HousingPartnershipMinutes2010NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes
January 4, 2010 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Martha Ackelsberg, Richard Abuza, Peg
Murray, Lynne Wallace. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. Review of the
minutes was deferred to February. No one was present for the public comment
period. Annual Elections The members nominated Gordon Shaw to remain as Chair of the Housing
Partnership for the coming year. Nominations were closed. The motion was
moved, seconded and unanimously approved.
The members nominated Lynne Wallace as Vice-Chair. Nominations were
closed. The motion was moved, seconded and unanimously approved.
Thanks to Gordon and Lynne for their willingness to continue in their current
capacities. It was agreed to keep the regular meeting time to the first Mondays of
the month from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Needs Assessment Members still need to comprehensively review the current draft. Members
assigned themselves sections of the report to review, edit and condense.
Members agreed to complete their work within two weeks and send their
recommended changes to Peg K. It was also noted that possibly Partnership
members should facilitate the public meetings in the second phase to invoke
more community ownership. Generally, the sentiment regarding the needs
assessment is that there is too much data and not enough analysis. Peg K. will
communicate that to the Consultant and see what she thinks about revisions to
address that concern.
With regard to Planned Production plans, members offered to go on line to
review some existing plans to become familiar with the requirements. Peg K. will
also ask the Consultant how public sessions are facilitated when specific parcels
that have been identified for potential development are named.
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There was also discussion about the results of the Consultant's assessment. Members are unsure about the conclusions she drew after crunching the numbers. Were there other things that popped out in addition to the goals identified in the Sustainable Northampton plan? These types of questions will be posed to Ms. Sunnarborg and she will be asked to address them at the February meeting. A separate meeting with area housing developers was discussed as a way to glean information about their plans and ideas for projects. Whether or not they would want to share that information in front of each other was a question raised. More discussion on this will occur at the February meeting. In summary, members noted that if the Consultant has not discovered anything "new", that is acceptable. Having the needs and priorities confirmed will allow the Partnership to build the case for its recommendations; we will have a planning document that allows us to be pro-active rather than reactive; stakeholders will be able to move intentionally forward in one direction and we will have a document that provides a historical record for the (sometimes unacknowledged) accomplishments to date. The public session sponsored by the Zoning Revisions Sub-Committee is February 24th• Members will attend. Peg K. will ask James Thompson to produce a map showing the city owned property and ask for parcel size information. Shenotified members that on Monday, Valley CDC received news of State fundingfor the new King Street SRO project (10 new SRO units) and the renovation of theMaples in Florence (currently 11 units to be rehabbed). Wayne Feiden, PlanningDirector, sold the Garfield Ave. parcel to Habitat for Humanity ($1) (project ongoing since 2002) and the Mass. Justice Project received a grant in conjunction.with Western Mass. Legal Services for foreclosure prevention work. A goodweek for affordable housing in the Pioneer Valley!Ice Pond Drive Deed Restriction Members discussed the two mortgage re-financings that occurred with deed restricted units on Ice Pond Drive. Member Abuza suggested the need for additional notification to be filed at the Registry, to flag the presence of a deed restriction. Peg K. will talk to Valley CDC and the State to get more information. In the interim, Member Abuza made the following motion: "The Northampton Housing Partnership, recognizing the difficulty involved in creating and preserving affordable homeownership units, express great concern at the 2
potential loss of any deed restricted affordable housing units through inappropriate refinancing, and/or, other deed restriction violations and asks that the City investigate and address this issue as a matter of high priority and take appropriate action." This motion was seconded by Member Ackelsberg and voted on unanimously in favor. Staff was asked to circulate this resolution to the Mayor and Teri Anderson, Director of the Community and Economic Development Department, in a memorandum providing some context. The action is intended to accomplish the following: that deed restrictions can be identified and monitored for compliance and that a protocol can be developed to insure the protection of these units. Adjourn: There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 7:40p.m. Respectfully submitted,
Peg Keller
