a perfect fit for assessing and serving the needs of the unhoused. It will be close to public
transportation, shelters, and will be co-located with other services. This ‘living room’ model may prove
exceptionally beneficial to homeless persons. These have both become essential as the pandemic forced
more people onto the streets. The City has purchased the building and is excited to move forward with
its rehabilitation.
The encampment protocol was to identify, notify, assess, and take the appropriate action (services, post
notice, etc.). The Health and Human Services Dept., Eliot, CSO, Tapestry Health, and other partners often
join the outreach effort as the inhabitants' needs are identified. People are directed towards services
where possible. They were also given ample warning if they needed to relocate for safety reasons (e.g.,
camping in a flood plain) to avoid loss of personal items.
The number of people living outside has stayed steady from the last program year. Successful models
operating in other parts of the country are when outreach workers can immediately house homeless
people into houses. This is made difficult during the pandemic, from the increased need and from
shelters being required to operate at reduced capacity. Street outreach is hugely successful when units
are immediately available. The City will continue to advocate regionally to create a robust homeless
shelter network, share best practices, and build suitable housing arrangements for those who are
homeless. Throughout the pandemic, the Mayor has advocated for dynamic housing options at the state
level and has taken bold action to stand up the Division of Community Care (DCC) within the
Department of Health & Human Services. The DCC will offer person centered & trauma informed care in
efforts to provide emotional support, advocacy, & resource connections for people seeking services. The
DCC team will respond to calls to support people in the city of Northampton who are experiencing
houselessness, emotional distress, difficulty with meeting basic needs, substance use, navigating
conflicts, and other related situations.
CAPER 16
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Addressing the emergency shelter and transitional housing needs of homeless persons
The Division of Community Care will take away some of the current emergency calls to the police
department and respond in a trauma informed way. This division just had its open house and have
begun to field calls from the emergency responders. Many of the people who will be using those
services are unhoused and this will keep them out of the police records, just for having a bad day. The
DCC has been a part of the ongoing Community Resilience Hub conversation.
Relevant service providers throughout the City met weekly to discuss Coordinated Entry and periodically
identify the most vulnerable of their clients and worked hard to find housing placements for them. The
Community Development Planner has observed some of these meetings to understand what role the
City plays in the process. The City continued to support both shelters for individuals with CDBG funding
and other public services that help those that are homeless. The Community Development Planner
facilitated the Next Step Collaborative, a monthly gathering of housing and shelter service providers and
regularly attends the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness monthly meetings. At these
meetings, local leaders and service providers discussed policies that needed supporting and how to best
utilize new sizable federal money available. The DCC will take over facilitating the Next Step
Collaborative meetings as their office is closer to the work of helping people in crisis and/or
experiencing homelessness.
The Three County Consortium of Care (CoC) is composed of service agencies from Berkshire, Franklin,
and Hampshire Counties and is primarily rural in nature. The Three County CoC administers the
Coordinated Entry system. However, there is often not enough housing to get people into a unit. The
City will continue to investigate creating housing first units, continue its funding for Single Room
Occupancy (SRO) support and shelter, fund the building of more affordable rental units, and maintain a
healthy housing stock through housing rehab. The need for housing on all levels has been exacerbated
by the flight to more rural areas like Northampton during the pandemic.
The CoC is truly a regional collaboration with people from Clinical Support Options (CSO), Friends of
Hampshire Homeless, Our Lady of the Valley parish, and Soldier On when it is operational. Many shelter
providers must apply for multiple funding applications, soliciting private donations, and securing
volunteer support in order to provide their services. This creates extra overhead for the staff that is not
directly helping their clients. Tapestry Health Systems, Eliot Homeless Services, CSO, the Northampton
Police Department, Forbes Library, Friends of Hampshire County Homeless, and MANNA have all worked
together for several years to identify, engage, and serve those people most at risk in Northampton.
Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely
low-income individuals and families and those who are: likely to become homeless after
being discharged from publicly funded institutions and systems of care (such as health care
facilities, mental health facilities, foster care and other youth facilities, and corrections
programs and institutions); and, receiving assistance from public or private agencies that
CAPER 17
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
address housing, health, social services, employment, education, or youth needs
Social workers from the local hospital attend Next Step Collaborative meetings to network with housing
and shelter providers to avoid discharging patients into homelessness. The Department of Mental
Health (DMH) uses the Sergeant Housing SRO on Bridge Street to house some of its clients. Soldier On
picks up and transports veterans being discharged from the Hampshire County House of Corrections
who chose to go to Soldier On and did not have other housing options.
Access to an affordable housing opportunity in Northampton is life changing for those that are afforded
the opportunity. Safe, decent, and affordable housing is a health/mental health intervention in and of
itself. Individuals who are stably housed have better outcomes over time, i.e. reduction in inpatient
hospitalizations, reduction in the use of crisis services, and forensics engagements as compared to those
experiencing housing instability. Secondly, the affordable housing providers are more sensitive to the
needs and challenges of DMH’s housing participants which are not often found in the general landlord
community. These housing providers are willing to work with service providers around the shared goal
of maintaining the housing while at the same time holding people accountable for their behavior and
expecting them to abide by the normal tenancy requirements. Since the vast majority of DMH clients
cannot afford to own and maintain a car, the proximity to transit, services, shopping and recreation are
important for them so it is a real bonus having these housing units located right in the heart of the
downtown corridor.
One of the challenges with some DMH clients in Northampton is the use of the Metro Fair Market Rent,
which ties vouchers to the Springfield Metropolitan area, which has a lower average rent than
Northampton. This means a voucher that cannot fully support leases in Northampton. This causes
people to move out of the City and farther from their support services.
