Loading...
HousingPartnershipMinutes2012NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes January 9, 2012 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Lynne Wallace, Vice-Chair, Richard Abuza, Audrey Easter, AJ Jalbert. Also present, interested member Toni Hochstadt, Peg Keller, staff and Wayne Feiden, Planning Director. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. Minutes were reviewed. It was decided the draft would be sent to Jon Hite of the Housing Authority to insure the numbers he presented were accurately recorded. Guest/ Planning Director Wayne Feiden was welcomed and members introduced themselves. Chair Shaw began the discussion by saying the Partnership is moving forward on the implementation of the housing plan. Mr. Feiden was invited to get ah update on zoning revisions, the status of surplus properties in the community and possible affordable housing project ideas. Highlights of Mr. Feiden's presentation were as follows: -He likes how the plan speaks to a diversity of strategies-Classification of projects with the" Big A" affordable housing is only possible with deepsubsidies-There are things we can undertake to accomplish the "Little a" projects-Housing partnership can play a role in building advocacy and enhancing support forefforts/projects-For example, the OP AL development of the former Clark School properties/ can be advocacyfor some of the smaller units being ( at least) market rate affordable ( slim chance of more formalaffordability, but the gain to the community is 80 units coming into the City's housinginventory)-NHP advocacy can also assist zoning revision efforts/ i.e. to re-use institutional buildings fornew uses, which could include housing/affordable housing (Clark, Smith College, churches,Florence Grammar School).Member Abuza asked about mandating the inclusion of affordable units in new or adaptive reuse projects. Mr. Feiden said that in the absence of resources, it is difficult to mandate it on the more marginal projects, although it certainly would be encouraged. -(Mr. Feiden continued) Within the question of available resources is the issue of staff capacity.If City staff create projects. and implement them, the costs can be lowered. He discussed theCPA funding for open space projects which utilizes City staff.-He disagrees with the recommendation that the Affordable Housing Trust fund be seededwith CPC monies. Premature to capitalize the trust, where there is no track record. Hispreference would be for projects to be crafted and direct applications made to the CPC to insureimplementation. He said it would be good to keep the Trust functioning though.1 Chair Shaw asked where the dollars could be housed if not with the Trust? (when there is not a specific project �efore the CPC and they need to meet their housing allocation requirements). -(Wayne)The Trust may be the mechanism, but there needs to be a clear path.Member Abuza responded that the Partnership has a track record with the CDBG funding,some of the same players, just a different funding vehicle.-Mr. Feiden said the (CDBG) drawdown process was in response to people coming inproposing projects. He said the most successful way to increase affordable housing unitproduction would be not only to encourage developers to create the units, but to be able to offerdollars to assist with the accomplishment of that-Inclusionary zoning is not a priority for him/ It works in contexts where large numbers ofunits are being created. With the recession, the price of lots and the current inventory, themarket has yet to absorb lots already created (Emerson Way, The Ridge, Village Hill). Hedoesn't believe the adoption of inclusionary zoning will create many opportunities for newaffordable units.-He then discussed changing some of the current zoning districts and their characteristics(URB, URC) May be some opportunities to create "little a" affordability by freeing up somedevelopment in those areas.-Opportunities for Partnership advocacy in those public meetings, for things like decreasingfrontage requirements, increasing density, increasing infill. Increasing density raises concernsabout traffic, parking and design is critical.-City surplus property; the Oak Street site may become a Habitat duplex but won't address alarge need. There are not many other sites. The Smith College Lyman estate was noted.Member Abuza asked about the push away from rental to homeownership that has occurred over past years. Mr. Feiden said most rental projects need to be done with tax credits, which require large scale undertakings. Discussion followed about the desirability of Northampton as a place to live, the long term low vacancy rate, supply and demand. Mr. Feiden was thanked for his presence. All agreed to work together, utilizing Member Dieringer as the liaison between the Planning Board and the Partnership. Housing Authority Follow Up A letter sent from Jon Hite to the Partnership was circulated. Mr. Hite had followed up on some items from the meeting he attended in December. Members looked at a form the NHA has drafted for applicants who are homeless. Suggestions were made that will be forwarded to the NHA. Ms. Hochstadt offered to revise the form and draft a cover letter. Misc. It was noted that elections are traditionally held in January. This item will be postponed until the February meeting. Also, the next meeting will include taking stock of what has been learned from Jon Hite and Wayne Feiden, relative to moving forward on housing plan implementation. Adjourn/ Meeting concluded at 7:21 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 2 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes February 6, 2012 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Lynne Wallace, Vice-Chair, Richard Abuza. Also present, interested members Toni Hochstadt, Rachel Taylor-Doward and Peg Keller, staff. Absent: Audrey Easter, Martha Ackelsberg, AJ Jalbert, Jen Dieringer, Lauren Voyer. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order. No quorum was present. Approval of the minutes will be done at the next meeting. No one was present for the public comment period. Housing Authority Follow-Up Peg reported that she has sent the draft minutes from the December meeting to Jon Hite to verify the numbers reported, but she has not heard back. Peg outlined areas of follow up based on the initial set of questions posed to Mr. Hite. •Project Update: Burts Pit DDS Project and Laurel Street•Housing Needs Assessment: Mr. Hite said small one bdrm. Units for boomers, emptynesters•New Development: NHA better suited to manage property vs. development•Homeless Applicant Assistance•Section 8 Utilization•Elderly/Younger Disabled•Resources for FamiliesThe first three items were summarized. Members then discussed the form created by the NHA after the Dec. meeting, and the revisions proposed. The goal is to inform homeless applicants that assistance with filling out the form is available at the Drop-In Center. Ms. Hochstadt will make the suggested revisions to the form, include a map and send it back to Peg. A draft cover letter was reviewed and revisions made. All communications with the Housing Authority will come from a respectful place of acknowledgement of the difficulty inherent in operations. Regarding the question of utilization of Section 8 vouchers in Northampton, members asked that the following data be collected: - # of "lost" vouchers (either through cause, or unable to find housing within search period)- # of vouchers reabsorbed after loss (do they get re-allocated)- # of vouchers ported out (transferred to other authorities for administration)Also,- # of families on the public housing waiting lists 1 Chair Shaw explained the terms applicant vs. participant. Data about an applicant losing a voucher because they were unable to find housing during the search period is different from a participant who has been housed with a voucher having to enter into the search period again for some reason. These additional parts of the picture need to be examined prior to drawing conclusions about successful utilization of Section 8 vouchers in Northampton. Peg will follow up with the NHA. Mixed populations in elderly housing / In furthering the goal of enhanced collaboration between the Housing Partnership and �e Housing Authority, members discussed inviting John McKimmie to a meeting. Mr. McI<immie is the Mixed Populations Coordinator working at the Salvo House with the elderly and younger disabled. There are grants available that could be secured to enhance support services for residents. Peg will ask permission from Mr. Hite to have that conversation with Mr. McI<immie. It is possible the collaboration could result in some creative programming that would increase staff capacity at the NHA. Resources for families in public housing/ In recognitibn of our mutual goal of having families achieve housing stability and success, more discussion is needed to establish a work plan. There are grants available from HUD and private foundations for self-sufficiency programs. Members would like to better understand the NHA "world" and see how we can enhance people's ability to be successful applicants, and be successful tenants, once housed. It was agreed that Peg would draft an response to Mr. Rite's letter and these items would be summarized. Members recognize that there is a role to play for the Partnership and in that spirit would like to energize our collaboration and work together. Planning Director/Follow-up Next was a discussion of the presentation of the Planning Director at last month's meeting. Members agreed that pursuing the adoption of an inclusionary zoning ordinance can be put on the back burner at this time, but that it is a relevant tool that they are glad the consultant included in the housing plan. There is still some concern about dropping below the 10% of subsidized units in the community but the difficult road to adoption (property rights arguments), the lack of housing development activity, the lack of larger scale developments where this tool works best, the number of lots created not yet absorbed into the housing market inventory) justify it not being pursued at this time. Members agreed with the Planning Directors stance on this. With regard to including affordable housing units when surplus properties are redeveloped, members expressed dismay that none will be included in the OP AL project for the Clark school properties. A resolution that the Partnership had previously crafted will be distributed to the Mayor, Planning Director and EDLHU Council Committee asking that the City make all efforts to include affordable units in properties that become available in the community ( Smith College, Clark School, church properties, city owned properties ). Peg will get an update from 2 the Planning Dept. on the number of units set aside in the Emerson Way subdivision and the number of lots remaining at the GarfieldNerona Habitat site. Relative to recapitalizing the Affordable Housing Trust fund with Community Preservation funds, the members would still like to pursue this. Mr. Feiden said his preference was for projects ready to go, applying directly to the CPC, guaranteeing implementation. This is the Partnership's preference as well, but there will not always be projects ready for submission and an allocation to the Trust helps the CPC meet its requirements and provides seed money for an RFP that the Partnership could issue. Peg will talk to Sarah La Valley about the number of rounds that have passed without the submission of a housing project, and how CPC's across the State handle allocations to Trust funds. Peg will talk to Valley CDC about when they might have another project to pursue. Members discussed the Shaw's motel site and the redevelopment of the Augie's SRO into market rate rental units. Next Meeting Elections will be held next month. We will discuss the Partnership Action Plan (housing plan implementation) and the future of the proposed committee system. (March 5th)Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes March 5, 2012 Members Present: Gordon Shaw; Chair, Lynne Wallace; Vice Chair, Martha Ackelsberg, Richard Abuza, Audrey Easter, Jen Dieringer. Also present, Rachel Taylor­Doward, Toni Hochstadt (awaiting appointments) and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. Member Dieringer made a motion to accept the December minutes with the revisions suggested by Director Jon Hite to the sections pertaining to his Housing Authority presentation. The minutes from January and February were approved as submitted. Housing Authority Follow-up/ Ms. Hochstadt informed staff that the revised notice and Drop In Center location map had been sent to her. Staff will forward to the Housing Authority for inclusion in the information disseminated to currently and formerly homeless applicants. Discussion followed about the Family Self-Sufficiency Program and how referrals can be made to the Franklin County Regional Housing Authority. The Tenancy Preservation Program and the assistance it provides to DMH eligible clients was noted. CDBG Update/ Peg provided an update on the interview process underway for public service applicants seeking CDBG funding. The interviews will be held March 13, 14 and 15.There is a commitment to fund rehabilitation activities at the New South Streetapartments through two $65,000 installments. This is a result of a negotiated legalagreement that came about when the hotel was to be constructed behind Pulaski Park.The negotiated settlement yielded 25 additional years of affordability.Housing Plan Update/ Peg noted that the idea for assigning work to committees was probably not feasible due to people's schedules and work load. It was agreed that action tasks delineated in the Housing Plan would be tackled by the group as a whole and progress would be articulated and gauged to assure forward movement. Community Preservation Fund/ Member Dieringer reported that this will be the third round in a row without a housing application. She has been in communication with Planning Dept. staff about the eligibility for a service type of project in the housing category. There is new legislation pending at the State level that will clarify the status. 