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NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes February 1, 2010 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Peg Murray, Richard Abuza, Betsy Siersma, Martha Ackelsberg, Lynne Wallace. Also present, Peg Keller, staff and Karen Sunnarborg, Consultant. Call to Order Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. Ms. Sunnarborg was asked to answer some questions members had posed for her at the last meeting. Housing Needs Assessment Question: How are public sessions handled when specific parcels that have been identified for possible affordable housing projects get discussed? Ms. Sunnarborg said that for the purposes of the Planned Production Plan, public sites (municipally owned) can be discussed openly but privately owned parcels could be described differently. The fear would be that if the parcels are identified, the asking prices could be increased. Ideal parcels described in more general terms, (i.e. near transportation, near employment, etc.) would satisfy Production Plan requirements. Question: After analyzing the data contained in the Housing Needs Assessment, what stands out as issues particular to Northampton? She said the number of individual non-family, smaller households is higher (by far) than she has seen elsewhere. She said the early adult age range (20-34) is also very high and higher than she has seen elsewhere. Question: What about the percentage of owner vs. rental (50%, 50%)? Unusually high renter? She said no, a 50% rental rate is not unusual for cities/urban areas. -Nor do we have an unusually high number of people aged 65 and older.She noted that our housing is expensive compared to the numbers with lowincomes and that our inventory of SRO housing is a plus compared to cities oursize.Question: Has she seen other communities working as diligently on affordable housing issues who are in excess of the 10%? She said generally, every community has a core group of dedicated advocates but most activity is directed to Planned Production plans in order to avoid comprehensive permits. The difference here is a broader, 1
institutionalized commitment. Member Ackelsberg said the local progressive political leadership should be noted in the plan. Ms. Sunnarborg agreed and said she we should also emphasize what has been achieved; i.e. the 40R district, the work force housing inclusion at the State hospital, etc. Member Murray had secured comments from Carolyn Misch, Permits Planner on the section addressing zoning. A map will be requested for inclusion. Carolyn has agreed to do an analysis of the number of housing units produced as a result of certain zoning tools. In summary, Ms. Sunnarborg said the data did confirm needs prioritized in other plans, but we may want to emphasize them differently. She felt that some of the objectives in the Sustainable Northampton Plan are really strategies. Question: What are some other cities doing that we are not, but should be? She said some are more proactive with developers by meeting with them and crafting projects together. Also, mortgage assistance programs where people go out and find units to buy and the City gives them assistance at the closing. The person selects the unit, gets the funding at closing and a deed restriction is attached to the unit. Non-profits are not involved, fairly easy to administer. Peg K. will check on the status of the PVPC project regarding an inclusionary zoning ordinance. There is still time to do revisions on the Needs Assessment. Peg K. will ask for the zoning map and a census map, in addition to one showing possible developable parcels. Members then discussed the order of priorities and the Executive Summary. Members agreed with the order Chair Shaw proposed. Ms. Sunnarborg will revise accordingly and re-circulate the Summary for review. She will also review the edits from the members, as assembled by Betsy, and send out the entire document once she incorporates the changes. Members will plan to attend the public session for the Zoning Revisions SubCommittee (as will Ms. Sunnarborg) to be held February 24th. A meeting with housing developers to identify potential projects will be scheduled for March. Adjourn/ Ms. Sunnarborg was thanked for her work and attendance. The meeting concluded at 7:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 2
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes
March 1, 2010 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair; Lynne Wallace, Martha Ackelsberg, Betsy
Siersma, Richard Abuza. Also present Karen Sunnarborg, Consultant and Peg Keller,
staff. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. No one was present
for the public comment period. Minutes/ Member Wallace made a motion to approve the last 2 sets of minutes. The
motion was seconded by Member Ackelsberg. The motion in favor was approved, with
Member Abuza abstaining. Discussion/ Strategic Housing Plan It was determined that members still needed to do a final review of the Housing Needs
Assessment draft. Peg will collect the zoning map and the census tract map to send to
Karen. Members discussed the agenda for the upcoming meeting with the private and
non-profit housing developers to be held March 11th. Peg will do the opening which
will summarize the process, the Needs Assessment phase and the information needed
for the Strategic Plan. Attendees will be asked about their concerns around
development, obstacles that impact project implementation, thoughts on the permitting
process, developable land, zoning, NIMBYism and what specific projects they may have
in the pipeline. The list of attendees was reviewed. It was suggested that the Needs
Assessment Executive Summary be sent to them ahead of time.