Helping homeless persons (especially chronically homeless individuals and families, families
with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth) make the transition to
permanent housing and independent living, including shortening the period of time that
individuals and families experience homelessness, facilitating access for homeless individuals
and families to affordable housing units, and preventing individuals and families who were
recently homeless from becoming homeless again
The Division of Community Care will serve as the first responders to people in a non-violent crisis and
can help deescalate the issue, helping people take the next step toward finding housing. There are other
street outreach teams, the Northampton Police Department, and other providers regularly refer people
to assistance at the various locations and time in the City that services are provided.
With the purchase of the building for the Community Resilience Hub, the services that will be provided
there are coming into focus. Many residents are still going to MANNA Community Kitchen for showers,
laundry, and food. MANNA has dramatically increased its services in the last two years and is acting as a
mini resilience hub, where the team is learning what works best to serve the homeless. They regularly
CAPER 18
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
work with the team at Community Action Pioneer Valley, who will be running the hub once it is
operational in the next two years. Also, the Northampton Housing Authority received a limited number
of Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV), which can be used by non-elderly disabled people, including
chronically homeless people. These vouchers will help people leave the emergency shelter system or get
off of the streets.
Homeless service providers in the region see homelessness as a regional problem and work together on
solutions, such as coordinating at the City’s Next Step Collaborative meetings. These monthly meetings
are a way for providers to freely share their needs as homelessness service providers and work
collaboratively to solve them.
The City continued to support the Community Legal Aid (CLA) Homelessness Prevention Program to
keep people sustainably housed. Homelessness prevention is a high priority activity area for the City,
especially since pandemic era protections have stopped. Once a household loses its rental subsidy, it is
very difficult for them to re-secure housing stability. CLA provides free legal assistance to families and
individuals with low incomes facing eviction in Housing Court. With mediation efforts, the majority of
tenancies are preserved. With more than half of the households presenting in Housing Court already
residing in rent assisted units, the issues revolve around life skills, financial literacy, and increasing their
wages.
Additionally, the City uses both CDBG and non-CDBG funding sources to create affordable housing,
either set aside for people experiencing homelessness or for those that are low-income. The more
housing that is created, the less pressure there is on the rental and home buying market for people to
move into.
CAPER 19
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-30 - Public Housing 91.220(h); 91.320(j)
Actions taken to address the needs of public housing
There were no CDBG funded projects at the Northampton Housing Authority during this program year.
Although a member of the Northampton Housing Partnerships on board of directors for the housing
authority, keeping an ear out for projects, no projects were requested this last program year.
The NHA continued to receive HUD Mainstream Vouchers and additional Emergency Housing Vouchers
(EHV), which can be used by non-elderly disabled people, including chronically homeless people. These
vouchers will help people to leave the emergency shelter system or get off of the streets. The NHA will
utilize the Coordinated Entry list, and preference will be given to those highest on the list. NHA
leadership regularly meets with the Three Country Continuum of Care and other Housing Agencies to
discuss the Coordinated Entry list.
Actions taken to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in
management and participate in homeownership
The Northampton Housing Authority's Board of Directors has always had tenant representation. The
NHA has worked hard to involve more of its residents in planning projects and keeping a resident as a
member of the board. Two tenants at NHA properties are on the Northampton Housing Partnership,
which advocates for affordable and fair housing in the City.
One CDBG funded project, Hampshire Heights Playground was a community-inspired project designed to
coordinate with the community. Additionally, the NHA has accepted one of its residents' to serve a 3-5
year term on the NHA Board of Directors. A former NHA tenant, who is Hispanic, is now a member of
the board.
Actions taken to provide assistance to troubled PHAs
The Northampton Housing Authority is not designated as troubled. The Analysis of Impediments (AI) to
Fair Housing did conclude that the Housing Authority's local preference (for tenant selection) is a
deterrent to housing mobility from other parts of the region into Northampton.
CAPER 20
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-35 - Other Actions 91.220(j)-(k); 91.320(i)-(j)
Actions taken to remove or ameliorate the negative effects of public policies that serve as
barriers to affordable housing such as land use controls, tax policies affecting land, zoning
ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limitations, and policies affecting the
return on residential investment. 91.220 (j); 91.320 (i)
The Analysis of Impediments (AI) Report from 2019 identified several policies that are affecting the
ability of people to find suitable housing in Northampton. One item was the broker fees that are borne
by people applying for market-rate rental housing. This is allowed under current regulations, but the
Northampton Housing Partnership has advocated with the City Council to make this practice illegal. A
home-rule petition to the state was introduced to the state in 2022 and the City is still awaiting the state
legislature’s approval.
While the Housing Partnership had previous conversations with the NHA regarding the Metro FMR, the
conversation has not progressed in a meaningful way. This still means that the vouchers that are given
out are often not enough to fully support leases in Northampton, so people move outside of the City-
once they get a voucher, if they even end up using it. The Community Development Planner did a more
extensive analysis of using the Small Area FMR in 2023, interviewing leadership at other housing
authorities and looking at the data, but did not see a practical path forward at the time. There are too
many administrative burdens to get through.
The high cost of housing was also identified as a barrier. While the Housing Partnership does not create
affordable housing, they can and have done meaningful advocacy work towards that goal. They have
advocated for and done the initial analysis for the City to adopt the real-estate transfer fee law. Once
passed, this transfer fee would generate income from the sale of real-estate for the production of
affordable housing. This bill was also introduced in 2022 and is awaiting approval by the state
legislature. Additionally, the City is working to get four City-owned parcels development ready, by using
a Housing Choice state grant to install sanitary sewer, treat stormwater, create designs, and prepare the
sites for disposition. From these sites, the City expects at minimum 28 affordable units.