1 Jen's agency, Community Legal Aid is hopeful that eviction defense work with families will be deemed an eligible activity in the "support of community housing" category. Discussion followed about doing research on similar projects that have been funded with CPA funds across the state. Members asked for the CPC project breakdown list showing the housing allocation, for the next meeting. Members noted that if the CLA project gets submitted in the next round, the local CPC will make a determination on the eligibility. Partnership members agreed to do the research as a way of assisting the CPC with finding viable applications for funds. Members agreed to send a memo to the Mayor requesting assistance from the City Solicitor. Members said they saw it as a responsible act of due diligence to help solicit proposals. The NHP would want to be clear on the eligibility of possible projects. It was agreed that the Community Preservation Committee members would be notified of the NHP' s intent to get clarity on the definition of "support". In the meantime, the progress of the state legislative changes will be monitored. State Hospital Update/ There is concern about the projected sales prices of the bungalow phase, the next phase of new construction at the State hospital. Member Ackelsberg is the NHP rep. on the Citizen's Advisory Committee. Members asked her to communicate their concern. The understanding was the bungalow phase would serve the "work force" housing population segment, those earning between 80 and 120% of area median income. Although not publicly subsidized, these small single family homes on small lots would be market rate affordable, selling in the $250,000 range. It has been stated recently that the sales prices would be in the $350,000 range. Martha will raise the issue at-the next CAC meeting and report back. Election/ Gordon Shaw and Lynne Wallace agreed to serve as chair and co-chair for another year. The motion to approve the slate was made by Member Ackelsberg, seconded by Member Abuza. The vote in favor was unanimous. Expired Terms/ The Mayor's Office has requested that all members with expired terms fill out the new application form for reappointment. Peg will circulate the form. Adjourn/ Meeting concluded at 7:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 2 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes May 7, 2012 Members Present: Gordon Shaw; Chair, Lynne Wallace; Vice-Chair, Martha Ackelsberg, Audrey Easter, Jen Dieringer, Richard Abuza, Toni Hochstadt and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. There were no minutes to approve. Members welcomed Toni and Rachel as newly appointed members! CEDO (Community and Economic Development Office)Update: Peg reported on the Mayor's decision to remove the City of Northampton as the lead agency for the administration of the regional Three County Continuum of Care. The department will be reorganized and staff, (Peg and Cam and an economic development coordinator yet to be hired) will report to the Mayor. The administration fee for the McKinney Grant (Continuum work) has been subsidized by other municipal contributions and foundation grants over the years. The fee from HUD has not increased since the City undertook the administration, back in 1997. The communities of Amherst, Easthampton, Chicopee, Westfield and Holyoke had contributed $2,000 annually (Amherst twice, Easthampton once, the 3 Hampden county cities for years). A $12,000 contribution has dwindled to $4,000 (Chicopee and Westfield). In consultation with staff, the Mayor has asked that staff focus solely on the administration of the Community Development Block Grant program ( and other projects to be determined, one being the James House Community Learning Center) and relinquish the McKinney grant and Continuum leadership. A community process is underway to identify a new grant administr,ator for the 20+ projects and 1.5 million dollar annual budget. The Hampden County project sponsors will most likely merge with the City of Springfield. The new configuration may incorporate Berkshire Hampshire and Franklin counties. Peg has held several meetings to determine a process. The goal is to identify a new entity by June 30. This is in fact good news for the Housing Partnership, as staff will be more Northampton centric and have more time to devote to local boards and activities. Emergency Solutions Grant: One of the roles of the Continuum of Care was to put forward one regional application to the State for the ESG. Potential partners came to the 1 table and Community Action agreed to be the lead agency for a regional collaboration. Member Hochstadt who was involved in the process described the roles of Community Legal Aid, Valley Opportunity Council and Community Action and HAP in the new effort. $500,000 has been earmarked for the Three County CoC ( out of i'.5 million available, due to the high numbers of families in hotels and the high need for assistance funds). Grant is due in Boston tomorrow. (May 8) Funds will be used for homeless prevention activities for at risk families. Regional Network to End Homelessness: Member Wallace serves as the Chair of the Leadership Council for the Regional Network. She reported on a meeting held last Thursday (May 3) at Holyoke Community College with housing authorities, service providers and State officials. The purpose of the session was to engage housing authorities and increase their participa_tion in ending homelessness. ( 24 HA' s exist in the western mass region, 18 attended). Gerry McCafferty, Springfield's Housing Director and Hank Abrashkin of the Springfield Housing Authority spoke about their successes in housing the chronically homeless. A follow up session will be held where small groups are assembled to get task oriented, now that the big picture has been articulated. (Meeting will be held at HCC, June 18th from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.). Housing Authorities can help by making units available, instituting application preference priorities, streamlining application processes, assisting doubled up families with finding solutions rather than evicting, etc. Pilot projects will be identified. Lynne updated the NHP on the recently completed Work Force Action plan conducted by the UMass Donahue Institute. Funded by a $10,000 grant from the Fireman Foundation, the plan addresses obstacles and solutions for enhancing employment opportunities for homeless families. The task