Members then discussed the rents at Hospital Hill and why people may need to move
on. Members attempted to understand how affordable housing can cease to be
affordable.
Members then discussed the Development Cabinet that exists through the Planning
Department which allows pre-permit application project review. The Housing
Partnership is represented along with the Building Commissioner, representatives of
the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, Planning Dept., the Fire Department
and the Board of Public Works. The Partnership has the ability to advocate for the
inclusion of affordable units for housing projects in which they may have not been
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considered. Karen will add this to the planning document. Members discussed the general desire for the Partnership to be the vetting agent for all housing projects that may come before the City. It has been made a requirement of Community Preservation Committee applicants to come before the Partnership for a recommendation to insure eligibility and to give the CPC a sense of community priority. Ms. Sunnarborg mentioned that in her research, she discovered that Hathaway Farms' agreement with MassHousing to keep 20% of the units there affordable (through the 80/20 Loan Program) expires in 2014. Peg said she would verify that and reach out to Spear Management and talk to the Mayor about interest she may have in attempting to retain some affordability there. Evidently, it was not on MassHousing's radar screen, nor locally, as concluding so soon. Adjourn/ The meeting ended at 7:18 p.m. The next meeting will be held April 12th,rather than the 5th• Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 2
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes April 12, 2010 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Richard Abuza, Betsy Siersma, Peg Murray, Martha Ackelsberg, Lynne Wallace. Also present, Peg Keller, staff and Karen Sunnarborg, Consultant. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. Approval of Minutes: Member Ackelsberg made a motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously. Needs Assessment Members agreed to send any final comments regarding Phase 1 of the Housing Plan project to Karen. At that point, the Needs Assessment will be considered complete. Strategic Plan Members reported on their reactions from the focus group held with housing developers. Although there were no startling revelations, all agreed it was informative to see them all gathered and hear about their current projects. The invitees also networked among themselves. Member Wallace noted that HAP hosts such gatherings quarterly, allowing for regular communication for those involved with the development of affordable housing. Members agreed it would be beneficial to put something in writing for the Zoning Revisions Sub-Committee. This would help to insure inclusion of ordinance changes about which the Partnership felt strongly. Ms. Sunnarborg will talk to Carolyn Misch about getting some of the pictures from the Sub-Committee presentation and get information on the numbers of units that have been produced (or not) from the current zoning incentives. The group reviewed some of the strategies suggested in the draft matrix. Member Wallace said she would be attending the conference session being held on forming municipal Affordable Housing Trusts. The nature of the trust we currently have was discussed. Community outreach and education through, for example, a cable tv show was discussed. It was decided that the research done on the condo conversion issue
should be included, so people in the future know what can and can't be done. This would be helpful even though the market for conversions has flattened. Peg K. committed to moving ahead on the analysis of municipally owned land for development potential. It was noted that CPA funds could be used to conduct feasibility analyses and Requests for Proposals. It was noted that the properties being surplussed by Smith College and Clark School might offer housing opportunities for the community. Peg will inquire with Teri Anderson and the Mayor about that process. An ongoing allotment from the CPA could be requested for pursuing projects or to seed the Housing Trust Fund. Peg K. mentioned that the CPC Chair, Fran Volkmann had invited her and Pamela Schwartz, Regional Coordinator for the Western Mass Network to End Homelessness, to report on housing and homeless needs on May 16th• This will help inform the CPC members about community priorities and assist them with their funding decisions. Next Meeting/ May 3rd • Ms. Sunnarborg will bring a draft of the Strategic Plan fordiscussion and comment. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller The May meeting was subsequently cancelled to allow more time for draft preparation. Next Meeting, June 7th, 2010.