The AI Report did note that the City is doing everything it should to promote mixed-use, affordable
housing, and increase housing choice. The City is encouraging higher density development by promoting
infill, permitting small lot residential development, encouraging mixed-use developments by allowing
housing in all districts and industrial districts, permitting live/work units. It is working to increase
housing diversity and affordability by allowing accessory dwelling units in all zones and providing density
incentives for affordability. The City passed a two-family by right zoning amendment that streamlined
the process and decreased the cost for creating two-family houses anywhere in the City as well as
zoning that more than doubled the allowable density for affordable housing in all residential zoning
districts.
The City had previously established two Smart Growth Overlay districts called Massachusetts Chapter
CAPER 21
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
40R districts, which require an affordability component, and expanded one of those districts last year to
include a parcel that we have sold to an affordable housing developer. That site was approved and could
potentially have up to 23 affordable units.
Following recommendations made in earlier AI reports, the City now permits up to six units by right with
the site-plan review, has simple standards for larger multi-family structures, requires no traffic
mitigation or parking for residential construction downtown, allows mixed-use housing by right with site
plan review and doubled - and in some cases tripled - the density allowed in some zones within the
urban core. By reducing lot size throughout the City to better reflect existing development patterns,
possibilities for 2-3 unit dwellings is increased.
Actions taken to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs. 91.220(k); 91.320(j)
Housing first units, or units that are meant for people coming directly from homelessness were created
during the last program year. Although not funded by CDBG, this older nursing home at 5 Franklin Street
was transformed into a 16-unit home for people who are homeless and have critical medical needs. The
project has been called transformative. It took collaboration between the neighbors, the funders,
medical staff, the City, and even the state government to create this project. The City is investigating
how CDBG funds may be used to support this project in the future.
AI Report has provided the City with several years of work, such as policies that need to change and new
projects. The Community Development Planner has monthly meetings with the Housing Partnership,
where they have prioritized the AI Report's action steps and have begun to take steps towards meeting
those needs. For instance, addressing the Small Area FMR that the NHA uses and investigating broker
fees by private rental agencies. This is a barrier keeping people out of the City with its heavy upfront
costs of moving, so a Housing Partnership subcommittee has been meeting to make recommendations
to address it.
Another act of legislation that is being moved through the state is a ‘real-estate transfer fee’, which
would be levied on the sellers/buyer of residential real estate transactions over a certain amount. The
details, such as who pays, at what percentage of the sale price, and what home price is eligible is still
being investigated by the Housing Partnership. Each city would be able to set their own terms if this
policy passes.
The Community Development Planner continued with the City’s involvement in the Western
Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness, staff support to the Northampton Housing Partnership,
and the Next Step Collaborative. All of these meetings work towards meeting the needs of
underrepresented and underserved people in our community. Additionally, the ADA Self-Evaluation and
Transition Plan identified several barriers to people with disabilities in their access to City buildings,
sidewalks, and programs. The ADA/Section 504 Coordinator also serves as the staff person for the
Disability Commission and have together identified action steps towards addressing issues from the
report.
CAPER 22
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Actions taken to reduce lead-based paint hazards. 91.220(k); 91.320(j)
While lead-based paint abatement did not progress in a substantial way, the City has housing
rehabilitation resources available and will prioritize the remediation of lead if it is found in a home. The
rates of lead paint poisoning among children remain low locally, but this can be deceiving. The presence
of lead paint is a silent discriminator when landlords refuse to rent to families with young children
because they are unwilling to certify that there is no lead paint or are unable to abate their units in
compliance with the Massachusetts Lead Paint Notification law. The presence of lead paint can be
assumed for every home built before the lead paint ban in 1978, which for Northampton is about 50% of
the total housing stock. Once again, this was identified in the AI Report and is considered a barrier to
family housing in Northampton.
The City's Housing Rehabilitation Program conducted lead paint testing at all homes that had children
under six years old. A single-family homeowner can participate in a 15-year deferred payment with 0%
interest loan program in which lead paint can be abated if necessary. The upper limit for a project cost
was set $60,000 to allow for lead-based paint abatement activities if needed. The Northampton Board of
Health continued to keep up the database of units that have been abated and so certified as such. When
funds are available, the Valley CDC's Homeownership Center continued to refer people to the State's
“Get the Lead Out Program.”
Actions taken to reduce the number of poverty-level families. 91.220(k); 91.320(j)
The City funds several public services that can help reduce poverty, such as the Literacy Project and
Center for New Americans. Both programs teach valuable information and increase the skill level of their
students, giving them the confidence to secure better employment. Community Action's Youth
Employment Readiness Program helps young individuals and families gain education and employment
skills to increase economic empowerment and self-sufficiency. These programs are all CDBG
subrecipients. CDBG funds continued to support local small businesses that employ low-income people
through micro-enterprise grants.
The Northampton Housing Partnership had a few conversations internally about the Northampton
Housing Authority and its participation in HUD's Small Area Fair Market Rent. The NHA participating in
the SAFMR would likely increase the ability of people with low incomes to use HUD Housing Choice
Vouchers in Northampton. Because Northampton is included in the Springfield MSA, fair market rents
have been much lower than market-rate rents for decades.
