2024-2025 Y41 AAP DRAFT Annual Action Plan
2024
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Executive Summary
AP-05 Executive Summary - 24 CFR 91.200(c), 91.220(b)
1. Introduction
The City of Northampton is pleased to submit to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) this Year Five Action Plan for the City's Five-Year Consolidated Plan 2020-2024. The
program year runs from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. The City of Northampton (City) expects to receive
about $630,060 from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant on or about July 1, 2024.
This document outlines how the City will allocate and expend these funds to accommodate low- and
moderate-income (LMI) residents. There is no carry over funding from the previous year.
2. Summarize the objectives and outcomes identified in the Plan
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This could be a restatement of items or a table listed elsewhere in the plan or a reference to
another location. It may also contain any essential items from the housing and homeless needs
assessment, the housing market analysis or the strategic plan.
Improve Public Facilities / Infrastructure $60,060
Mobile Stage Accessibility Upgrade: $8,000
Neighborhood Stormwater Improvement: $52,059
Accessible Door Operator: $1
Public Services $94,000
Social Service Programs seven providers totaled at $94,000
Housing $300,000
Housing Rehabilitations: $170,000
Affordable Housing Energy Efficiency Project: $60,000
Affordable Housing Sewer Connections: $70,000
Economic Development $50,000
Micro Enterprise Program at $50,000
Administration and Planning $126,000
Administration of the CDBG Program and Housing and Community Development activities: $126,000
Total Program Year Budget
CDBG 2023 Award: $636,060
Estimated Carry-Over Funds: $0.00
Total: $630,060
3. Evaluation of past performance
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This is an evaluation of past performance that helped lead the grantee to choose its goals or
projects.
The 2023-2024 CDBG Program Year was successful in addressing the City’s community development
goals. The City’s Housing Rehabilitation program completed several housing rehabilitation projects for
low-income homeowners. One project in particular was a failed septic system, where the homeowner
was on the verge of not being able to live in the house any longer. A new septic system was installed
before the cold weather, and the homeowner was able to remain in their house. Public Services have
benefited low-income residents of the City.
4. Summary of Citizen Participation Process and consultation process
Summary from citizen participation section of plan.
The first CDBG Action Plan meeting for 2024-2025 Program Year was held on December 2, 2023 in
person and via Zoom to discuss the priorities from the City’s Five Year Consolidated Plan and solicit
feedback from the community. The meeting was led by the Community Development Planner and the
Grants Administrator. The Community Development Planner, coordinates directly with the Executive
Director of Planning & Sustainability and the Grants Administrator. The Community Development
Planner regularly attends the monthly meetings of the Northampton Housing Partnership and the
Disabilities Commission. These groups provide feedback on community goals and aspirations. These
collaborative meetings inform the CDBG planning projects and goals. The draft CDBG Action Plan public
hearing was held on March 15, 2024.
All meetings were advertised per open meeting laws and CDBG guidelines and are open to the public.
Speech-to-text software was made available for those with hearing impairments. All meeting rooms are
accessible for people with mobility impairments.
The Public Services Advisory Committee had several meetings throughout the year to create an RFP and
selection process that more closely fit the aspirations of Northampton. After the applications process,
they reviewed all of the public services applications and made recommendations for funding to the
Mayor. The Grants Administrator and the Community Development Planner facilitated discussion at
these meetings, took notes, and answered questions on the CDBG program and budget. Members of the
Public Service Advisory Committee were made up from the Disability Commission, City Council, and
residents who work in the social services and homeless advocacy fields.
5. Summary of public comments
This could be a brief narrative summary or reference an attached document from the Citizen
Participation section of the Con Plan.
See attached public participation documents for a full transcript of the meetings.
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6. Summary of comments or views not accepted and the reasons for not accepting them
All public input received through the Citizen Participation process of this Action Plan were taken into
consideration. No comments were ignored.
7. Summary
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PR-05 Lead & Responsible Agencies – 91.200(b)
1. Agency/entity responsible for preparing/administering the Consolidated Plan
Describe the agency/entity responsible for preparing the Consolidated Plan and those responsible for administration of each grant
program and funding source.
Agency Role Name Department/Agency
Lead Agency NORTHAMPTON
CDBG Administrator NORTHAMPTON Planning & Sustainability
HOPWA Administrator
HOME Administrator
HOPWA-C Administrator
Table 1 – Responsible Agencies
Narrative (optional)
The City of Northampton administers the Community Development Block Grant Program through the Office of Planning & Sustainability. Staffing
consists of the Community Development Planner and the Grants Administrator, who manages the fiscal responsibilities of the program. The
entire process is overseen by the Director of Planning & Sustainability who reports directly to the Mayor.
Consolidated Plan Public Contact Information
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AP-10 Consultation – 91.100, 91.200(b), 91.215(l)
1. Introduction
The Community Development Planner has close ties to the service providers through ongoing meetings
with the Next Step Collaborative- which is a monthly meeting of regional shelter providers and
homelessness advocates. There has also been a collaborative effort between the City and other
stakeholders to create the Community Resiliency Hub. This collaboration has increased recently since
the Dept. of Community Care was merged with the Health Dept. to create the Dept. of Health and
Human Services.
The City of Northampton has conducted a broadband market study in 2020 to determine if a municipal
network is the best path to a future with faster and better Internet for the community. This survey was
designed to help the City understand the needs of Northampton residents and businesses. The City
hired an independent consulting firm called Design Nine to conduct the study. This has helped the City
better understand how every home, school, and business uses the Internet, what works well, and what
doesn’t. With this information, we will be able to make appropriate decisions about the future and
properly serve the community.
The results have helped the city to determine where the need is greatest and have helped guide us on
how to ensure that all citizens and businesses have affordable and adequate access to broadband
Internet services. The ultimate goal is to develop a comprehensive set of strategies to make sure every
person and business who needs it has access to high-performance broadband Internet, and that our City
is well-positioned for our future needs.
The second phase of the study will answer the question of whether it is feasible to pursue the efforts to
build and operate a network that would provide the services identified by the market study. The main
purpose of the second phase is to provide a cost-benefit analysis based on potential business models.
Municipal broadband could have the potential of impacting many businesses as well as social aspects of
the community. Some of these areas that could have potential impact would be the cost-control of
internet access for local businesses, and enticing companies to settle within the Northampton area due
to affordable and reliable broadband access. This impact would extend to increasing employment
opportunities, city growth, and ideally allow small businesses to thrive without the increasing demands
of private internet fees. By equipping the City with broadband, municipal and public safety would have
access to smart-city technologies that are currently not available. Institutions of higher learning would
have the ability to engage in these services as well, stretching to the on-campus housing and lecture
halls.
Residential community members would benefit from the competitive pricing for broadband services as
they would see affordable pricing at the 1G level whereas traditional private sectors do not affordably
offer that high of broadband services. As the demand on technology increases, residents, institutions of
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higher learning and businesses will continue to need to meet that demand through increased
bandwidth.
The Ad-Hoc Advisor committee was made up of:
• Chief Information Officer
• Mayor’s Chief of Staff
• City Councilor
• Northampton Open Media
• Four residents & Northampton Community Network member
Provide a concise summary of the jurisdiction’s activities to enhance coordination between
public and assisted housing providers and private and governmental health, mental health
and service agencies (91.215(l))
The Housing Partnership regularly hosts area developers when they are applying for funding or with
other service providers when the Housing Partnership is developing local plans, such as Valley
Community Development, Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals, The Community Builders,
Habitat for Humanity, the Northampton Housing Authority. The Housing Partnership uses these agency
updates to create plans and work towards increasing affordable housing in the City. City staff regularly
update the partnership on housing units and development and ask for their input on plans and to
support the development by writing letters of support or going to neighborhood meetings.