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes June 7, 2010 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair; Richard Abuza, Peg Murray, Lynne Wallace, Martha Ackelsberg. Also attending, Karen Sunnarborg, Consultant and Jen Dieringer, new Planning Board representative and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. Member Murray made a motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting, seconded by Member Ackelsberg. They were approved as submitted. Member Introductions Members introduced themselves to Ms. Dieringer. She has volunteered to represent the Planning Board on the Housing Partnership. She was thanked for her presence. Peg K. will inquire as to whether this has to go through the City Council appointment process. Report on Community Preservation Committee Presentation Peg K. said she attended the meeting held May 16th with the CP Committee. Chair Fran Volkmann had invited her and Pamela Schwartz, the Regional Coordinator of the Western Mass. Network to End Homelessness. The purpose was to report on the housing and homeless needs in the community to better inform CPC members as they make funding awards. Ms. Schwartz spoke about the framework of the regional network, the progress that has been made reducing individual and family homelessness and efforts to sustain the network beyond the 18 month State funded period. Peg then reviewed the priority needs identified in the Housing Needs Assessment, emphasizing areas where the CPC could be involved. Peg said she offered to come back to their group when the Strategic Plan phase is completed, for a more targeted discussion of how the CPC can assist. Municipal Housing Trusts Member Wallace reported that she had attended a conference sponsored by the Mass. Housing Partnership about the formation and uses of municipal housing trusts. She distributed materials. Ms. Sunnarborg said she did not see why the one we already have would be unable to function in the manner intended by the legislation that created municipal trusts. (The Northampton Affordable Housing Trust was created by local ordinance to serve families at Hathaway Farms, but also has generic functions, and was created before the legislation in the State was enacted). [1]
Strategic Plan/ Potential Housing Project Peg distributed and reviewed a list of municipally owned land that might have potential for housing development. She had met with Wayne Feiden (Planning Director) to get his recommendations. The entire inventory was examined, and parcels plotted on a map. Categories of public and some private parcels were discussed. Mr. Feiden had noted several that could merit further analysis. After reviewing the list, Partnership members determined that the prioritized parcels should be named and worked on in the short term (1-3 years). The lower priorities could be included in the plan for longer term achievement (3-5 years). Peg K. will discuss this with the Planning Director and assess how to move forward on the inclusion of these potential projects in the plan. Other elements in the draft Strategic Plan were discussed. It was thought to be good timing to send the Zoning Revisions Sub-Committee the draft to assist them with their work. Members reviewed the community education ideas, the zoning recommendations and agreed another meeting was needed to digest the information presented. Ms. Sunnarborg was complimented on the scope and breadth of the strategies. Next Meeting/ Due to the July 4th holiday, the Partnership meeting will be held the following week, July 13th (Tuesday) at 5:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller [2]
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes
July 13, 2010 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Richard Abuza, Peg Murray, Betsy Siersma,
Jen Dieringer, Martha Ackelsberg. Also present, Karen Sunnarborg, Consultant and Peg
Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. No one was present
for the public comment period. The minutes were approved as submitted.
Discussion/ Draft Strategic Housing Plan
Ms. Sunnarborg and members reviewed the comments made by Teri Anderson,
Director of the Community and Economic Development Office and Wayne Feiden,
Director of the Office of Planning and Development. This provided a framework for
moving through the document and making revisions.
Highlights of the discussion were as follows:
•One Executive Summary will be compiled to incorporate both sections, the
Housing Needs Assessment and the Strategic Plan
•The Executive Summary will be widely distributed, with reference made to the
full document for those interested. Full document will go to the Community
Preservation Committee for assistance with funding request prioritization.