Actions taken to develop institutional structure. 91.220(k); 91.320(j)
The City continued to have regular monthly meetings of the Northampton Housing Partnership, the Next
Step Collaborative, and the Disability Commission. These have helped create that institutional
framework of collaboration, but also help implement the action items from the AI and support CDBG
funded efforts. Other meetings, such as the Coordinated Entry meetings for the Three County
CAPER 23
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Continuum of Care and the Western Mass Network to End Homelessness have helped the Community
Development Planner stay current on issues.
The action steps and directives from recent studies like the Mayor's Work Group on Panhandling (2019),
the Analysis of Impediments (2019) and the ADA Self-Evaluation/Transition Plan (2020) have kept the
City busy with identified tasks to ameliorate some of the issues that residents are facing. Available
training for federal grants such as CDBG and state specific planning were taken regularly by members of
the Office of Planning & Sustainability.
Feedback on the operations and gaps in the system were discussed at various meetings throughout the
year by the Community Development Planner, the Community Preservation Committee, the Office of
Planning and Sustainability, the Human Rights Commission, the Disability Commission, the Police
Department, the Health Department, the Building Department, the Public Works Department, all of
whom work together to identify and address community issues. The Mayor, the Mayor's Chief of Staff,
Director of Planning & Sustainability, and other departments had met monthly to ensure a coordinated
community development strategy. The municipal structure that exists is quite collaborative.
The Action Plans formulated by the Analysis of Impediments Update and the Mayor's Work Group on
Panhandling call for collaboration between the various entities responsible for implementing a myriad of
recommendations to ensure our community is welcoming and accessible to all. The Northampton
Housing Partnership has worked strategically with members of the City Council, the Human Rights
Commission, and the Northampton Housing Authority to work on the issues identified in the recent
studies mentioned.
Actions taken to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service
agencies. 91.220(k); 91.320(j)
The City purchased the building for the Community Resilience Hub and has engaged strategically with its
partners on the use of the space. As of September 2023, the City is still in the selection phase for the
architect to do the rehabilitation, but the programming for the space with its partners is well underway.
They are looking at the organizational structure, governance, and support services that would be housed
have progressed in a measurable way. Community Action Pioneer Valley will be sponsoring the hub and
have been having monthly meetings for over two years now. Many of the same organizations that
attend that meeting have worked alongside each other because of their work providing social services or
their involvement with the Next Step Collaborative.
The Next Step Collaborative meetings are monthly gatherings of local housing and homeless service
providers started in 1994. Guests are those who have lived experience, advocates for the homeless,
people serving Veterans, people living with HIV/Aids, people in recovery, people living in subsidized
housing, people managing subsidized housing, and people providing housing stabilization support
services. This group has continued to advocate for getting Housing First units, expanded shelter
capacity, and the Community Resilience Hub to get out of the elements and provide services such as
CAPER 24
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
storage lockers or consultations with service agencies.
Identify actions taken to overcome the effects of any impediments identified in the
jurisdictions analysis of impediments to fair housing choice. 91.520(a)
The Housing Partnership and Disability Commission worked with the Community Development Planner
on the action steps, prioritizing the issues and choosing the most implementable steps. The Housing
Partnership and the Disability Commission works as an advisory board to the Mayor. Still, they are also
instrumental in influencing public opinion on issues and starting conversations with stakeholders. The
Housing Partnership has taken on the real estate transfer fees, banning rental fees, and resurrecting the
Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund (MAHTF)
CAPER 25
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-40 - Monitoring 91.220 and 91.230
Describe the standards and procedures used to monitor activities carried out in furtherance
of the plan and used to ensure long-term compliance with requirements of the programs
involved, including minority business outreach and the comprehensive planning
requirements
Quarterly reports are required from all subrecipients and are submitted online. The data in those
reports is used for IDIS accomplishment reports and is closely reviewed for progress and compliance
with all applicable laws and regulations by both the Grants Administrator and the Community
Development Planner. Performance outcomes are outlined in the Scope of Services at the beginning of
each program year in the CDBG Agreement or Contract before the issuance of funds. When applicable,
contracts also include requirements for submissions of other HUD reports such as Section 3, FFATA
information, Department of Labor MBE/WBE reports, and Davis Bacon wage rate compliance
certifications, payroll records, and on-site monitoring interviews conducted by the Community
Development Planner. During this next program year, the City will be requiring compliance with the
Build America, Buy America Act, which requires certain building materials to be made in America.
City staff created a risk based assessment tool that was used prior to the creation of a scope of services
and the signing of contracts. This has helped create a more data-focused monitoring schedule and has
informed the City’s pre-award orientation meetings with the grantees.
Site Monitoring was carried out throughout this program year by the Community Development Planner
and the Grants Administrator for several public service and housing subrecipients. The CDBG team will
be monitoring 100% of its subrecipients during this next program year.
During these monitoring visits, the City staff viewed the day-to-day operations of the programs to
ensure that they align with national objectives and eligibility requirements, as well as the description
provided in the original application. Project directors and financial staff were asked to be present during
the meetings to provide information pertinent to CDBG funds and associated activities. If an audit was
conducted since the last monitoring visit, that was also reviewed for issues.
Smaller projects, such as housing rehab, are completed by sole owner businesses. Larger projects can do
the outreach but often do not need to expand their workforce to complete a project. The housing rehab
program requires solicitation for contractors, including the statements and actions that
women/minority-owned businesses or Section 3 businesses are encouraged to apply.
CAPER 26
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Citizen Participation Plan 91.105(d); 91.115(d)
Describe the efforts to provide citizens with reasonable notice and an opportunity to
comment on performance reports.