The Housing Partnership has also worked with the Northampton Housing Authority to discuss the
Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The housing voucher amounts that Northampton
receives are much lower than they would be if Northampton was not attached to the Springfield MSA.
Residents often cannot use vouchers in Northampton because the rent is too high.
In attendance at the monthly provider meeting are mental health professionals and clinicians. The SRO
Outreach Coordinator, the Veterans Agent, Veterans Administration caseworkers, ServiceNet, Inc.
Highland Valley Elder Services, and others who all focus on tenancy preservation and housing
stabilization for their clients. Way Finders have adopted this model of coordination of support services
for the Live 155 development.
Next Step Collaborative monthly meetings include representation from Eliot Homeless Services, the
mental health agency that has the Department of Mental Health vendor contract for homeless street
outreach and clinical work, ServiceNet shelter providers, the Veterans Agent, Safe Passage (Domestic
Violence), A Positive Place (HIV/AIDS), Cooley Dickinson Social Workers, Peer Mentors from the
Northampton Recovery Center, formerly homeless, currently homeless, shelter providers, the
Community Housing Support Services Coordinator, and others.
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Describe coordination with the Continuum of Care and efforts to address the needs of
homeless persons (particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with
children, veterans, and unaccompanied youth) and persons at risk of homelessness.
Community Action Pioneer Valley (CAPV) previously ran the Three County Continuum of Care (CoC), but
CAPV did not receive funding during this award. The CoC guides a community-wide vision, strategy, and
commitment to efforts to prevent and end homelessness; mobilizes funding; improves coordination and
integration of mainstream resources and programs targeted to people experiencing homelessness
through a housing first model; and establishes system-wide data collection and performance
measurement practices to ensure successful housing strategies and equitable housing for vulnerable
populations. The CoC is funded by HUD to operate HMIS data collection, analysis, and dissemination,
and orchestrate the coordinated entry system. CAPV has taken the lead on creating the Community
Resiliency Hub and operates numerous programs which are geared toward preventing and ending
poverty and homelessness for children, youth, individuals and families.
As the Collaborative Applicant, CAPV/CoC was unable to secure funding from the Three County
Continuum of Care for the 2023 application and the CoC future is not known at this time. .
The Three County CoC is overseen by its own board, and utilizes five committees (project ranking &
evaluation, data & evaluation, equity & inclusion, coordinated entry, and the youth and young adult
committee). . The Western Mass Network to End Homelessness (WMNEH) addresses population-specific
needs through the Individual Services Committee, the Family Services Committee, the Veteran's Services
Committee, and the Unaccompanied Youth Committee. The WMNEH also provides a Career Services
Committee. All committees meet monthly and are organized and facilitated by the Network
Coordinator, who works closely with both the Three County CoC and the Hampden County CoC
Coordinator.
Describe consultation with the Continuum(s) of Care that serves the jurisdiction's area in
determining how to allocate ESG funds, develop performance standards for and evaluate
outcomes of projects and activities assisted by ESG funds, and develop funding, policies and
procedures for the operation and administration of HMIS
There are no municipalities in the Three County Continuum of Care ESG (Emergency Solutions Grants
Program) entitlement communities. ESG funding for the CoC is allocated by the State's Department of
Housing and Community Development through a competitive process. As part of the CoC governance
structure, the CoC engages in an annual discussion about the funding priorities and supports
applications for funds from appropriate agencies for activities that address HUD-identified priorities.
The Three County CoC has its own Data and Evaluation Manager, who oversees the data committee
focused on the HMIS system and the LSA submissions, which involved codifying the Homeless
Management Information System (HMIS). Community Action has recently made the City’s current HMIS
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system more effective with the coordinated entry and by-names lists that HUD is requiring by
implementing their own CE Assessment which has been recognized as a best practice. With DHCD's
assistance, they were able to create a working by-names list in the HMIS, which is used for most of our
data collection. This eliminates the need for each agency to maintain and share their own lists of people
who have been assessed for the coordinated entry system and enter them in the HMIS since we can
now obtain the information directly from the system. They are also making progress in engaging veteran
service providers in the coordinated entry system.
This coordinated entry system capacity has increased extensively as well over the last few years. The
City is working to increase the number of agencies involved in performing vulnerability assessments.
They hold case-conferencing meetings with homelessness service providers weekly in each county as
well as with veteran’s organizations and youth service providers. They have developed strong
partnerships with organizations serving this vulnerable population, looking for housing opportunities
beyond CoC-funded resources. ESG partners are participating in utilizing the coordinated entry process
when housing resources are available as well.
2. Describe Agencies, groups, organizations and others who participated in the process
and describe the jurisdiction’s consultations with housing, social service agencies and other
entities
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Table 2 – Agencies, groups, organizations who participated
1 Agency/Group/Organization Center for New Americans
Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Education
Services-Employment
Regional organization
What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Economic Development
Briefly describe how the Agency/Group/Organization
was consulted. What are the anticipated outcomes of
the consultation or areas for improved coordination?
Email invitation to take part in public hearing and/or solicit comments directly.
They are a public service agency that has applied for funding for many years.
They did attend the Dec. 1st 2022 meeting and made public comments on the
value of the CDBG funding for program participants.
2 Agency/Group/Organization Clinical and Support Options
Agency/Group/Organization Type Services - Housing
Services-Children
Services-Persons with HIV/AIDS
Services-Victims of Domestic Violence
Services-homeless
Services-Health
Services-Education
Services - Victims
What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Homeless Needs - Chronically homeless
Homeless Needs - Families with children
Non-Homeless Special Needs
Mental Health and Crisis
Briefly describe how the Agency/Group/Organization
was consulted. What are the anticipated outcomes of
the consultation or areas for improved coordination?
Email invitation to take part in public hearing and/or solicit comments directly.
They did not attend or submit comments.
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3 Agency/Group/Organization Community Action Pioneer Valley
Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Children
Services-Health
Services-Education
Services-Employment
Service-Fair Housing
What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Housing Need Assessment
Economic Development
Anti-poverty Strategy
Briefly describe how the Agency/Group/Organization
was consulted. What are the anticipated outcomes of
the consultation or areas for improved coordination?
Community Resilience Hub planning sessions continued into their second year,
discussing programmatic and space questions. An email invitation to take part
in public hearing and/or solicit comments directly. From the December 1, 2022
meeting, Gilad Meron had several questions regarding the CDBG-CV funding
sources and the normal allotment of CBDG funding.
4 Agency/Group/Organization Community Legal Aid, Inc.
Agency/Group/Organization Type Services - Housing
Services-Persons with Disabilities
Services-Victims of Domestic Violence
Services-homeless
Service-Fair Housing
What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Public Housing Needs
Homelessness Strategy
Non-Homeless Special Needs
Anti-poverty Strategy
Lead-based Paint Strategy
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Briefly describe how the Agency/Group/Organization
was consulted. What are the anticipated outcomes of
the consultation or areas for improved coordination?
One member of the Housing Partnership represents Community Legal Aid and
has informed how evictions and rental assistance is affected by CDBG funding.
Email invitation to take part in public hearing and/or solicit comments directly.
Nobody attended the CBDG public hearings or submitted comments.
5 Agency/Group/Organization PIONEER VALLEY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Agency/Group/Organization Type Housing
Services - Housing
Regional organization
What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Housing Need Assessment
Anti-poverty Strategy
Briefly describe how the Agency/Group/Organization
was consulted. What are the anticipated outcomes of
the consultation or areas for improved coordination?
Email invitation to take part in public hearing and/or solicit comments directly.