•Check to see if applicants proposing housing projects to the CPC are required to
check in with the Housing Partnership first.
•City departments should encourage and support a formal role for the NHP to
support and advise potential developers without adding to a perception of an
already cumbersome permitting process.
•Comprehensive review of municipally owned properties for potential
development opportunities/ list examined.
Next Steps
At the August meeting, the Strategic Plan will be wrapped up. The public review
session(s) will be held in September. Outreach strategies will be brainstormed at the
August meeting.
Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes August 2, 2010 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Betsy Siersma, Peg Murray, Lynne Wallace. Also present, Karen Sunnarborg, Consultant and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. Member Siersma made a motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting. The motion was seconded by Member Murray, with the vote in favor, unanimous. Discussion of Strategic Plan Ms. Sunnarborg and the members reviewed the draft Strategic Plan. She guided the discussion by asking questions and identifying specific sections that need more information. The homelessness prevention, economic development and SRO sections will be enhanced. Discussion followed regarding the requirements of the Planned Production Plan and project charts. Peg K. is having difficulty identifying specific projects for the 5 year and 10 year timelines. Projects on the list so far include the Housing Authority projects on Laurel and Burts Pit Road, Valley's King Street SRO, Habitat's GarfieldN erona project, Doug Kohl's Oaks subdivision, the surplused properties of Smith College, Shaw's Motel, unit production from the inclusionary housing zoning ordinance (yet to be proposed/passed) and possible church reuses. Peg will spend more time to see what could be added, for the next meeting. Next Steps Ms. Sunnarborg will pull together the final draft of the entire document; Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan. The public event for final review could be held October, 18, 19 or 20th• Peg willcheck for room availability. The next meeting will be held September 13th and the content of the public presentation will be discussed. Revisions to Community Preservation Committee Plan Members voted unanimously to request that the CPC committee formally require those applicants requesting CPA funds for housing projects to first come before the Housing Partnership for review. Being that the Housing Partnership is charged with articulating the short and long term housing needs of the community, project ideas should be vetted and assessed to see if it is indeed a need that has been prioritized. 40B Referendum question Andrew Baker, the Western Mass. Coordinator for the 40B Campaign will present at the September meeting. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes September 13, 2010 Members Present: Lynne Wallace, Vice-Chair, Peg Murray, Betsy Siersma, Richard Abuza, Jen Dieringer. Also present, Jennica Petrik-Huff representing Valley CDC and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Vice-Chair Wallace called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. Member Siersma made a motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting. The vote was seconded by Member Murray and the vote in favor was unanimous, with 2 abstentions. Valley CDC Presentation Jennica Petrik-Huff presented two VCDC applications for Community Preservation Committee funding. The first is for a staff position to identify potential affordable housing projects. Between the Mass. Housing Partnership and CEDAC, funding for this staff function has dried up. The request is for $75,000 over 3 years. It is the hope that Valley will identify 2 viable Northampton projects in the next 3 years. Few funding sources cover predevelopment activities. CEDAC can provide funding for initial feasibility studies, but they charge interest. If they had in house money, no interest would be involved. Member Murray asked if this were an eligible CPA activity. Ms. Petrik-Huff said that they have seen other projects of this nature submitted, for example to support City staffing and consultants. Member Abuza made the following motion II Because the Housing Partnership recognizes the critical importance of supporting infrastructure for staffing as a key piece of affordable housing production, we recognize that this proposal addresses this vital need and the Housing Partnership supports it." Member Murray seconded the motion. There was no further