For the 2022-2023 program year, legal ads were published in the local newspaper for all public hearings
and publication of the Draft Plan and Action Plan giving the dates of meetings and times available for
review in the office. All documents were also uploaded to the City's website. Residents were encouraged
to call or email with comments. Physical meeting is allowed during this current phase of the pandemic,
but an online version was also available to allow for hybrid public participation. For this CAPER, the City
published an ad in the Daily Hampshire Gazette on September 16th, 2023, with a link to the CAPER and
instructions on commenting or receiving a paper copy. The public comment period was open until
October 2, 2023 and no comments were received. The City was given a one day extension to file the
CAPER (authorization letter attached).
CR-45 - CDBG 91.520(c)
Specify the nature of, and reasons for, any changes in the jurisdiction’s program objectives
and indications of how the jurisdiction would change its programs as a result of its
experiences.
The majority of activities identified in the Action Plan for the current program year are proceeding
without any issues, and the City has not changed any of its objectives. The City has updated some of the
timing of the completion of some projects. This program year, the two construction projects that were
planned were delayed for either materials or extra design work. These are moving forward and should
be complete by the conclusion of the current program year. Most of the public services continued their
operations as usual, with no operational losses occurring due to the pandemic.
The City does not expect to amend its Consolidated Plan or its other goals as there is only one more year
left on the Consolidated Plan. Once again, the City will adjust the goals and outcome indicators to
ensure that they are reflective of actual activities for the next program. There were a few instances
during this CAPER where the goals and outcome indicators did not pull through the system properly and
they had to be manually adjusted
Does this Jurisdiction have any open Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI)
grants?
No
[BEDI grantees] Describe accomplishments and program outcomes during the last year.
CAPER 27
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CAPER 28
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-45 - CDBG 91.520(c)
Specify the nature of, and reasons for, any changes in the jurisdiction’s program objectives
and indications of how the jurisdiction would change its programs as a result of its
experiences.
The majority of activities identified in the Action Plan for the current program year are proceeding
without any issues, and the City has not changed any of its objectives. The City has updated some of the
timing of the completion of some projects. This program year, the two construction projects that were
planned were delayed for either materials or extra design work. These are moving forward and should
be complete by the conclusion of the current program year. Most of the public services continued their
operations as usual, with no operational losses occurring due to the pandemic.
The City does not expect to amend its Consolidated Plan or its other goals as there is only one more
year left on the Consolidated Plan. Once again, the City will adjust the goals and outcome indicators to
ensure that they are reflective of actual activities for the next program. There were a few instances
during this CAPER where the goals and outcome indicators did not pull through the system properly and
they had to be manually adjusted
Does this Jurisdiction have any open Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI)
grants?
No
[BEDI grantees] Describe accomplishments and program outcomes during the last year.
CAPER 29
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-58 – Section 3
Identify the number of individuals assisted and the types of assistance provided
Total Labor Hours CDBG HOME ESG HOPWA HTF
Total Number of Activities 0 0 0 0 0
Total Labor Hours 0
Total Section 3 Worker Hours 0
Total Targeted Section 3 Worker Hours 0
Table 8 – Total Labor Hours
Qualitative Efforts - Number of Activities by Program CDBG HOME ESG HOPWA HTF
Outreach efforts to generate job applicants who are Public Housing
Targeted Workers 0
Outreach efforts to generate job applicants who are Other Funding
Targeted Workers. 0
Direct, on-the job training (including apprenticeships). 0
Indirect training such as arranging for, contracting for, or paying tuition
for, off-site training. 0
Technical assistance to help Section 3 workers compete for jobs (e.g.,
resume assistance, coaching). 0
Outreach efforts to identify and secure bids from Section 3 business
concerns. 0
Technical assistance to help Section 3 business concerns understand
and bid on contracts. 0
Division of contracts into smaller jobs to facilitate participation by
Section 3 business concerns. 0
Provided or connected residents with assistance in seeking employment
including: drafting resumes,preparing for interviews, finding job
opportunities, connecting residents to job placement services. 0
Held one or more job fairs. 0
Provided or connected residents with supportive services that can
provide direct services or referrals. 0
Provided or connected residents with supportive services that provide
one or more of the following: work readiness health screenings,
interview clothing, uniforms, test fees, transportation. 0
Assisted residents with finding child care. 0
Assisted residents to apply for, or attend community college or a four
year educational institution. 0
Assisted residents to apply for, or attend vocational/technical training. 0
Assisted residents to obtain financial literacy training and/or coaching. 0
Bonding assistance, guaranties, or other efforts to support viable bids
from Section 3 business concerns. 0
Provided or connected residents with training on computer use or online
technologies. 0
Promoting the use of a business registry designed to create
opportunities for disadvantaged and small businesses. 0
Outreach, engagement, or referrals with the state one-stop system, as
designed in Section 121(e)(2) of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act. 0
CAPER 30
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Other. 0
Table 9 – Qualitative Efforts - Number of Activities by Program
Narrative
For the 2022-2023 program year, there were no Section 3 activities.
LIV ING Satur day, Sept ember 1 6, 2023 | DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE C3gazet tenet.com
This week’s column is a
group effort, with ingredientsfrom a neighbor and a recipefrom my sister. Because ofthe extra help, I have not onebut two dishes to share. To-gether they make a quick andeasy weeknight meal.First, the ingredient, amassive cucumber, camefrom my neighbor’s garden.She remembered I had writ-ten about the loss of our CSAdue to July’s floods, andbrought over a basket oftomatoes, a zucchini and twocucumbers, including a mon-ster that must have weighedabout three pounds.I thought the best use forthe mammoth cuke would bethis cucumber salad that mysister had made during ourfamily ’s annual Fourth of Julyvacation in Maine. So I textedher and convinced her to dropeverything and double-checkthe measurements for me.(As it turns out “ever ything”
was a bowl of beet water-
melon gazpacho with roasted
tofu croutons, which is a
recipe for another day.)