force committee formed to undertake the planning process will continue to meet to address implementation goals. Operating funds for the 10 regional networks was eliminated from the House Budget, so advocacy will take place to have it included in the Senate budget. The Western Mass. Regional Network has been highly successful over the past several years, operating through a system of committees. ( all updates can be found on the blog: westernmasshousingfirst.org ). Village Hill Update : Member Ackelsberg reported on the last Citizen's Advisory Committee meeting on the State Hospital redevelopment. She said the agenda included a revision to the Master Plan. The North Employees Home had been slated for live/work space but is now proposed for demolition. There wa� much discussion about the new bungalow phase. She advocated for an explanation as to why it was no longer in the $250,000 range. Beth Murphy of MassDevelopment said the profile was 2 conceptual and they would see what the market yields. The CAC took a vote to endorse the concept, and Martha and a couple of other members were outvoted. NHP members expressed concern because the affordable units are becoming increasingly unaffordable, as rents are raised. Members agreed that a letter should be sent to the Mayor expressing those concerns. Issues relative to the role of the CAC vs. the Planning Board were discussed. Peg will check to see if the work force income range for the bungalows is documented in the CAC minutes anywhere and will circulate a draft of the letter to the Mayor. Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing: Peg said the City needs to update the Al, which is required by HUD. She wants to do a focus group with people who can speak to housing discrimination issues and experiences. Members offered the following: Casa Latina, Tenancy Preservation Project, Stavros, Community Legal Aid, Disability Law Center, Northampton Housing Authority, Center for New Americans, Safe Passage. Since the Housing Partnership serves as the City's Fair Housing Committee, the topic should be included on every monthly agenda and tasks to remove barriers should be defined, achieved and monitored. Members thought a daytime meeting with staffs of the agencies would yield better attendance than an open evening meeting. Community Preservation Committee/ follow up discussion. It was noted that when the new CPC legislation is passed, the NHP could do a joint session with the CPC to educate the community about new projects that may be eligible. Adjourn: the meeting concluded at 7:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes June 4, 2012 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Lynne Wallace, Vice-Chair, Audrey Easter, Toni Hochstadt, Rachel Taylor-Doward, Jen Dieringer, Richard Abuza, Patty McGill. Also present, Peg Keller staff and interested citizens Amy Bookbinder and Jill Turner. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. He welcomed new member Patty McGill then addressed the people present for the public comment period. Jill Turner identified herself as a 4 year resident of Village Hill, accompanied by Amy Bookbinder. Ms. Turner said Village Hill residents are in the process of creating a Resident Association. 8 people are involved so far, a combination of low income and market rate ..residents. Meetings are being held at a nearby church. Governance and land use issues are being discussed. They are reaching out to people with low incomes. They are talking to the Police Department about a Neighborhood Watch Program. She said there are issues with the Section 8 tenants and rental rates. Chair Shaw said individual issues with rents should be addressed separately with legal personnel. Peg offered that the rent structure for the affordable units is complicated and she assembled a meeting a few years ago with The Community Builders and 2 regional housing authorities to better understand it. She offered to do that again. Health and safety issues should be pursued with appropriate city departments and quiet enjoyment of units is a management issue that the Partnership would not be inclined to get involved with. Member Hochstadt noted that John Fisher at HAP conducts tenant/landlord workshops that might be helpful. Peg agreed to host a meeting with TCB about rental rates that could be in conjunction with a resident association meeting. She encouraged Ms. Turner to invite Chris Zabik, the Department of Mental Health Regional Director to attend to address any issues there may be with clients of the department. Peg said she would be in touch with Ms. Turner about the meeting and offered to attend a Resident Association meeting in the future. Ms. Turner expressed interest in joining the Partnership. Peg will email her a form. They were thanked for their attendance. Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the March and May meetings were approved as submitted. Impediments Analysis Update: Peg reported she is moving ahead with the Mass. Fair Housing Center to update the Impediments to Fair Housing Analysis, as required by HUD. A focus group will be held in the near future. Members said it would be good to hear from the Tenancy 1 Preservation Program, HUD V ASH and Safe Passage staff (in addition to others already identified) . Also asking Peg Murray to come from Florence Savings Bank to report on homeownership loan activity would expand the discussion beyond rental situations. Members talked about strategies to encourage attendance by those directly impacted by housing discrimination. Member McGill said laundromats were a good outreach location. Offering child care could also help. Peg mentioned there is a fully equipped child care room at the James House that could be utilized. The first meeting will be held soon to allow the MFHC staff to begin to formulate a plan, then targeted follow up sessions will be held later in the summer. Village Hill Affordability: Discussion returned to the fact that affordable rents at the State hospital are becoming increasingly unaffordable. There is still confusion about the sales prices for the new bungalow housing phase. Member Abuza recommended sending a letter to the Mayor expressing this concern and asking for a delineation of the decision making flow between the Planning Board and Citizen's Advisory Committee and MassDevelopment. The letter could contain a list of questions, including the avenues for input. Research is required to ascertain when the decision was made to increase the sales prices for what was supposed to be "work force" housing ( 80-120% of area median income). The motion to send the letter was made by Member Abuza and seconded by Member Easter. The vote in favor was unanimous. Peg will draft the letter and circulate it to members. Peg will try to do the research. Regional Network Meeting with Housing Authorities: is coming up on June 18th• Peg asked members to name some issues she can relay at the meeting. Suggestions included: how HA' s can assist in the process of keeping families housed, widening the interpretation of eligibility, research into grants available to enhance family and housing stabilization, streamlining the application process, better coordination with elderly and younger disabled in elderly housing. Peg, Toni and Jen are planning to attend. Community Preservation Act Language Change: Members reviewed the language change again to see what new eligible activities can apply for funding. Tenancy preservation, first/last/security deposits and foreclosure assistance are high community priorities. Community Legal Aid is waiting for the Emergency Solutions Grant award and will not be applying to CPA in August. The NHP should be pro-active to get the work out so there will be housing program or services applications in the August round. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:30 p.m. The July meeting will be held the 9th, not the 2nd• Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 2 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes July 9, 2012 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Lynne Wallace, Vice-Chair, Richard Abuza, Jen Dieringer, Toni Hochstadt. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. A motion to approve the minutes was made by Member Abuza, seconded by Member Dieringer. The vote was unanimous in favor. Turkey Hill Unit Resale Peg updated members on the marketing of an affordable unit that is up for sale. The current owner notified the City of his plans to sell. Peg is working with Valley CDC to determine the sales price and market the unit. Members suggested talking to area realtors and putting it on Craig's List. The City has 135 days to find an eligible purchaser and to close on the unit. It is everyone's hope that the unit can be retained in the inventory. Northampton State Hospital Bungalow Phase Members discussed the projected sales prices for the next phase of construction. It was understood that the units would be affordable for work force housing. Peg will do some research to see if she can find where this was stated. MassDevelopment plans to sell the units for $350,000 which seems high to members. Northampton Housing Authority Peg will follow up with the NHA about the status of the Laurel Street homeownership project. Mr. Hite had said Rep. Kocot would introduce legislation in January-February to allow the development to move forward. Peg said she would send a memo to Jon if members could remind her of the information they still requested regarding the use of vouchers. Expiring Use Update Members discussed the 2014 date for Hathaway Farms. Diane Andes provided an update that said Spear Management is still providing in house subsidies for 11 households formerly supported by the Trust fund. Member Abuza suggested sending them a letter of appreciation for that. Peg will follow up. The homeownership units on Walnut and N .Maple were discussed. Joanne Campbell said they house the original families. There are no plans to continue the deed restrictions when they expire. All felt the households have earned the right to have the equity in the properties and full rights of ownership. Leeds Village expires in 2018. Peg has been in discussion with Mass Housing about loan programs we hope the owner will utilize. The next big affordable housing project will be at the VA Campus. Soldier On will be building homeownership units for Veterans. Member Abuza noted that he met with the Mayor to discuss his reappointment and to take the opportunity to emphasize the role of the Partnership. He suggested we take the time to engage the Mayor around affordable housing issues, and invite him to a future meeting. Community Preservation Act Members discussed the upcoming round. Peg suggested a need for programming and street outreach for homeless youth (not necessarily eligible). The revised CPC language was re read and members said outreach should be done to alert area service providers that the eligibility definitions have been expanded. The Governor has approved the budget, therefore it appears the revised language is now law. It was suggested to post in the Western Mass Network to End Homelessness blog, as it is applicable to all towns with CPA, the City web site and Peg's Next Step Collaborative group of housing and homeless service providers. Residential support services for Housing Authority properties was also mentioned. The Emergency Solutions Grant funds coming into the area will be used by Community Action and Community Legal Aid to assist homeless families. An application from a service provider for a sum of money for first and last month's rent and security deposits was also discussed. Discussion continued about the need to assist families already living in subsidized housing. With the high number of evicted households being from subsidized units, it pinpoints a need for additional life skills and assistance. Members noted that the Springfield Housing Authority has a Residential Services coordinator on staff. It was suggested that those folks be invited to attend the next meeting to talk about their program and the services offered. Members agreed to focus on this topic and prepare for a possible January CPC application. Zoning Revisions Update Jen noted that the Planning Board and Conservation Commission are moving ahead on the recommendations of the Zoning Revisions Sub-Committee. There is a focus on the downtown URC zone, mixed uses and clusters. Public hearings will be held in the fall. She will continue to bring information from the Planning Board. This will be a good opportunity for the Partnership to weigh in on those revisions that will encourage the creation of additional market rate affordable units. Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Peg said she has contracted with the Mass. Fair Housing Center to update the Impediments Analysis. $6,000 was available in unexpended CDBG funds, so MFHC will do an update, with the possibility of a fuller study later in the year through a CPC application. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:20 p.m. No meeting will be held in August. The September meeting will hopefully include a presentation from Judge Abrashkin and Pam Wells from the Springfield Housing Authority. Member Hochstadt will issue the invitation. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes September 10, 2012 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Lynne Wallace, Vice-Chair, Richard Abuza, Jen Dieringer, Toni Hochstadt, Patty McGill, Martha Ackelsberg. Also present, Joanne Campbell and Michelle of Valley CDC, Judge Hank Abrashkin and Pam Wells from the Springfield Housing Authority, and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. A motion to approve the minutes was made by Member Hochstadt, seconded by Member Wallace. The vote was unanimous in favor. Request for Support Letter/ VCDC Joanne Campbell and Michelle Morris presented Valley's application to the Community Preservation Committee for foreclosure prevention counseling. Michelle said despite expectations that activity would be leveling off, foreclosures are still taking place. The Homeownership Center at Valley has seen an increase in the need for pre-purchase and post­purchase counseling that maximizes the CDBG funding received. There is now a narrower time frame to react to refinancing and/or loan modifications, so time is of the essence with clients. 46 Northampton households were assisted with foreclosure prevention in 2009, (no# for 2010), 35 in 2011 and 31 so far this year since January. Joanne noted that with the language revisions to the CPA legislation, this is an eligible activity. Member Hochstadt noted that a law was passed in August requiring that alternatives to foreclosure be sought. The "No One Leaves" effort in Springfield which pushed for the legislation has been challenged in court, but the Attorney General's office does provide assistance now for modifications. Valley's scope of work will remain the same and add more capacity to assist with loan modifications or helping households get positioned for refinancing. They are asking for $46,000 for an 18 month program. A motion was made by Member Abuza to approve the request for a support letter, the motion was seconded by Member Ackelsberg. It was suggested that the letter emphasize the CPC and foreclosure legislative changes that now allow and encourage this activity. The vote (which took place later in the meeting) was unanimous in favor. Springfield Housing Authority/ Family Services Program Chair Shaw welcomed Judge Abrashkin and Pam Wells to the meeting. He explained that the Partnership is implementing recommendations in a Strategic Housing plan that speaks to supporting people in their housing and we wanted to learn more about their program. Member Hochstadt said we are just beginning to think about how to better serve families in public housing and look forward to hearing what we should focus on moving forward. Highlights of their presentation were as follows: •Spoke to Jon Hite/Northampton's Housing Authority Director/said they do not have theresources and suggested another agency provide the services•Springfield HA is largest landlord in western mass.•Houses 15% of all tenants in Springfield•Section 8 and public housing together = 5,000 units•Agency priority, in addition to providing roofs over people's heads, to provide servicesto elderly and families to break the cycle of disadvantaged households•The services are based in the housing authority properties, but are open to everyone•3 on-site Head Start programs ( none pre 2008), GED classes and testing, comprehensiveliteracy and ESOL programs.•Housing Retention Program/ works with their own tenants at risk of losing housing•Originally funded with ARRA money from DHCD, now gone, continue the commitmentwith piecemeal funding•Work with HAP for financing resources, due Financial Literacy with tenants•Banks also do it and can offer it on site for free•Lots of community resources/programming that can be partnered with for on-sitepresence•Funding for staff capacity is at the core, need the staff to make the communityconnections•Federal funding for Housing Authorities/ Ross Services Coordination, can apply forstaffing■ Regional Employment Board gave the SHA funding for an employment counselor•Working with Behavioral Health Network to work with residents with mental healthissues•BHN applied for United way money for 2 staff to engage people with mental illness■Once willingness to collaborate gets out, other programs come forward•Partner with Davis Foundation, HeadStart, Square One, Libraries and schools, BHN,MSPCC, United Way, Early Childhood Intervention programs, Parent Academy,BayState, MassGeneral, Talk-Read-Succeed Project with the Davis Foundation (readingproficiency by the 4th grade) has a presence in 2 family developments■ ■ Huge focus on parent engagement and family self sufficiencyHarlem Children's Zone philosophy/ full family services $400,000 grant from theKellogg Foundation, over, reapplying now to serve 150 families for a year •Trust a big factor / for residents to view Housing Authority as a resource and not anenemy•Programs are doable/ labor intensive, hard to measure outcomes (Kellogg has anevaluator that uses a matrix, numbers of visits to households, reading scores, etc.)•Outreach is mostly one on one, word of mouth ( vs. fliers, door to door, calls)•Youth Engagement Coordinator works with youth, older siblings set examples foryounger•If we gamer seed money, create core staff and go from there .. They started with 1-2people 8 years ago and have a full and part time staff of 15 now•Other potential partners: Smith College for Master in Social work student placements,schools for tutoring and after school programs, churches, local government.Member Abuza said community education needs to communicate that benefits outweigh costs We would need to make the case to the commissioners/ allocation of Federal funds local discretion Members thanked the guests for taking the time to help us strategize a local approach. They offered their assistance moving forward. Members agreed to devote time at the October meeting to flesh out a proposal for the NHA and CPC for a possible January application. Other Business Member Abuza presented a letter from the City Building Department to multi-family property owners that requires periodic inspections. Although the activity itself is a positive step, it was a missed opportunity to express gratitude for the provision of housing. He reiterated that the trials of property management are complex. A letter from the Mayor delivering a positive message could be included in the January mailing. Peg will research the logistics of this. The Mayor will be invited to the November meeting to discuss this, as well as other issues. Members will take the opportunity to update him on Partnership priorities and tasks that would benefit from his support. Zoning Revisions Peg updated members on the proposed package of zoning changes. The Planning Department asked for support at public hearings around the proposals, as they will increase opportunities for housing, both market rate and affordable. Peg will attend the public hearings scheduled for the next 2 nights. When the final proposals are made to City Council, they will get referred out and the Partnership will have an opportunity to weigh in then as well. CPC Plan Peg said the CPCommittee is updating their annual Community Needs Plan. Peg will make some revisions and updates and circulate it to Members for their review and comment. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes November 5, 2012 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Lynne Wallace, Vice-Chair, Jen Dieringer, Patty McGill, Rachel Taylor-Doward, Audrey Easter, Toni Hochstadt, Martha Ackelsberg, Richard Abuza. Also present Peg Keller, staff and Wayne Feiden, Planning Director. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. He introduced Wayne Feiden, Planning Director and members introduced themselves. Priority Development Fund (PDF) Grant Award Mr. Feiden described a grant application he had submitted to the State Department of Housing and Community Development for a housing analysis. The focus of the grant will be to study the impacts of an increased height restriction downtown and to investigate why some parcels don't move forward from a development perspective. Ten thousand dollars has been awarded for the 18 month project. The first component will involve computer generated visuals of buildings with additional height in the downtown. Increased density will hopefully produce some affordable units. The other component will look at the Fitzwilly' s parking lot, Shaws, the lots around the Roundhouse and several other development opportunities. Discussion then followed about the lack of inclusion of affordable units in the Clarke School redevelopment plan, the tax title parcel on the Hatfield line, the Goggins project behind the Bank of Western Mass. on King Street. Members inquired about the point of intervention when developers may be more likely to consider affordable units. Wayne said it is important to have resources ready whenever possible. Peg and Wayne will meet regularly to stay updated on possible projects. Members expressed their interest in having Joe Defazio, the Housing Authority representative on the Community Preservation Committee, and Bill Breitbart, the Mayor's appointee, attend the NHP meeting in January to talk about strategy and how to be proactive in bringing affordable housing projects forward to the CPC. Mr. Feiden said the zoning ordinance revisions recently vetted at public hearings are being reviewed by the Planning Board and redrafted by staff to incorporate public input and will be moving forward soon. Mr. Feiden was thanked for his attendance and was asked to keep the NHP informed as the PDF project moves ahead. Minutes Minutes of the last meeting were approved as submitted. Discussion followed about the need for staff and Par'tnership members to be proactive and be in the information loop with the Planning Department relative to municipal parcels being available, tax title property opportunities and projects in the construction pipeline. Peg will circulate Partnership minutes so OPD and the Mayor's Office are aware of NHP activities. CPC Application/ Family Support Program Members of the sub-committee met earlier today. Assignments for follow up were made. Martha will write the contextual introduction, summarizing how this effort will address goals in the housing plan. Jen will gather data from the Housing Authority on eviction rates to document the need for the project. Rachel will research the Acton CPC project that sounds similar to what we are proposing. We are envisioning a 3 year pilot project, focused on a Community Resources/Case Manager to work with families in Hampshire Heights and Florence Heights. Assignments are to be completed by the end of November. The application is due in January. Peg will reach out to the Housing Authority and CPC staff to solicit input. Preparation for Discussion with the Mayor Members revisited the items on the list for the December meeting's discussion with the Mayor. Items were clarified and ordered. Chair Shaw will summarize the goals of the Housing Plan and circulate the action plan chart. Vice-Chair Wallace will facilitate the discussion of the remaining items. Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Peg will circulate the final version of the AI for review and comment. A future CPC application is planned for a more detailed report. Comments will be solicited from the Planning Department and the Human Rights Commission. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:30 p.m. Next meeting will be held Dec. 3rd. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes December 3, 2012 Members Present: Gordon Shaw, Chair, Lynne Wallace, Vice-Chair, Richard Abuza, Patty McGill, Rachel Taylor Doward, Jen Dieringer, Audrey Easter. Also present, Wayne Feiden, Planning Director and Mayor David Narkewicz and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Shaw called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. The Mayor was welcomed and members introduced themselves. Guest Discussion with the Mayor Chair Shaw began the session with an overview of the charge of the Housing Partnership. Created in 1990 by municipal ordinance, the volunteer mayoral appointed board can consist of up to 15 members. Powers and duties include making recommendations to the Mayor on CDBG housing expenditures, doing advocacy and community education around short and long term housing goals. In his tenure, Chair Shaw has been involved with the Smith Affordable Housing Trust Fund creation, the closing down of the Northampton Housing Trust relative to rental subsidy payments at Hathaway Farms, creation of affordable units at Village Hill and the production of the Housing Needs Assessment and Strategic Housing Plan. He reviewed the major conclusions of the Plan and emphasized the desire of the Partnership to be proactive in the implementation of the plan. Highlights of the discussion with the Mayor are as follows: ■ Mayor has circulated a letter to the Community Preservation Committeeregarding an application he is moving forward for an assisted living development atVillage Hill■ Master Plan originally envisioned an assisted living component, a developer hascome forward and is proposing 43 of the 83 units be affordable.■Developer is working with MassDevelopment and has applied to the State forfunding■Mayor is applying to the CPC on their behalf for a City contribution as a smallsubsidy■ State is excited to see a potential CPC award as a local contribution■He would like the Partnership to consider supporting the project on the basisthat it is a desired project at Village Hill, there is an affordable component and itis an appropriate use of local CPC dollars 1 Member Wallace asked if those units can count on the Subsidized Housing Inventory. Mr. Feiden said that was still being determine� and we will pursue getting them counted, but regardless, the project is a good one. The Mayor said even the proposed market rate unit costs are reasonable and when peoples' resources are exhausted they remain in that unit and switch to a subsidy program. Market rate units and subsidized units are physically similar. Member Abuza applauded the addition of affordable housing opportunities across population segments, such as elders. Mr. Feiden said next week they will ask the CPC to entertain the application "out of round". The developer needs the commitment to apply for other funding. The