discussion. The vote in favor was unanimous. The second application is for $80,000 to supplement their existing predevelopment loan fund. The purpose is to provide funds for early activities, prior to acquiring site control such as legal consultation, deposits, feasibility studies. The existence of such a fund increases Valley's chances to compete with private interests to acquire property in Northampton. The original request to the CPA a few rounds ago was for $100,000. They were awarded $20,000, so this is a follow-up application for the remaining amount. Discussion followed. Member Abuza made the following motion II The Housing Partnership recognizes that predevelopment funding is a difficult but critical component of providing affordable housing so we reiterate our prior recommendation (from the previous funding request) that the Valley CDC Pre-development Fund be supported with CPA funding. With the realities inherent in project acquisitions, expedited access to funds can often make the difference between whether a 1
project can be secured for affordable housing or not". Member Dieringer seconded the motion. There was no further discussion. The vote in favor was unanimous. Another application is being put forth by Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals. Yvonne Freccero, President of the Board was unable to attend so Peg K. presented the proposal on their behalf. Funding is being sought to acquire a residence to house formerly homeless. There will be a sobriety requirement. Support services will be provided through a collaboration with the Ghandara Center, Hairston House and the Alliance for Sober Living. Members discussed the proposal and it was deemed that more information was needed, particularly around participant selection. Peg will invite project proponents to the next meeting. Guest Presentation/ 40B Repeal Campaign/ No on 2 Andrew Baker, the former Director of the Hilltown CDC, is now the Western Mass. Coordinator working to defeat the referendum question to repeal 40B. Mr. Baker made a presentation and asked the Partnership to assist with the campaign. Fran Volkmann, David N arkewicz, Pamela Schwartz and Lynne Wallace met as an ad hoc group to craft a City Council resolution and they seek co-sponsorship from the Partnership. The resolution was reviewed and revised. The Partnership agreed to the sponsorship and supported it being presented to the City Council. Mr. Baker said that if it passes, Northampton will be the second city to do so after Cambridge. Peg K. reviewed the list of local projects that have benefited from the comprehensive permit process and the existence of 40B.( 19 homeownership units and 33 rental units.) Member Abuza made a motion to recommend support of the Resolution to City Council and the citizens of Northampton. The motion was seconded by Member Siersma. The vote in favor was unanimous. Mr. Baker was thanked for his attendance. Members offered to assist with placement of letters in the newspaper. Community Preservation Committee Members discussed possible names for the Mayor's appointment to the CPC seat being vacated by Don Bianchi. They also discussed the content of their review of funding applications for CPA awards. A comment had been submitted to the Committee as they were revising their annual plan, asking for formal Housing Partnership review of all housing related applications. Peg K. will submit additional language for their meeting this week elaborating on how that could take place. Members agreed that the process could consist of: •An assessment of whether or not the proposal addressed a need prioritized by theHousing Plan.•Any suggestions that could be offered to the applicant for additional funding sourcesand opportunities for community collaboration to enhance the project.•Discussion would be followed by a vote regarding whether or not to support the projectas it moves forward to seek funding from the CPC.•A letter would be sent to the CPC summarizing the discussion, the decision and the2