This salad is a good one to
involve small helpers in the
kitchen. They can peel the cu-
cumber and remove theseeds from each half using asmall spoon once you’vesliced it vertically. And theycan smash the cucumberpieces you’ve cut (hopefullyon the bias) using a rollingpin and a sealed Ziploc bag.The rest of the ingredientsare the usual suspects, likesesame oil, white sugar, soysauce and rice vinegar. Butthere is also a little heat. Usewhat you like, such as some(or all of a) fresh red hot chilepepper, red pepper flakes, orchile crisp. I also use a shakeof white pepper, somethingvery common in Asian cook-ing that I first purchased forhot and sour soup years ago.Use black pepper if that’swhat you have on hand.A girlfriend made thissalad last night using her latesummer/early fall cucumbersand she reported that sheused five small ones, as op-posed to the monster cuke myneighbor gave me. She alsosaid the banging of the cukesin the Ziploc was so loud thatit woke up one of her son’sstuffies, so make sure allstuffies are off the counter.I paired the salad with a
super simple noodle dish, al-most an asian pasta car-bonara with egg yolks, soysauce and nori (dried sea-weed). MeeraSodha, therecipe’s author, credits a pop-ular Malaysian spot in Lon-don that serves this for break-fast, although I enjoy it atlunch and dinnertime as wellwhen I’m pressed for time.All in all, here are tworecipes full of flavor and satis-faction that you can make on
a weeknight in less than halfan hour.
Smashed Cucumber Salad
Ingredient s
One large cucumber, orthree to five mini (Persian cu-cumbers)2 Tablespoons rice vinegar1 Tablespoon sesame oil1 Tablespoon soy sauce1 teaspoon white sugarOne garlic clove, grated on
a microplane
Dash of salt and white pep-
per
As much heat as you want
— this includes red chile pep-
per, red chile flakes or chile
crisp
Directions
If you are usually a regular
cucumber: Peel the cucum-ber, slice it vertically, and re-move the seeds using a smallspoon. Slice cucumber into 1-inch pieces, hopefully on thebias.If you are using small cu-cumbers: slice the cucumbersinto 2 centimeter rounds.Add cucumbers to a Ziplocbag. Seal the bag. Smash witha rolling pin for about 5 sec-onds.Gather all the other ingre-dients and add them to alarge bowl. Whisk everythingtogether. Add smashed cu-cumber. Stir to combine.Ser ve.
Breakfast at Shuko’s from
East by MeeraSodha
Sodha notes “that the best
noodles to use here are the
plump, partially cooked “st raight
to wok” noodles. If you use the
dried noodle, you’ll only need 7
oz. and a tablespoon of
additional water to loosen when
you mix them with the egg yolk
and soy.” However, I’ve made this
dish with whatever Japanese
noodles I’ve had in the house —
such as buckwheat soba noodles
— and have only had excellent
results. This serves two.
Ingredients
1.5 x 7 oz packages
straight to wok udon noodles
2 large egg yolks
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
Optional: 1 sheet of nori,
shredded
Directions
Bring a large pot of waterto a rolling boil, then drop inthe noodles and cook untilthey are al dente. This shouldtake around 3 minutes for the“straight to wok” udons or 4to 7 minutes if you’re usingthe dried type. (Or follow thedirections on the noodle pack-age in your hand.)Meanwhile, in a large mix-ing bowl, mix together theegg yolks and soy sauce.When the noodles are cooked,drain well and immediatelyadd to the egg mixture, mix-ing really well so they arecoated in the sauce. Dividethe noodles between the twobowls, and sprinkle withshredded nori if you like.Serve immediately.
Molly Parr lives in Flo-rence with her husband andtwo young daughters. She’sbeen writing her food blog,Cheap Beets, since 2010.Send questions or commentsto molly.parr@gmail.com.
Turning a massive cuke into salad with noodles
MOLLY PARR
THERE IS A SEASON
MOLLY PARR
Cucumber pieces full of flavor poised on the brink of crushed
salad-hood .
Briefs: Classical piano, art, and an Emily Dickinson festival in Amherst
people from the region, manyof which Shirar created afterspending time observing vol-unteers in the area.
In praise of Emily
AMHERST — The annualcelebration of The Belle ofAmherst returns startingSept. 25 when the Tell It SlantPoetry Festival brings awealth of readings, work-shops, and other events totown and the internet.The festival’s live events,which take place at the EmilyDickinson Museum, includethe “Spectacular TranslationMachine,” in which partici-pants can take part in an ef-fort to turn Dickinson’s poemsand letters into different lan-guages.Tell It Slant, which runsthrough Oct. 1, also includes awealth of online and hybridevents, including the popular“Poetry Marathon,” for whichaudience members take turnsreading all of Dickinson’s1,789 poems.Other highlights includereadings of her work by poetsfrom around the country suchas Marilyn Nelson and AbigailChabitnoy, a screening of Ap-ple TV+’s “D i c k i n s o n” withcreator Alena Smith, and gen-erative writing workshops.You can register for theevent by visiting emilydickin-sonmuseum.org.Also of note: With the helpof some grant funding, theDickinson Museum has justestablished an online catalogdatabase consisting of morethat 8,000 artifacts related tothe poet and her family, in-cluding fine art, cookware,clothing and textiles, chil-d r e n’s toys, and souvenir ob-jects from travels abroad.It’s the largest and most di-verse assemblage of objectsassociated with Emily Dickin-son and her family to be foundanywhere, according to themuseum, and as such offersnew details about life in 19thcentury Amherst as well asthe writing habits of the fa-mous poet.Museum Director JaneWald says funding from the In-stitute for Museum and Li-
brary Services was crucial inallowing the museum “to im-prove our management ofthese thousands of Dickinsonfamily objects.”The collection can be ac-cessed at emilydickinsonmu-seum.catalogaccess.com.