They did not attend or submit comments.
6 Agency/Group/Organization Northampton Housing Authority
Agency/Group/Organization Type PHA
What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Public Housing Needs
Homelessness Strategy
Briefly describe how the Agency/Group/Organization
was consulted. What are the anticipated outcomes of
the consultation or areas for improved coordination?
Email invitation to take part in public hearing and/or solicit comments directly.
They did not attend or submit comments.
8 Agency/Group/Organization Valley Community Development Corporation (CDC)
Agency/Group/Organization Type Housing
Services - Housing
Regional organization
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What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Housing Need Assessment
Economic Development
Briefly describe how the Agency/Group/Organization
was consulted. What are the anticipated outcomes of
the consultation or areas for improved coordination?
Resilience hub planning sessions and email invitation to take part in public
hearing and/or solicit comments directly. They did not attend or submit
comments directly, but are working with the Community Development Planner
to create a public engagement program for a 20-unit housing for the homeless
project that is using land that the City has sold to them.
10 Agency/Group/Organization Office of Planning and Sustainability
Agency/Group/Organization Type Other government - Local
Planning organization
What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Housing Need Assessment
Homelessness Strategy
Economic Development
Anti-poverty Strategy
Briefly describe how the Agency/Group/Organization
was consulted. What are the anticipated outcomes of
the consultation or areas for improved coordination?
Staff meeting, email invites, direct conversation, and coordinating all of the
CDBG process. Staff from the office, hosted and partook in each meeting of the
process.
Identify any Agency Types not consulted and provide rationale for not consulting
All agencies that need to be consulted were reached out to via email invitation for the CDBG planning process. They are listed in the above table;
their attendance and any comments are noted in the table. While some organizations did not attend CBDG planning meetings, others have been
involved in other planning processes.
Agencies that applied for CDBG funding were also invited to attend CDBG planning sessions as well, but their attendance is not mandatory. The
Office of Planning & Sustainability is in conversation with the Public Services Advisory Committee, and making agencies who request funding
attendance at the planning meetings is something that we are discussing.
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Other local/regional/state/federal planning efforts considered when preparing the Plan
Name of Plan Lead Organization How do the goals of your Strategic Plan overlap with the goals of each plan?
Continuum of Care Community Action
Pioneer Valley
Creation of permanent supported housing units and housing support services. Homelessness
prevention, housing stabilization to reduce recidivism, increase services for mentally ill and
those abusing substances.
Unlocking
Opportunity: An
Assessment of
Barriers
Pioneer Valley
Planning
Commission
Adopted in 2019, identified the impediments to fair housing. Identify actions to remove
impediments, thereby creating housing opportunities that all people access, regardless of
"disability, national origin, sex, familial status, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender
identity, military status, genetic information, ancestry" or because they receive public benefits.
A Downtown
Northampton for
Everyone (2019)
Office of the
Mayor
Adopted in 2019, identified the need of panhandlers and at-risk individuals in downtown
Northampton, including stakeholder interviews. Research and analyze the issues associated
with panhandling and make non-punitive recommendations to help get people off the streets,
seeking gainful employment, and find housing.
Regional Housing Plan
(2015)
Pioneer Valley
Planning
Commission
Identification of communities of opportunity that commit to creating affordable housing
facilitates movement from areas of concentration in Hampden County, primarily Springfield and
Holyoke, north, and west.
Needs Assessment &
Strategic Housing Plan
(2011)
City of
Northampton
Creating a list of prioritized needs based on extensive data compilation and citizen input during
public participation sessions for plan development. Needs Assessment in Housing Plan very
thorough, provides direction for resource allocation for Community Preservation Committee
and Housing Partnership.
ADA Self-Evaluation
and Transition Plan
(2020)
Northampton
Disability
Commission
The needs of low- and moderate-income people and those with disabilities often overlap. The
Disability Commission identified several areas where the City can build institutional capacity and
fix specific non-accessible sidewalks, amenities, and buildings.
Increasing
Accessibility for
People w Disabilities
City of
Northampton
The needs of low- and moderate-income people and those with disabilities often overlap. This
report also identified areas within parks and recreation areas that are not accessible and
proposed possible solutions.
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Name of Plan Lead Organization How do the goals of your Strategic Plan overlap with the goals of each plan?
Climate Resilience &
Regeneration Plan
City of
Northampton
This plan is the City's plan for mitigating climate change and the actions needed to create an
increasingly resilient and regenerative future. It is a plan for simultaneously reducing our
greenhouse gas emissions, building our capacity to adapt to stresses, and improving our healthy
ecosystems, inclusive communities, and ensuring all Northampton residents can thrive. The
people most affected by climate change are environmental justice communities; low-income,
minority, and people with disabilities.
Table 3 – Other local / regional / federal planning efforts
Narrative (optional)
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AP-12 Participation – 91.105, 91.200(c)
1. Summary of citizen participation process/Efforts made to broaden citizen participation
Summarize citizen participation process and how it impacted goal-setting
The City held its first public hearing for the 2024-2025 Action Plan on November 30, 2023 in person and remotely over Zoom. City boards and
commissions such as the monthly Housing Partnership and Disability Commission were encouraged to attend. The City posted an RFP legal ad to
the local newspaper and opened its applications through an online application. This competitive application process was used to select public
service subrecipients, public infrastructure and facility projects, and funding amounts. All public hearings were publicly posted and open to
everyone. All information gathered was taken into consideration for the selection of public services, public infrastructure and facilities, and
housing. All of the comments and questions posed at the public hearing will be posted for review in this document.
Data collected at monthly meetings of the Housing Partnership, Disability Commission, and the Next Step Collaborative along with the needs
identified through the community engagement process helps to identify the expectations of the community, as well as the deficiencies in service
delivery system, accessibility, equity, community resiliency, and economic development. CDBG public hearings tend to be less well-attended
than other meetings such as City Council, but the hybrid online/in-person platform has allowed for more people to attend. City staff attempted
to make a compelling presentation without overly burdening attendees with CDBG jargon. Questions from the public were highly encouraged,
and City staff followed up on questions that could not be answered in the moment.
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Citizen Participation Outreach
Sort Ord
er
Mode of Outre
ach
Target of Outre
ach
Summary of
response/attenda
nce
Summary of
comments recei
ved
Summary of comm
ents not accepted
and reasons
URL (If applicable)
1 Newspaper Ad
Non-
targeted/broad
community
An ad was placed
in the Daily
Hampshire
Gazette
newspaper on
Wednesday,
November 30,
2023 informing
residents about
the meeting to
discuss the
priorities and RFP
for the 2024-2025
Annual Action
Plan. It specified
an application
deadline of
Friday, January
17, 2024.
No comments
were received,
but applicants
started filling
out applications
for the 2024
year.
No comments were
received.
https://www.gazettenet.com/
Public-Notices
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2 Public Meeting
Minorities
Persons with
disabilities
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Residents of
Public and
Assisted
Housing
Public Service
Providers
Three people in
person and four
people online (all
representing
agencies) showed
up to the first
meeting for the
RFP on November
30, 2023. The
Community
Development
Planner and the
Grants
Administrator,
helped facilitate
the meeting.
Participants had
the option to
attend in person
or over Zoom. All
of the
participants
attended using
Zoom.
Participants
signed in using
the chat function
with their name
and organization
No comments
were received.
No comments were
given.
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Sort Ord
er
Mode of Outre
ach
Target of Outre
ach
Summary of
response/attenda
nce
Summary of
comments recei
ved
Summary of comm
ents not accepted
and reasons
URL (If applicable)
if applicable. After
the Community
Development
Planner's
presentation,
participants were
encouraged to ask
questions.