rationale for the decision. Peg will draft a memo to the Committee and circulate it to Partnership members for review prior. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:50 p.m. The next meeting will be held October 4th, to finalize the Strategic Housing Plan and focus on the public event for final input. Representatives of the Friends will be invited to shed more light on their program design. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes October 4, 2010 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, , Lynne Wallace Vice-Chair, Peg Murray, Betsy Siersma, Jen Dieringer, Richard Abuza. Also present, Yvonne Freccero of Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals, Karen Sunnarborg, Consultant and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. Member Siersma made a motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting, seconded by Member Wallace. The vote in favor was unanimous. Friends of Hampshire County Homeless/ CPA Application Yvonne Freccero was welcomed. She was asked to present the project her Board is proposing to the Community Preservation Committee, for which she is seeking a letter of support. She described the project as follows: FHCI-Il is proposing to purchase an existing residential building to house 5-6 formerly chronically homeless male individuals committed to sober living -Being developed in recognition that individuals exiting homelessness do not always findnext step housing, such as SRO' s to be conducive to recovery from alcohol and drugusageMuch discussion has occurred with Hairston House and Alliance for Sober Livingpersonnel who are very excited about the prospect of having this new resourceDiscussions have also occurred with Hampshire County House of Corrections reintegration staff about use for post incarcerated individualsAs at Yvonne's House, residents will be required to contribute a portion of their incomesfor rentGandara Center (from Springfield who recently secured the operational contract forHairston House) will own, manage and provide the support services for the homeTenant selection will be conducted by the collaborating service providers(Hairston House, Alliance for Sober Living and Gandara)Funding will include privately raised amounts, a grant application to Mass Housingand the Community Preservation ActChair Shaw asked if they had considered a time limited stay, to provide more options for people moving through the program. Ms. Freccero said it was being designed as permanent housing, but she expects some will want to move on to more independent living after a period of time. Because these are chronically homeless individuals, they would like them to be able to stay if they want and not have to move on. Her Board advocates for smaller, neighborhood based, scattered site types of programs. They would also like to include employment options as a program component. 1
There were no additional questions. Ms. Freccero departed the meeting and thanked the
members for their time. The Partnership deliberated. Peg Keller spoke about having met
representatives from the Gandara Center, as they are a new provider to our area. She talked
about the need for a program such as this and how well it will be utilized in the area. She also
talked about the need for some type of program where people can be housed while they are
actively abusing substances. After further discussion, Member Dieringer made a motion to
support the project and send a letter stating such to the Community Preservation Committee for
their deliberation in this funding round. The motion was seconded by Member Siersma and the
vote in favor was unanimous.
Housing Plan/ Public Session
Consultant Karen Sunnarborg was welcomed to the meeting. Members went over the Strategic
Plan and the production goals. Ms. Sunnarborg said the State wants to see a good faith effort in
achieving stated goals in an approved Housing Production Plan. Members decided trying to
establish specificity for 6-10 years out was too difficult so that time period will be removed.
Members said the Power Point draft prepared by Ms. Sunnarborg was good and will work well
for the public presentation.
Members then discussed the Public Presentation. The thrust will be to review the draft for the
public in attendance and seek further and final comment. The distribution list used for the
earlier input sessions will be utilized for outreach. The format will include Ms. Sunnarborg
going through the slides, with Partnership members weighing in with specific examples and
anecdotes to elaborate on the information presented. Members discussed placing an article in
the Gazette and sending out the Executive Summary ahead of time. Member Shaw will do the
welcome and introductions. The meeting is scheduled for November 15th• Peg K. will find an
appropriate location, starting with the JFK Community Room.
Chapter 40B Repeal Campaign
Members discussed what activities they were undertaking to oppose the repeal of 40B. Member
Wallace read a letter she was crafting on behalf of the Western Mass. Regional Network to End
Homelessness. Member Siersma offered to draft a letter to the Gazette editor from the
Partnership and contact the Broadbrook Coalition, Pat Goggins and Joanne Campbell for letters.