More art at UMass
AMHERST — The AugustaSavage Gallery at the Univer-sity of MassachusettsAmherst has opened its fallexhibit, “The Miracle Ma-chine,” a group show that’sdesigned to examines themesof “identity, belonging, broth-erhood, and Blackness.”The show includes visualart from several contributors,as well as textual installationsand video by poet and spokenword artist Aaron Joseph St.Louis and a sound installationby musician Kevin Mason.The exhibit leader, painterImo Nse Imeh, a professor ofart and art history at WestfieldState University, says the di-verse perspectives of the con-tributing artists offer “an en-gaging journey through the in-tersections of visual art, story-telling, and soundscapes.”“The chance of play, thechance of mystery, is at theroot of this collaboration,”Imeh said in a statement. “Itis a part of us, it will grow withus, and there is power in that.”Also at UMass, HampdenGallery has opened its newseason with “Selective Mem-ory ” by Scottish artist MorayHillary, a collection of 225miniature paintings that are
designed to create a “poeticdialogue” in the space.Some of the paintings de-pict fragments of cityscapes,quiet pathways or undefinedspaces. Others include every-day objects such as a type-writer, a sink, and a shoe, withtheir intimate scale designedto encourage viewers to movein closely.
Stirring the Ashes
HADLEY — The Porter-Phelps-Huntington HouseMuseum, in partnership withthe nonprofit group AncestralBridges, will honor the mem-ory of six people who were en-slaved at the historic homeand farm in the 18th century.The ceremony, which takesplace Sept. 23 from 2 to 4 p.m.,will include placing commem-orative stones for ZebulonPrutt, Cesar Phelps, Margaret(Peg) Bowen, her daughtersRosanna and Phillis, andgranddaughter Phillis, whowere all enslaved at the farm-stead in the mid- to late 1700s.In addition, there will read-ings of work by FrederickDouglass and the biographiesof the six people by state Rep.Daniel Carey, writer and Har-vard University professor TiyaMiles, and others.Music will be part of theevent, as well as contributionsfrom storytellers OnawumiJean Moss and Shirley Jack-son Whitaker. A visit to partsof the house will also help re-call those who were enslaved.— Compiled by Steve Pfar-re r
BRIEF S FROM C1
STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE
A ceremony on Sept. 23 will honor six people who were once
enslaved at the historic Porter-Phelps-Huntington House in
H adley.
IMAGE FROM ECA GALLERY WEBSITE
“G ra n d m a’s Chair” by painter Julia Shirar
IMAGE FROM ELUSIE GALLEY WEBSITE
From the “Intimate Worlds” exhibit by
Margaret Lloyd.
IMAGE COURTESY AUGUSTA SAVAGE GALLERY
“A Conversation with Sparrows,” by painter Imo Nse Imeh, is part of a new exhibition, “T he
Miracle Machine,” at the Augusta Savage Gallery at UMass Amherst.
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Thursday’s paper........................................................................Tuesday at Noon
Friday’s paper......................................................................Wednesday at Noon
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PLEASE RECYCLE
THIS NEWSPAPER.
CITY OF NORTHAMPTON
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTBLOCK GRANT PROGRAM
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY: The Cityof Northampton's CommunityDevelopment Block Grant(CDBG) Program ConsolidatedAnnual Performance andEvaluation Report (CAPER) willbe available for public reviewand comment on 9/16/2023 onthe Office of Planning &Sustainability website at: https://bit.ly/3p4aGja. Physical copiescan be made available, M-F 8:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Comments willbe accepted until the end of theday on 10/2/2023.The CAPER covers the CDBGprogram year July 1, 2022 thruJune 30, 2023. Contact KeithBenoit, CommunityDevelopment Planner, by emailat kbenoit@northamptonma.gov or at(413) 587-1288 to submitcomments or to requestadditional information.
Legals
Commonwealth ofMassachusettsThe Trial CourtProbate and Family CourtHampshire DivisionINFORMAL PROBATEPUBLICATION NOTICEDocket No. HS23P0564Estate of: Paul SniadachDate of Death:May 31, 2023To all persons interested in theabove captioned estate, byPetition ofPetitioner Jacklyn Sniadach ofFlorence, MAJacklyn Sniadach of Florence,MAhas been informally appointedas the Personal Representativeof the estate to serve withoutsurety on the bond. The estate isbeing administered underinformal procedure by thePersonal Representative underthe Massachusetts UniformProbate Code withoutsupervision by the Court.Inventory and accounts are notrequired to be filed with theCourt, but interested parties areentitled to notice regarding theadministration from thePersonal Representative andcan petition the Court in anymatter relating to the estate,including distribution of assetsand expenses of administration.Interested parties are entitled topetition the Court to instituteformal proceedings and toobtain orders terminating orrestricting the powers ofPersonal Representativesappointed under informalprocedures. A copy of thePetition and Will, if any, can beobtained from the Petitioner.