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3 Newspaper Ad
Non-
targeted/broad
community
An ad was placed
in the Daily
Hampshire
Gazette
newspaper on
Saturday March 7,
2024 informing
residents that the
draft Annual
Action Plan would
be available for
review on March
14, 2024 and that
public comments
were encouraged.
Comments would
be accepted for
30 days, until
April 16, 2024 to
allow for the
weekend and
Monday holiday.
The ad also
informed readers
of the public
meeting on
March 14, 2024 to
discuss the draft
Action Plan where
https://www.gazettenet.com/
Public-Notices
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Sort Ord
er
Mode of Outre
ach
Target of Outre
ach
Summary of
response/attenda
nce
Summary of
comments recei
ved
Summary of comm
ents not accepted
and reasons
URL (If applicable)
residents could
hear a
presentation, ask
questions, and
make public
comments.
4 Public Meeting
Minorities
Persons with
disabilities
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Residents of
Public and
Assisted
Housing
The draft Annual
Action Plan
meeting will was
held on Tuesday
March 14, 2024.
Add later Add later
Table 4 – Citizen Participation Outreach
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Expected Resources
AP-15 Expected Resources – 91.220(c)(1,2)
Introduction
The City did not receive program income during this prior year and does not expect program income for this upcoming year. Northampton will
use its annual CDBG funds to implement its priority projects established in the Consolidated Plan. City departments and public service agencies
utilize other funding sources to operate programs and bring projects to fruition.
Anticipated Resources
Program Source
of Funds Uses of Funds Expected Amount Available Year 1 Expected
Amount
Available
Remainder
of ConPlan $
Narrative Description
Annual
Allocation:
$
Program
Income:
$
Prior Year
Resources:
$
Total:
$
CDBG public -
federal
Acquisition
Admin and
Planning
Economic
Development
Housing
Public
Improvements
Public Services 630,060 0 0 630,060 630,060
CDBG funds will be used for public
services, housing rehab, public facilities,
economic development, and for the
planning and administration of the
grant.
Table 5 - Expected Resources – Priority Table
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Explain how federal funds will leverage those additional resources (private, state and local funds), including a description of how
matching requirements will be satisfied
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If appropriate, describe publically owned land or property located within the jurisdiction that
may be used to address the needs identified in the plan
For the 2024-2025 CDBG program year, there are non-CDBG funding projects that will help to advance
goals associated with this plan. The City is designing an accessible trail at a conservation area that was
recently purchased and is looking at other City owned property that can be sold for affordable housing.
Discussion
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Annual Goals and Objectives
AP-20 Annual Goals and Objectives
Goals Summary Information
Sort
Order
Goal Name Start
Year
End
Year
Category Geographic
Area
Needs Addressed Funding Goal Outcome Indicator
1 Public Services 2020 2024 Affordable
Housing
Homeless
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Non-Housing
Community
Development
Homelessness
Prevention
Economic
Development
Housing Support
Services
Addressing Basic
Needs
CDBG:
$94,000
Public service activities other
than Low/Moderate Income
Housing Benefit: 238 Persons
Assisted
2 Preserve Affordable
Housing, Tenancy
Help & Rehab
2020 2024 Affordable
Housing
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Housing
Rehabilitation
Resources
CDBG:
$300,000
Rental units constructed: 30
Household Housing Unit
Homeowner Housing Added: 2
Household Housing Unit
Homeowner Housing
Rehabilitated: 6 Household
Housing Unit
3 Economic
Development &
Income
Maximization
2020 2024 Non-Housing
Community
Development
Economic
Development
CDBG:
$50,000
Jobs created/retained: 44 Jobs
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Sort Order Goal Name Start Year End Year Category Geographic Area Needs Addressed Funding Goal Outcome Indicator
4 Improve Public
Facilities &
Infrastructure
2020 2024 Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Public Facilities
and
Infrastructure
Public Facilities
Public Infrastructure
CDBG:
$60,060
Public Facility or Infrastructure
Activities other than
Low/Moderate Income Housing
Benefit: 866 Persons Assisted
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5 Planning and
Administration
2020 2025 Affordable
Housing
Public Housing
Homeless
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Non-Housing
Community
Development
Homelessness
Prevention
Support for
Emergency Shelter &
Support Services
Rental Housing for
Individuals
Rental Housing for
Families
Preservation of
Existing Affordable
Rental Stock
Housing
Rehabilitation
Resources
Affordable
Homeownership for
Individual & Families
Housing for At - Risk
& Special Needs
Populations
Economic
Development
Housing Support
Services
Addressing Basic
Needs
Public Facilities
Public Infrastructure
CDBG:
$126,000
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Table 6 – Goals Summary
Goal Descriptions
1 Goal Name Public Services
Goal
Description
CDBG public services allocations are made to a variety of grantees. Service provision include youth employment readiness,
mentoring for at-risk youth, literacy and language attainment, and community resource advocacy.
The six projects being funded are as follows:
Clinical Support Options – Housing Navigator: $22,000; 40 people
International Language Institute – Accessing the Future: $15,000; 31 people
Community Action Pioneer Valley - Community Resource and Advocacy: $15,000; 50 people
Center For Human Development - BBBSHC: $15,000; 35 people
Literacy Project - Pathways to Success: $15,000; 22 people
Center for New Americans - Fostering Immigrant Self-Sufficiency: $12,000; 60 people
2 Goal Name Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab
Goal
Description
3 Goal Name Economic Development & Income Maximization
Goal
Description
Valley CDC will provide one-on-one microenterprise technical assistance and counseling to new and existing micro-
enterprises. This is for businesses with five or less employees to retain and/or create new job opportunities. Funding is set
at $50,000.
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4 Goal Name Improve Public Facilities & Infrastructure
Goal
Description
The City will fund the rehabilitation and upgrade of the Arts Council mobile stage- making it fully accessible for people with
disabilities. Additionally, the City will upgrade a stormwater infiltration system at a City-owned parcel in the Oak St.
neighborhood. This will relieve some pressure on the current sewer system, making it more resilient, and recharging the
water table. A City Hall door that is not accessible will be made accessible through installation of automatic door operator,
if some of the other projects come in below their projected amount.
Mobile Stage Accessibility Upgrade: $8,000
Neighborhood Stormwater Improvement: $52,059
Accessible Door Operator: $1, which helps 802 people with an ambulatory difficulty in the City
Total Cost: $60,060
5 Goal Name Planning and Administration
Goal
Description
CDBG planning and administration funds will be used to operate the CDBG program.
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Projects
AP-35 Projects – 91.220(d)
Introduction
The City of Northampton will receive $630,060 in CDBG from HUD. This Action Plan details how CDBG
funds will be spent on new projects to address priorities identified in the City's five-year Consolidated
Plan as reviewed and updated.
Projects
# Project Name
1 Public Services
2 Mobile Stage Accessibility Upgrade
3 Housing Rehab
4 Affordable Housing Energy Efficiency Project
5 Affordable Housing Sewer Connections
6 Micro Enterprise Program
7 Neighborhood Stormwater Infiltration - Oak St.
8 Planning & Administration
9 Accessible Door Operator
Table 7 - Project Information Describe the reasons for allocation priorities and any obstacles to addressing underserved needs
The City determined allocation priorities based on what agencies could best address the needs of low-
and moderate-income people and goals established in the City’s Consolidated Plan. The City's emphasis
has been to support public service agencies addressing basic needs, improving public facilities and
infrastructure for ADA accessibility, adding affordable housing, and providing housing rehabilitation
resources to low-income homeowners.