Adjourn
The meeting concluded at 7:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 2
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes November 1, 2010 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Lynne Wallace, Peg Murray, Betsy Siersma, Jen Dieringer. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. Member Siersma made a motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting. The motion was seconded by Member Murray and the vote in favor was unanimous. Outreach for Draft Plan Presentation The public session to present the draft plan is scheduled for November 15th in the City Council Chambers. Member Murray suggested reviewing the names on the acknowledgement page in the plan to be sure all those get invited. Chair Shaw offered to email names of Housing Court personnel. Member Dieringer will contact the Planning Board, Western Mass. Legal Services, Housing Court judges and Peter Frothingham. Peg K. has asked the Mayor's Office to post it on the City's website and has contacted the Gazette. Members suggested asking the Gazette to do pre and post coverage via an actual article rather than just a meeting notice. Chair Shaw said he would be reachable by cell phone if they wanted to speak with him. Power Point Review Member Siersma suggested that members review the power point presentation and identify slides on which they wished to elaborate. This would diversify those speaking beyond just the Consultant. Hopefully the session will be well attended and comments can then be incorporated into the final plan and this phase concluded. Next Steps Members agreed that the January session should be spent prioritizing tasks identified in the plan and an annual work scope be created. This will help focus the Partnership and make monitoring progress easier. Peg K. said that as the City's Fair Housing Committee, activities to affirmatively further fair housing need to be part of that work plan. Members discussed the status of area agencies charged with that work, the Mass. Justice Project, Western Mass. Legal 1
Services and the Mass. Fair Housing Center. Since the City contracts through CDBG with the Mass. Fair Housing Center, the results of the January session can inform the work scope for that contract. Peg K. said she will get in touch with the acting Director now that Jamie Williamson no longer works there. Updates on Regional Homeless Activities Member Wallace and Peg K. updated members on area shelter capacity, the blog site for the Regional Network, the Housing Court Project, Jay Levy's (local work colleague) new book on engaging the chronically homeless, the family homelessness situation with area motel usage, the opening of the Amherst winter shelter and a tour HAP sponsored to learn about supportive housing projects in Connecticut. Members also discussed the need for a Safe Havens Program, to house the homeless coming directly from the streets. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:30 p.m. The next regular meeting will be held December 6th, following the special session on November 15th• Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 2
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Minutes
December 6, 2010
Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Jen Dieringer, Richard Abuza, Lynne Wallace, Peg
Murray. Also present were AJ Jalbert, pending new member and Peg Keller, staff. No one was
present for the public comment period.
Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. Members introduced
themselves and their affiliations to Ms. Jalbert. Member Dieringer made a motion to approve
the minutes of the last meeting. The motion was seconded by Member Wallace, the vote in favor
was unanimous.
Membership Update: Ms. Jalbert has submitted her application form but has not yet been
approved by the City Council. Lauren Voyer has submitted hers also. Peg reported that Betsy
Siersma will be stepping down. Members hoped that Ms. Siersma would attend one more
meeting so she can be thanked for her service. Ms. Audrey Easter who attended the public
session on the Housing Plan has also submitted an application for membership, so the
Partnership will be getting some new members.
Public Session Feedback
Chair Shaw thought the public session to present the Draft Housing Needs Assessment and
Strategic Plan went well overall. The number in attendance was a little disappointing, but those
present seemed to appreciate the information. Members discussed how much longer the
Consultant, Karen Sunnarborg should be involved. The contract has been extended, as the time
line has lengthened. Peg M. wondered if it might be possible to do an addendum or another
future contract to incorporate the new census data when it becomes available. Members felt it
would be premature to declare the contract with Ms. Sunnarborg finished until the plan has
been adopted, in case there are changes needed for which we would need her input.
Members then discussed the formal adoption process. It was noted that there is a committee of
the City Council called Economic Development, Housing and Land Use. It might be appropriate
to do a short presentation there first and get their recommendation for the full Council.
Members discussed II approval" versus II endorsement" and if there was a difference. Member
Abuza suggested resolution language that allows them to endorse the plan as a tool for
formulating strategies, rather than support of any specific recommendation within the plan. It
was anticipated that questions would arise about some specifics, such as the cost of affordable
housing production that we could anticipate. Members agreed to ask Ms. Sunnarborg
(Consultant) about this.
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Peg K. remembered that the Valley CDC had written a memo on why affordable housing costs
were so high. She will locate it and circulate it prior to the January meeting. Members pledged
to review and make final comments on the plan for the January meeting.
Next Meeting Date
Based on members needing time to do their review on the plan, it was agreed to delay the
January meeting until the 24th, rather than the 3rd• The following monthly meeting will be held
on February 7th, to keep the momentum moving for the plan adoption phase. Members felt the
Community Preservation Committee should have a presentation on the plan which could be
held in conjunction with the Planning Board. Member Dieringer will ask the Planning Board
Chair and talk to OPD staff.
It was agreed to hold the election of officers in January as well.
Adjourn
Member Abuza made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Member Dieringer. The
meeting concluded at 7:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Peg Keller
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