September 16427330
Commonwealth ofMassachusettsThe Trial CourtProbate and Family CourtHampshire DivisionINFORMAL PROBATEPUBLICATION NOTICEDocket No. HS23P0573EAEstate of: Sue EllenBisgaardfrantzenAlso known as: Sue EllenBisgaard-Frantzen, Sue EllenBisgaardDate of Death: July 10 2023To all persons interested in theabove captioned estate, byPetition ofPetitioner Marianne Rowe ofPacific Grove, CAMarianne Rowe of PacificGrove, CAhas been informally appointedas the Personal Representativeof the estate to serve withoutsurety on the bond.The estate is beingadministered under informalprocedure by the PersonalRepresentative under theMassachusetts Uniform ProbateCode without supervision by theCourt. Inventory and accountsare not required to be filed withthe Court, but interested partiesare entitled to notice regardingthe administration from thePersonal Representative andcan petition the Court in anymatter relating to the estate,including distribution of assetsand expenses of administration.Interested parties are entitled topetition the Court to instituteformal proceedings and toobtain orders terminating orrestricting the powers ofPersonal Representativesappointed under informalprocedures. A copy of thePetition and Will, if any, can beobtained from the Petitioner.
September 16427312
Legal NoticeThis Ad is pursuant to Ma.General law Ch. 255 Sec. 39A Asof November 1, 2023 thefollowing motor vehicle will befor sale to satisfy a garagekeepers Lein 2016 Ford Escape,Red, 1FMCU9GX3GUC52459,Devon Perrman, 330 ColeAvenue, Williamstown,MassSeptember 9, 16, 23426929
LegalsLegals Legals
LEGAL
NOTICES
Keith Benoit, AICP, Community Development Planner ● (413) 587-1288 ● kbenoit@northamptonma.gov
Shirese Franklin CPD Representative 10 Causeway St. Room 535, Boston, MA 02114
September 25, 2023
Hello Shirese,
The City of Northampton’s, Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER)
for the 2022-2023 program year will be submitted past the September 30th deadline. It will be
submitted late due to an administrative error - I missed the newspaper’s run date deadline to
publish the public notice that the CAPER is available for review and public comment.
To ensure that the public has enough time to comment, the City must keep the public comment
period open past September 30th. The City will submit its CAPER on Monday October 2nd when
City staff returns from the weekend.
The City does not expect any other issues with the CAPER or the administration of its CDBG
grant. This delay on the CAPER is truly embarrassing and not in conformance with the City’s
own CBDG manual (Appendix E, attached).
Please let me know if you have any questions,
Thank you,
Keith Benoit
Appendix E
Reports Due by Month
Reports that CDBG Staff Submits
Month City Report On Due Where Staff
January
Cash on Hand Quarterly Report PR-29 -
1st Quarter: Oct. 1 – Dec. 31 Jan. 30 IDIS GA
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) *Guidance forthcoming
February No Reports N/A N/A
March
Semi-Annual Labor Standards /
Davis-Bacon (HUD-4710)
March
31 DocuSign to: Jill Martin CDP
April
Cash on Hand Quarterly Report PR-29 -
2nd Quarter: Jan. 1 – March. 31 April 30 IDIS GA
May Financial Summary Report (PR-26) May 1
Con Plan / Action Plan May 15 IDIS Both
June No Reports HUD
July
Cash on Hand Quarterly Report PR-29 -
3rd Quarter: April. 1 – June. 30 July 30 IDIS
August Line of Credit Control System Deadline Aug. 29 GA
September CAPER Sep. 30 IDIS Both
Section 3 - SPEARS Report (with CAPER) Sep. 30 IDIS and HUD website CDP
Semi-Annual Labor Standards /
Davis-Bacon (HUD-4710) Sep. 30 DocuSign to: Jill Martin CDP
Minority Business Enterprise Contract
& Subcontract Activity /
WBE Report (HUD-2516) Sep. 30 DocuSign to: Jill Martin CDP
October
Cash on Hand Quarterly Report PR-29 -
4th Quarter: July 1 – Sep. 30 Oct. 30 IDIS GA
November No Reports N/A N/A
December No Reports HUD
Rolling FFATA FSRS
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
MASSACHUSETTS STATE OFFICE, NEW ENGLAND AREA
Office of Community Planning and Development
Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Federal Building
10 Causeway Street - Fifth Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02222-1092
Phone (617) 994-8350
CPD website: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning
Mr. Keith Benoit
Community Development Planner
City of Northampton
Office of Planning & Sustainability
210 Main St., Second Floor
Northampton, MA 01060
Dear Mr. Benoit:
SUBJECT: Request for Extension of Submission Deadline for 2022 CAPER
We are in receipt of your request for a one-day extension of the deadline for submitting the City of
Northampton’s 2022 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). In
accordance with 24 CFR Part 91.520 each jurisdiction that has an approved consolidated plan shall
annually review and report on the progress it has made in carrying out its strategic pan and its action
plan. The annual performance report is required within 90 days of the city’s program year end date
of June 30, 2023.
Our understanding is that the city’s is requesting a one-day extension, citing a staff clerical error in
publishing the notice for public comments to be received. We acknowledge your intent to submit the
CAPER by October 2, 2023.
If you have any questions, please contact your CPD Representative, Shirese Franklin at
shirese.s.franklin@hud.gov.
Sincerely,
Robert D. Shumeyko
Regional Director
Digitally signed by:
ROBERT SHUMEYKO
Date: 2023.09.26 16:
15:31 -04'00'