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AP-38 Project Summary
Project Summary Information
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1 Project Name Public Services
Target Area
Goals Supported Public Services
Needs Addressed Homelessness Prevention
Support for Emergency Shelter & Support Services
Rental Housing for Individuals
Housing for At - Risk & Special Needs Populations
Housing Support Services
Addressing Basic Needs
Funding CDBG: $94,000
Description Six public service agencies and six projects. Activities include housing &
income stabilization, and coordinated referrals to Northampton
households in need; create and support quality mentoring relationships
for low-income children in Northampton; provide comprehensive Adult
Basic Education (ABE) services to adults and out-of-school youths age
16 and over and Education and Career Advising and Programming to
develop pathways to economic opportunity and security; and, offer
free classes in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); support
for immigrants seeking and applying for jobs; and a two food banks.
The six projects being funded are as follows:Clinical Support Options -
Housing Navigator: $22,000; 40 people International Language Institute
- - Accessing the Future: $15,000; 31 people Community Action Pioneer
Valley - Community Resource and Advocacy: $15,000; 50 people,Center
For Human Development - BBBSHC: $15,000; 35 people,Literacy Project
- Pathways to Success: $15,000; 22 people,Center for New Americans -
Fostering Immigrant Self-Sufficiency: $12,000; 60 people,
Target Date 6/30/2025
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
238 low-income people
Location Description Citywide, no target area identified.
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Planned Activities Activities include housing & income stabilization, and coordinated
referrals to Northampton households in need; create and support
quality mentoring relationships for low-income children in
Northampton; provide comprehensive Adult Basic Education (ABE)
services to adults and out-of-school youths age 16 and over and
Education and Career Advising and Programming to develop pathways
to economic opportunity and security; and, offer free classes in English
for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and support for immigrants
seeking and applying for jobs
2 Project Name Mobile Stage Accessibility Upgrade
Target Area
Goals Supported Improve Public Facilities & Infrastructure
Needs Addressed Public Facilities
Funding CDBG: $8,000
Description The Northampton Arts Council will upgrade its mobile stage to be
accessible for people with disabilities.
Target Date 6/30/2025
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
20 people with disabilities
Location Description Citywide, no target area identified. This is a mobile stage.
Planned Activities Purchase a ramp to make the mobile stage accessible for people with
disabilities.
3 Project Name Housing Rehab
Target Area
Goals Supported Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab
Needs Addressed Housing Rehabilitation Resources
Funding CDBG: $170,000
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Description Housing Rehabilitation for four low- and moderate-income
homeowners. Community Action Pioneer Valley (CAPV) will administer
the City of Northampton's Housing Rehabilitation Program to facilitate
essential home repairs for LMI homeowners in Northampton. Eligible
units are owner-occupied single-family homes, duplexes, and
condominiums. The funding allocation is as follows:-Administration and
Indirect Costs: $26,443.33 -Hard Costs: $143,556.67-Total: $170,000
Target Date 6/30/2025
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
6 low-income, owner-occupied households
Location Description Citywide, no target area identified.
Planned Activities Housing Rehabilitation for four low- and moderate-income
homeowners (LMI). Will facilitate essential home repairs for LMI
homeowners in Northampton. Eligible units are owner-occupied single-
family homes, duplexes, and condominiums.
4 Project Name Affordable Housing Energy Efficiency Project
Target Area
Goals Supported Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab
Needs Addressed Rental Housing for Individuals
Funding CDBG: $60,000
Description Valley CDC will use CDBG funds for the soft cost associated with
designing a passive-house certified housing development for 30 low-
income and recently homeless people.
Target Date 6/30/2025
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
30 low-income and/or homeless individuals
Location Description 27 Crafts Ave.
Right in downtown
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Planned Activities The project budget includes energy consulting & geothermal
engineering to advance overall energy efficiency. It will also include
grant writing to secure funding for further improving energy efficiency
or alternative energy sources. Other predevelopment activities include
preparing a market study appraisal & environmental assessments
5 Project Name Affordable Housing Sewer Connections
Target Area
Goals Supported Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab
Needs Addressed Affordable Homeownership for Individual & Families
Funding CDBG: $70,000
Description The City will install sewer connections to a vacant City-owned parcel on
Evergreen Rd. so that it can be transferred to an affordable housing
developer, to build two low-income owner-occupied housing units.
Target Date 6/30/2025
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
Two low-income owner-occupied homeowners
Location Description Evergreen Rd.
Planned Activities The City will install sewer connections to a vacant City-owned parcel on
Evergreen Rd. so that it can be transferred to an affordable housing
developer, to build two low-income owner-occupied housing units.
6 Project Name Micro Enterprise Program
Target Area
Goals Supported Economic Development & Income Maximization
Needs Addressed Economic Development
Funding CDBG: $50,000
Description Valley CDCs Micro-Enterprise development program offers a range of
free services to meet the needs of low-to-moderate income individuals
and business owners in Northampton who have five or fewer
employees. The program is designed to assist in all aspects of owning a
business including business plan development, financial projections,
strategic marketing, loan packaging, access to community loan funds,
and grant applications. 60 business assisted,20 jobs created,24 jobs
retained,
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Target Date 6/30/2025
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
17 People
20 Jobs to be Created
24 Jobs to be Retained
60 Businesses to be Assisted
Location Description Citywide, no target area identified.
Planned Activities Valley CDC will offer a range of free services to meet the needs of low-
to-moderate income individuals and business owners in Northampton.
The program is designed to assist in all aspects of owning a business
including business plan development, financial projections, strategic
marketing, loan packaging, access to community loan funds, and grant
applications.
7 Project Name Neighborhood Stormwater Infiltration - Oak St.
Target Area
Goals Supported Improve Public Facilities & Infrastructure
Needs Addressed Public Infrastructure
Funding CDBG: $52,059
Description DPW will install five subsurface infiltration units on Oak Street and the
residents of Oak Street from Fern Street to Warren Street would
benefit. This will mitigate flooding and recharge the aquifer.
Target Date 6/30/2025
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
44 households along Oak St.
Location Description 5 locations along Oak St., Florence
Planned Activities DPW will install five subsurface infiltration units on Oak Street and the
residents of Oak Street from Fern Street to Warren Street would
benefit. This will mitigate flooding and recharge the aquifer.
8 Project Name Planning & Administration
Target Area
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Goals Supported Public Services
Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab
Economic Development & Income Maximization
Improve Public Facilities & Infrastructure
Planning and Administration
Needs Addressed Homelessness Prevention
Preservation of Existing Affordable Rental Stock
Housing Rehabilitation Resources
Economic Development
Addressing Basic Needs
Public Infrastructure
Funding CDBG: $126,000
Description Planning and administration for the CDBG program. Payroll for CDBG
planning and administering staff, benefits, office expenses, training,
software, printing (legal notices and printouts), and registry of deeds
recording fees.
Target Date 6/30/2025
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
Location Description Citywide, no target area identified.
Planned Activities Planning and administration for the CDBG program. Payroll for CDBG
planning and administering staff, benefits, office expenses, training,
software, printing (legal notices and printouts), and registry of deeds
recording fees.
9 Project Name Accessible Door Operator
Target Area
Goals Supported Improve Public Facilities & Infrastructure
Needs Addressed Public Facilities
Funding CDBG: $1
Description This project may move forward if one of the other infrastructure
projects comes in well below its budgeted amount. It seeks to make
one City Hall door accessible that is not accessible, by installing an
automatic door operator.
Target Date 6/30/2025
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Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
802 people who have ambulatory disabilites in the City
Location Description City Hall, 210 Main St., Northampton, MA
Planned Activities Make one City Hall door accessible that is not accessible, by installing
an automatic door operator.