City will be offering a Tax Increment Financing credit to the developer in exchange for their investment in new growth. There will be a 30 year affordability agreement. Because this item was not included on the meeting agenda, a formal vote will occur in January. Mr. Feiden departed the meeting. Vice-Chair Wallace continued with the list of questions for the Mayor. She said work force housing at the State hospital property was a component we thought was moving forward. The Mayor said Martha Ackelsberg worked hard at the CAC meeting to make that point, but did not prevail. He said MassDevelopment went out to bid on the "bungalow phase" and the median home price came in higher than anticipated. He did research to see if a vote had been taken prior, locking in the 250,000 sales price range, but it was not located. He reminded members that the City does not own the property and MassDevelopment has spent millions of dollars on site infrastructure, streets, sidewalks, etc. and they need funds to advance new projects. Without subsidy, and requiring LEED certification thresholds, it was difficult to hold the price in the 250,000 range. Member Abuza asked if the CAC (Citizen's Advisory Committee) is advisory. Mayor responded, some functions are driven by the legislation, but most action is advisory related to guiding the Master Plan. He said when the work force housing concept was brought to the CAC, it was to be in the 250,000-350,000 range. Member Abuza said that this higher sales price has been a disappointment to the Partnership. This land is a precious resource and there was a commitment to the community that development would address a variety of income levels. Member Wallace said there remains a strong need for workforce housing in the City, and we will need to continue to work to get it created ( teachers, 2 firefighters, etc. ) A brief discussion followed about how to do that -bank consortiums to cover closing costs, corporations creating employee housing, etc. The Mayor said his vision moving forward includes looking for new opportunities to complement and expand current successes. He said he is here to listen and will review the strategies in the plan. He said it is important to continue to move ahead without lo�ing any ground. He was asked about the Smith Affordable Housing fund and the committee that oversees that. He said he is aware of it through the annual process of determining the annual PILOT payment from Smith. He said the tally for replacement units sits at 33 units removed and 38 replaced to date. He said he does meet regularly with Smith officials and will get an accounting of the 3 million dollar set aside in the development agreement. Member Abuza noted that monitoring needs staff support and it is important to make sure we aren't losing units. Pines Edge was mentioned as an example. The Mayor agreed to research the status of the Smith Committee as well. Communication and landlord support was discussed next. Member Abuza said half of the rental stock is composed of 1, 2 & 3 unit properties owned by small scale property owners. Many of those owners are aging. New purchasers who bought high need to charge higher rents. Both those scenarios challenge the existence of market rate affordable units being available in the inventory. Preservation of those units is more cost effective than new construction with government subsidies. Being in the landlord business is complex; security deposit laws, fire regulations, inspection programs and can be frustrating to those not doing it fulltime. The "City" has opportunities to be supportive that are sometimes overlooked. The Partnership would like to request that the Mayor encourage interdepartmental cooperation and messaging that is supportive of landlords. The Mayor can "set the tone" and create and offer community resources that help landlords fulfill their obligations to provide safe housing. Ideas suggested were, a letter from the Mayor in the annual census to multi­family property owners, info. on the City's website, local workshops, energy conservation initiatives, etc. The Mayor noted that he shadowed Judge Rob Fields for a day in housing court and experienced landlord/tenant relationship complexities first hand. Chair Shaw said there is more exposure of resources for tenants than landlords. Member Abuza said he started a local landlord group years ago, but it disbanded. The Mayor committed to addressing this concern. 3 Next, it was noted that the Housing Partnership also functions as the City's Fair Housing Committee and oversees an annual contract with the Mass. Fair Housing Center. All agreed that it was important to coordinate that work with the work of the City's Human Rights Commission to insure there is no overlap. The Mayor said he has been invited to attend and HRC meeting and will do so with an eye towards delineating the roles of each. Appointments to the Northampton Housing Authority was then discussed. The Mayor said he has not had any to make as of yet, but agreed people cognizant of the broader housing needs of the community would sense for future appointments. Partnership members raised this as an opportunity the Mayor has to influence the community dialogue around affordable housing issues. The Partnership also recognizes its responsibility to insure the communication between the 2 entities, particularly in view of the CPC representation, is effective. The Mayor is aware that he has no real authority over the Housing Authority, as it is a separate state agency, other than making appointments. He said he would be happy to host meetings with the Housing Authority if that would be helpful to the Partnership for any reason. The Mayor was thanked for his attendance and he expressed his willingness to attend Partnership meetings once or twice a year to insure open communication. Minutes of the last meeting were approved. Discussion followed about having this set of minutes reflect the Partnership's support of the CPC application for the Christopher Heights assisted living project with a formal vote in January. Family Self-Sufficiency Project / Member Dieringer suggested inviting Bill Breitbart ( Mayoral appointee to the Community Preservation Committee ) and Joe Defazio ( Housing Authority representative to the CPC) to a meeting to discuss the project and strategize how to craft this particular project and encourage more housing applications. Peg will issue invitations. Zoning Revision/ Member Dieringer provided background on a proposal from the Planning Department to rezone the parcels containing Hampshire Heights ·and Hathaway Farms to more accurately reflect the current density. Further discussion will be held in January. Partnership is supportive of the change, but will take a vote after it can be formally posted on the agenda. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:25 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 4