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AP-50 Geographic Distribution – 91.220(f)
Description of the geographic areas of the entitlement (including areas of low-income and
minority concentration) where assistance will be directed
The City has not used any geographic targeted areas, but has instead focused on individual projects.
There are no racial groups in Northampton that experience moderate or high levels of segregation
according to the Analysis of Impediments (AI) from 2019. People of color are more concentrated in
census tracts 8216.01, 8216.02, and 8222 but these concentrations are much lower than the state
overall and do not constitute a minority concentration (20% or more of the population). Census tract
8220 has a high percentage of people of color, but this most likely due to the presence of Smith College.
Geographic Distribution
Target Area Percentage of Funds
Table 8 - Geographic Distribution
Rationale for the priorities for allocating investments geographically
There are no geographic targeted areas. The Public Service programs that are funded by CDBG deliver
their services citywide., so there is no clearly defined specific geographic areas with high need in our
small City of 29,751 (2020 Census). However, subrecipients do employ targeted outreach strategies to
particular areas to reach populations that face more challenges than the community at large, such as
homeless encampments, Single Room Occupancy units (SROs), or housing authority developments.
The Housing Rehab Program serves single-family and duplex owner-occupants throughout the City.
There does not appear to be any concentrations of where houses are rehabilitated.
Discussion
According to the Analysis of Impediments (AI) from 2019, communities in the region should be split
between 70/30 white/people of color. Northampton’s population is 81% white and 19% people of color.
Therefore, Northampton needs to attract and retain thousands of people of color to balance out this
disparity.
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Affordable Housing
AP-55 Affordable Housing – 91.220(g)
Introduction
While the City maintains an Affordable Housing above 11% for low- and moderate-income residents,
there is still need for increasing the number of affordable units (those that are subsidized). According to
the fair housing assessment, 14% of total households in Northampton are considered to have a severe
housing cost burden. This number increases to 25% for families with five or more people and 18% for
non-family households. The City continues to work to acquire land or prepare it for affordable housing
developers: Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity for single-family homeowners and other development
agencies such as Valley Community Development, the Community Builders, and Way Finders for large
multi-family rental units. The process of creating affordable units is very slow and has increased
significantly in the last three years. The cost to create one affordable housing unit is above $500,000 per
unit.
When affordable housing units are finished and their lottery is finally open, they often receive hundreds
of applications. The City has given a portion of the back of the City Hall parking lot on Crafts Ave. to
create 20 affordable units right in downtown. The Moose Lodge demolition from two years has moved
forward with design of three single-family homes for first-time homebuyers. The Pioneer Valley Habitat
for Humanity has progressed significantly on its single-family homes on Burts Pit Road that was
facilitated by the Office of Planning & Sustainability.
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher list maintained at the Northampton Housing Authority (NHA). The
wait for Federal and State housing units at the NHA for both elderly/disabled and families is at least two
years. The NHA owns and manages 618 public housing affordable units in Northampton. They consist of
110 federal and 508 state funded, and they have 871 leased housing program vouchers.
One Year Goals for the Number of Households to be Supported
Homeless 0
Non-Homeless 6
Special-Needs 0
Total 6
Table 9 - One Year Goals for Affordable Housing by Support Requirement
One Year Goals for the Number of Households Supported Through
Rental Assistance 0
The Production of New Units 0
Rehab of Existing Units 6
Acquisition of Existing Units 0
Total 6
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Table 10 - One Year Goals for Affordable Housing by Support Type
Discussion
There will be up to six (6) households rehabilitated through the housing rehab program.
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AP-60 Public Housing – 91.220(h)
Introduction
The Northampton Housing Authority has worked to improve the accessibility of their properties in the
last few years and to increase the involvement of the residents. They have also engaged with the
Northampton Housing Partnership to investigate how to get more residents in Northampton to lease up
in the City.
Actions planned during the next year to address the needs to public housing
The NHA continuously evaluates their properties, and identifying units in need of repair, rehabilitation,
or accessibility needs. There are no units that have been identified for rehab or accessibility
improvements this year.
Actions to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in management and
participate in homeownership
Property management at the NHA regularly sends information packets and incentive programs to the
Community Development Planner for dissemination. The NHA formally recognized the creation of a
Tenants Association at Hampshire Heights and continues to work with McDonald House, and Forsander
Tenant Associations. A meeting is also held yearly for federal properties for the Capital Fund Program, to
solicit input on needed renovation projects.
The NHA participates in the dissemination of smoking cessation materials when tenants move into a unit
and continues to install smoking shelters at developments annually as needed. The NHA sponsors tenant
events, produces a newsletter, works with the State's LEAP program for increasing educational
attainment for residents of Hampshire Heights. The NHA launched a website in August of 2019 which
has increased communication with management and greater access to policies and procedures for
residents.
If the PHA is designated as troubled, describe the manner in which financial assistance will be
provided or other assistance
The Northampton Housing Authority is not designated as troubled.
Discussion
The NHA has created a website since the last Consolidated Plan where all of their properties are listed
and information such as Section 8 vouchers can be found. They have also added their units to the
Housing Navigator website, which offers an easy way to search for affordable and accessible units across
Massachusetts.
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AP-65 Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities – 91.220(i)
Introduction
The City works closely with many services providers through its Next Step Collaborative meetings,
attendance at the Western Mass Network to End Homelessness meetings, the Housing Partnership,
planning for the Community Resilience Hub, and from knowledge gained through reports like the
findings from the Mayor's Working Group on Panhandling, the AI, and the Climate Resiliency and
Regeneration Plan. All these efforts have informed the City's goals for the Consolidated Plan and the
projects for this action plan.
For the last couple of years, the City and its partners have been coordinating the structure of
Community Resilience Hub, and the City has purchased the building last year. There are many service
providers who work with people experiencing homelessness that may get office space there. The City
has also created a Department of Community Care (DCC) which has been combined with the Health
Dept. to create the Dept. of Health and Human Services. Their mission is to respond to calls related to
mental health, substance use, social service-related requests, and other crisis situations of Northampton
residents as an alternative to a traditional police response. The reorganized dept. has been working
closely with the other stakeholders on the Community Resiliency Hub and have started to take calls
from the Emergency Dispatch Center.
Describe the jurisdictions one-year goals and actions for reducing and ending homelessness
including
Reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their
individual needs
Eliot Homeless Services is the selected vendor with the statewide contract from the Department of
Mental Health to administer the PATH Program (Project for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness)
and works closely with the City. The PATH Program provides street outreach clinicians to several
Western Mass. communities. The PATH workers in Northampton have lived experience and can serve
that population well. The clinician works closely with the Northampton Police Department, DCC,
Tapestry Health, and ServiceNet, Inc. to link clients with needed services and housing search. They are
part of a group that assembles for case conferencing through HUD's coordinated entry system and they
prioritize chronically homeless people for housing placement and services. The PATH worker attends the
monthly Next Step Collaborative meetings and provides up to date information on the numbers and
locations of people living outside. This helps guide outreach activities and informs the City about
whether the existing shelter capacity will be enough for the season. They visit camps and conduct
engagement and assessment activities. During the day, unsheltered people can access the drop-in
center at MANNA Community Kitchen for additional case management and resources or the library to
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access the internet and books.
DIAL/SELF, the area agency serving homeless unaccompanied youth, employs staff that conducts
outreach. Their workers connect with young people at meal and shelter sites. Tapestry Health, the
regional organization that has a needle exchange program and services in the City, supports sharps
pickups from homeless encampments, and supports street harm reduction activities. They have been an
important voice at the Mayor's Panhandling Report (2019) which has cataloged existing services and
promote dialog between service providers, the business community, law enforcement and those
engaging in street activity.
The number of unsheltered homeless living outside on Army Corps of Engineers lands and City
conservation restricted areas has increased significantly over the last four years. These areas are often in
wetlands or floodplains and are unable to host camps. The Police and EMS personnel sometimes need to
access these areas for medical response, but have been hampered by the areas inaccessibility. PATH
worker make regular visits to the sites to engage with campers to inform them if the camp needs to be
vacated, so they can access services or at least protect their personal items and documents. Another
goal is to protect campers and workers from potentially harmful camp conditions. The Community
Development Planner helps monitor a protocol that was developed in 2018 with the City's Department
of Public Works, the Board of Health, the Building Inspection office, the Office of Planning &
Sustainability and Eliot Homeless Services to coordinate the response of City departments to the
encampments. The Office of Planning & Sustainability’s Lands Agent regularly cleans up sites and
updates services providers on camp activity.
Addressing the emergency shelter and transitional housing needs of homeless persons
There is still a need for additional emergency shelters and transitional housing programs in the City. ESG
and CDBG are often two of the only sources to fund emergency shelters. A new affordable housing
development for 16 homeless individuals that are severely medically-compromised opened its doors last
year. Clinical Support Options (CSO) took over the year-round shelters on Grove Street and Center Street
from ServiceNet last year and the transition seemed to go very well.
Transitional housing is a successful model that allowed intensive case management and the time needed
for people to hone the skills needed for long-term housing stability. Most of all the prior transitional
housing programs funded through the Continuum of Care have been converted to permanent supported
housing units to conform to HUD's funding priorities. As a result, the only transitional housing programs
with a 24 month length of stay limit operating in Northampton are the 163 beds managed by Soldier On
at the VA Medical Campus which includes 16 units recently created for women Veterans and their
children.
Northampton does not have a generic emergency shelter for families, and there are no families living in
encampments that have been discovered to date. As a result, most of the City's homeless services
coordination work is focused on individuals. There is a need for increased services for women, as there
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is an increasing number of women in the shelters. Many have been traumatized by domestic violence
and/or have mental health and substance use disorder challenges. There are couples living outside as
well, because if they go into shelter, they will be separated. The Safe Passage shelter for victims of
domestic violence and their children shut down within the last 18 months. There are no plans to from
service providers to restart this very important initiative. Service providers often see homelessness as a
regional issue and look for solutions regionally. When Northampton cannot house people in a shelter,
they reach out to shelter providers in the area for accommodations.
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 Hampshire County Resource Center, located downtown, was the main entry point for homeless
individuals trying to access services, but has been closed due to the pandemic. Many homeless are
getting services from the drop-in center at MANNA Community Kitchen at St. John’s Church. The
services accessed at the center will likely move to the Community Resilience Hub once it is operational.
The coordinated entry system can be reached through an 800 number for service referral. Regional
Engagement and Assessment of Chronically Homeless people (REACH) have evolved into coordinated
entry meetings. Relevant service providers meet weekly and monthly to assess and place chronically
homeless people when housing placements exist. The City's Veterans Agent participates when Veterans
are identified in need of assistance. DIAL/SELF staff participate when someone between the ages of 18-
24 present for services. Safe Passage serves those affected by domestic violence. All of these programs
work with participants to assess their needs and provide case management with the goal of helping
them transition to permanent housing and independent living. The length of stay depends on how
quickly a participant can address the obstacles they face that may prevent them from accessing housing,
and the availability of a unit.
The City is always striving to move toward increasing the number of housing units available for people
experiencing homelessness. Community Legal Aid (CLA), which is doing housing stabilization work is
helping to prevent people from entering into or returning to homelessness.
Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely
low-income individuals and families and those who are: 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); or, receiving
assistance from public or private agencies that address housing, health, social services,
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employment, education, or youth needs.
Community Legal Aid attorneys conduct advocacy at Housing Court which often results in payment plans
to preserve the tenancy. The City’s Office of Planning & Sustainability has a housing stability section on
their website which has many resources for people looking to maintain their housing status (renter or
home-owner) or search for affordable units.
Most of the public services agencies funded by the City with CDBG directly or indirectly prevent
homelessness. Increasing language competency to secure work and economic self-sufficiency, accessing
free food to be better able to afford housing costs, preparing at-risk youth for employment
opportunities and career paths, are some examples. Enhancing self-worth, life skills and educational
attainment for better employment are all critical components to maintaining stable housing and healthy
lives.
Social workers from the Cooley Dickinson Hospital attend the Next Step Collaborative meetings to
network with service providers. They will contact ServiceNet to identify available beds prior to releasing
a patient into homelessness. Soldier On will pick up any veteran being released from the Hampshire
County House of Corrections, who does not have a place to go. The City's Veterans Agent does extensive
case management and works closely with Soldier On and the Northampton Housing Authority who
administers the regions Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) units.
DIAL/SELF works closely with the Department of Families and Children and the Department of Youth
Services to address youth being discharged from the foster care system. DIAL/SELF provides housing and
support services to this population and has eight units in Northampton.
Discussion
Collaborative advocacy and support will be provided to Soldier On for their emergency and transitional
beds that serve men and women veterans. The Community Development Planner will attend monthly
meetings with the City's homeless service providers at the Next Step Collaborative, to ensure services
are coordinated and utilized effectively. City updates are provided with regard to the production of new
units which is the key to successful movement for people working to exit homelessness.
Older adults who may be at risk can be served by Highland Valley Elder Services, the Northampton
Housing Authority, Northampton's Council on Aging, and the Senior Center. Services include home
modification grants/loan to age in place, home delivered meals, public housing and outreach, education
and socialization opportunities. The EARN program provides an opportunity for income maximization for
older adults not able to survive on Social Security or savings alone after retirement.
Households with members who are disabled can be served by Stavros Center for Independent Living, the
Department of Developmental Services, and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. Households
with members experiencing mental health issues are served by ServiceNet, Inc., Community Support
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Options (CSO) and the Department of Mental Health (DMH). The Northampton Recovery Center located
downtown serves as a day drop in and resource center for those in recovery from substance use and
mental health disorders. DMH and Department of Developmental Services (DDS) have residential
programs that operate in the City, with 24/7 hour staffing supports.
Gandara Mental Health Center operates Hairston House and the Maple Avenue house in Northampton
for those in recovery from substance use. Victims of domestic violence can access Safe Passage for
emergency hotline information and referrals, legal advocacy, and case management services. People
living with HIV/AIDS can be served by A Positive Place for HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for People
with AIDS) housing subsidies and support services which operates out of Cooley Dickinson Hospital in
Northampton.
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AP-75 Barriers to affordable housing – 91.220(j)
Introduction:
Actions it planned 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
The recommendations and actions identified in the Fair Housing Assessment along with the advocacy
and research done by the Housing Partnership have assisted the Office of Planning & Sustainability in
creating more equitable housing policies. The Housing Partnership serves as the City's Fair Housing
Committee and members were involved in the formulation of this report. The City has passed a two-
family by right zoning ordinance, which allows for the creation of more housing units, lessening the
burden on housing costs. The City Council has banned the charging of broker fees associated with
moving into a rental unit which serve as a financial barrier for most potential tenants. The
Massachusetts Legislature is currently considering this Home Rule petition. There is also legislation at
the state level that would allow for an affordable housing fund financed by fees levied on the sale of
houses above a certain price point. This would be an opt-in program that the City is actively
investigating. Most of the barriers within the control of City departments have been examined. The
Housing Partnership has built the recommendations of the report into its goals since the report was
initially published in 2019
The Massachusetts Fair Housing Center has previously done community education and outreach in
Northampton and has expressed interest in working with the City to host another event. The Housing
Partnership would like to have another landlord workshop over the next program year, but that has not
been finalized yet.
Discussion:
The City will work collaboratively with the Housing Partnership, Next Step Collaborative, and other sub-
committees to determine the next course of action. They will investigate how the actions steps created
from the assessment of barriers can be implemented in the next program year and leverage current
initiatives.
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AP-85 Other Actions – 91.220(k)
Introduction:
The City will play a critical role in facilitating communication and collaboration in the face of limited
community resources. The City will support people and organizations carrying out public service
programming, preserving and creating affordable housing, increasing people’s economic self-sufficiency,
enhancing public facilities and infrastructure to improve the life quality of people that may be
underserved and have insufficient incomes.
Actions planned to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs
The City has created a Department of Community Care whose mission is to divert emergency dispatch
calls related to behavioral health, substance use, social service-related requests, and other crisis
situations away from the police department. This process can help keep people who are in a crisis from
getting a criminal record which can often make finding housing difficult and overly burden them with
the economic and social costs associated with the justice system.
The City will support and participate in the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness, the
Rural Three County Continuum of Care, the Next Step Collaborative, and the Northampton Housing
Partnership. This involvement informs the work of the Mayor's Office, the Department of Community
Care, and relevant City departments to ensure that local government is an active and responsive partner
in addressing obstacles that some residents experience. Housing and services for women were identified
as a high priority need in previous action plans. Dialogue with Safe Passage to determine if they were
interested in developing additional housing options for victims of domestic violence, but currently they
don’t have the staff capacity to take on these additional housing options.
Previously, traditional nonprofit housing developers have not developed housing first units. Developers
say that these types of units are hard to create with HUD’s funding/reporting requirements and more
recently, the cost of creating just the units has become prohibitively expensive. Adding additional
service costs make it even more so. The City will work with various stakeholders and funding apparatus
(CDBG, CPA, Housing Choice, Short-term rental fees) to create affordable housing. Other sources of
funding such as ARPA funds, Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funds, and casino mitigation funds will
be used for other program delivery that CDBG cannot pay for. In all activities, the City will be looking to
help people who are underserved, which often are people who are low-income.
Actions planned to foster and maintain affordable housing
The City is always looking to acquire parcels that could be used affordable housing units. The City is
closing up in June using $250,000 in the State’s Housing Choice grant to prepare the physical
infrastructure and designs of four City owned properties so that they can be sold to affordable housing
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developers.
Whenever the City gives money for housing, it requires an affordability restriction. The Executive Office
of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), previously DHCD, Subsidized Housing Inventory of
subsidized housing units is monitored continually by the Community Development Planner. No other
expiring use dates are occurring in the next decade, as most of the newer projects are affordable in
perpetuity or don't expire until 2030 and after.
The Northampton Housing Partnership has had several conversation with the NHA could move towards
using a different Fair Market Rent (FMR) calculation than the one associated with the Springfield MSA,
but that initiative did not go anywhere.
Actions planned to reduce lead-based paint hazards
The City's Housing Rehabilitation Program will continue to include lead paint abatement as an eligible
activity. All units addressed by the program are tested for lead and abatement occurs when required.
Other state and federal program are also posted on the Office of Planning & Sustainability website.
Levels of childhood lead poisoning remain low according to the State's Department of Public Health, but
child blood lead level testing has dropped by 20 percentage points since 2020.Lead paint is a silent
discriminator when landlords refuse units to families so they can avoid the de-leading process. The
public education campaign that resulted from the Analysis of Impediments report continues to address
this illegal practice. The City's Board of Health also maintain a database of units that have been certified
as lead free. Previously, letters from the Mayor to every landlord in the community contained
information on lead paint laws and resources for abatement. The Community Development Planner
investigated the HUD Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program, but it was not feasible at the moment.
Actions planned to reduce the number of poverty-level families
The Literacy Project, the Center for New Americans, and Community Action's Youth Employment
Readiness Program will assist residents with economic empowerment.
Community Action's Resource and Advocacy Center is where people can call in and receive direct
assistance to access resources and benefits. Bilingual staff are available to serve Spanish speakers.
Community Legal Aid had been active in securing local services from Way Finders in Housing Court and
for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) application intakes, so local service providers
and clients don't have to drive to Springfield to access those resources.
The Northampton City Council supports the work of the Living Wage Campaign and publicly
acknowledges employers in the community that pay a living wage. The Pioneer Valley Workers Center
(PVWC) advocates for disenfranchised workers to secure higher pay and safe and respectful work
environments. Many of their clients are day laborers on farms and in construction. The PVWC does
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education and outreach to ensure employees are aware of their rights and responsibilities and strives to
improve employer/employee relationships
Actions planned to develop institutional structure
The Department of Community Care has initiated its program for interacting with the police
department, the Mayor’s Office, and social service providers, so that they can divert calls away from the
police department
The Office of Planning & Sustainability is kept informed of developing issues through monthly meetings
of the Northampton Housing Partnership, the Next Step Collaborative, and the Western Mass Network
to End Homelessness. The Next Step Collaborative meetings are attended by providers working with
sheltered and unsheltered people, Veterans, people with HIV/AIDS, residents of the SROs, homeless and
formerly homeless consumers.
Actions planned to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social
service agencies
Way Finders manages the Lumber Yard Apartments and the Sergeant House for Valley CDC. In addition
to their own properties - Paradise Pond Apartments, the Earle Street SRO, Live 155 and the Lorraine SRO
at 96 Pleasant Street. Valley CDC also utilizes HMR Property Management for the Maples, Millbank, the
King Street SRO, and the School Street apartments. HMR is familiar with social service agencies
providing housing stabilization work for tenants and all interface collaboratively. Valley CDC and Way
Finders also work in partnership to develop, and manage affordable housing for the City and region.
The City will continue to work with the NHA’s Resident Services Coordinators (RSC) to ensure they are
aware of local resources to enhance self-sufficiency for their tenants. The NHA hired a RSC for
Hampshire Heights, in addition to Florence Heights, to serve the families in their public housing
developments, an exciting step forward.
The Coordinated Entry meetings have identified the need for more landlords to be willing to accept
chronically homeless people and veteran’s using Veterans’ Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) subsidies.
Discussion:
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Program Specific Requirements
AP-90 Program Specific Requirements – 91.220(l)(1,2,4)
Introduction:
The City does not expect to receive any program income for this year. Additionally, there is no program
income from previous years that has not been reprogrammed.
Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)
Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(1)
Projects planned with all CDBG funds expected to be available during the year are identified in the
Projects Table. The following identifies program income that is available for use that is included in
projects to be carried out.
1. The total amount of program income that will have been received before the start of the next
program year and that has not yet been reprogrammed 0
2. The amount of proceeds from section 108 loan guarantees that will be used during the year to
address the priority needs and specific objectives identified in the grantee's strategic plan. 0
3. The amount of surplus funds from urban renewal settlements 0
4. The amount of any grant funds returned to the line of credit for which the planned use has not
been included in a prior statement or plan 0
5. The amount of income from float-funded activities 0
Total Program Income: 0
Other CDBG Requirements
1. The amount of urgent need activities 0
2. The estimated percentage of CDBG funds that will be used for activities that
benefit persons of low and moderate income.Overall Benefit - A consecutive period
of one, two or three years may be used to determine that a minimum overall
benefit of 70% of CDBG funds is used to benefit persons of low and moderate
income. Specify the years covered that include this Annual Action Plan. 71.74%
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Program income comes back to CDBG infrequently, when deferred housing rehab and home repair loans
are paid off. The majority of homeowners request subordinations when they go to refinance.
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