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HousingPartnershipMinutes2014NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes January 6, 2014 Members Present: Lynne Wallace, Chair, Toni Hochstadt, Richard Abuza, Jen Dieringer, Gordon Shaw. Also present, Peg Keller staff. Absent were Alyx Akers, Patty McGill, Rachel Taylor-Doward and Martha Ackelsberg. Call to Order Chair Wallace called the meeting to order at 5:37 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. Minutes were approved from the October 7th and October 16th meetings. The Developers Forum was held November 4th, so no formal meeting was held in November. Valley CDC Request/ Community Investment Tax Credit Program Chair Wallace read a request submitted by Valley CDC. There is a new State program that allows financial donations yielding tax credits to support the work of community development corporations. In order to participate in the program, Valley needs to submit an application and designate a local body other than their board to review and monitor an annual community development plan. Rather than create a new entity, Joanne Campbell (Valley CDC Director) has asked to utilize the Northampton Housing Partnership to meet this requirement. Materials describing the program were distributed and reviewed. Member Abuza posed two questions: does the City Charter preclude the Partnership from serving in this role and if not, is this activity consistent with our mission. Discussion followed. All agreed that at a minimum, this would be an opportunity to be in better communication with Valley and more engaged in supporting their work. Some questions were articulated that Peg will relay to Ms. Campbell. Those questions were: •is there a membership requirement for it that we can help fulfill (because weneed to recruit and bolster our own membership)•Valley serves multiple towns, so how would this work for reporting andmonitoring for Easthampton and Amherst also?•is there some accountability on our part that DHCD or DOR would hold us to?reports?•what is the nature of the monitoring role the NHP would be responsible for•what is the process/ repercussions if for some reason VCDC wasn't meeting theobjectives in the plan? In view of the fact that the application from Valley to the State is due January 10th, members expressed comfort with moving ahead conceptually prior to receiving answers from Ms. Campbell. Therefore, Member Abuza made the following motion: "The Northampton Housing Partnership supports the new Community Investment Tax Credit Program as a way to address the needs of the community and the challenge of providing affordable housing and we specifically support Valley CDC's intention to create a Community Investment Plan as a mechanism to address local needs and we believe it is consistent with our role as the Northampton Housing Partnership to respond positively to Valley CDC's request that we serve as the community board as required by the program and provide on-going feedback and monitoring of the plan. " The motion was seconded by Member Shaw with the vote in favor unanimous. Peg will forward the questions to Ms. Campbell post haste and relay the responses. All were supportive of this creative mechanism to increase operating funds for community development corporations across the Commonwealth. Community Preservation Committee Application/ January Round Member Shaw reviewed the proposed language for the eligibility determination form due January 10th. After some discussion about what program aspects to highlight, Peg offered to revise and submit the form prior to the deadline. This is probably the only housing proposal in the round. Negotiations HAP has undergone for property purchase did not come to fruition and Valley CDC is not quite ready on the Pleasant Street lumberyard property development. The CPC application hearing dates were reviewed and Members Dieringer and Hochstadt agreed to attend the Question and Answer session scheduled for January· 15th. The sub-committee will be assembled again prior to the full application being due on February 4th. Op Ed Column Peg offered to draft the next op ed column for the Gazette to summarize the 3 developer sessions held to date and highlights. A progress report on the housing plan implementation will also be created and material from this work will inform an annual progress report for the City Council. Tasks for the New Year Chair Wallace suggested that doing an annual summit of some type, progress reports on Housing Plan implementation, regular op ed pieces in the newspaper and reports to the City Council should all be continuing tasks. A spring event was discussed. A session featuring best practices, i.e. successful affordable housing that already exists had been mentioned in the past. Members discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the forums held to date and agreed more time was needed to articulate what we really wanted to accomplish at (yet) another community forum. Pursuing these activities, in addition to the Community Preservation Committee application and (hopefully) resulting Request for Proposal process to select an administering agency, will all be time consuming and valuable tasks for the new year. Membership The need to bolster the composition of the Partnership was discussed and members agreed to think about folks who could be approached to participate. Election After some discussion about Chair Wallace's time availability and having HAP as her new employer, members expressed no qualms about any conflicts of interest. She agreed to remain as chair and to recruit a new Vice-Chair. Member Abuza made the motion to re-elect Ms. Wallace to another term as Chair. The motion was seconded by Member Hochstadt and the vote was unanimous. Adjourn The February meeting will be held Feb. 10th rather than the 3rd, as members had conflicts with the first Monday. The meeting adjourned at 7: 30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes February 10, 2014 Members Present: Lynne Wallace, Chair, Rachel Taylor-Doward, Toni Hochstadt, Jen Dieringer, Gordon Shaw, Martha Ackelsberg. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Wallace called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. The minutes from the January meeting were approved. Member Ackelsberg stated this would be her last meeting. She was thanked for her many years of service and valuable contributions. She will be missed greatly. Updates Valley CDC's Community Investment Tax Credit Program Application Peg reported that the CDC expects to hear about the decision on the tax credit awards around Feb. 14th. Peg asked Joanne to forward the section of the application that referenced the involvement of the Partnership, for our edification: "Monitoring Housing Services --As noted above, the local municipalities housing partnerships/ committees were created to review, recommend and encourage implementation of housing services to their community's low and moderate income households. Valley CDC will utilize the Easthampton Housing Partnership, the Northampton Housing Partnership and the -Amherst Housing ana Sneliering Commif ee in monitoring alz-the housing activittes of-Valley CDC's Community Investment Plan. Valley CDC will meet with each housing partnership/committee at least annually to discuss and review housing activities in their communities. The Northampton Housing Partnership has suggested that the three partnerships/committees meet jointly with Valley CDC annually. This still needs to be explored with Easthampton and Amherst." Ms. Campbell said that if the agency receives the award, she will come to the Partnership and review the Community Investment Plan with us. Peg reviewed the answers to the questions posed at the last meeting. Community Preservation Committee Application The CPC will distribute questions about the proposals soon. Members Hochstadt and Dieringer volunteered to attend the session scheduled for March 5th. This is the meeting at which the CPC members will ask questions of the applicants. The meeting scheduled for March 19th is the public hearing for community input. Members discussed who might be recruited to speak in favor of our proposal. Suggestions were Jon Hite of the Housing Authority, Home City Housing, HAP, and ServiceNet. People will be contacted. OP Ed / Summary of Developers Forums Peg has not yet created a draft but circulated the information she will be using to formulate it. There are highlights from the first developer's forum that the Planning Department summarized, the market study from the Senior Center forum, the notes from the open discussion from the APE Gallery November session and a progress update on the Housing Plan implementation. Peg asked for thoughts on what to highlight in the piece. She will put a draft together and circulate it for review. When that summary is compiled, it will provide the base for the Annual report to the City Council. Members also noted the opportunity to post more information on the website. Other Business Chair Wallace informed the members that Member Taylor-Doward has agreed to be the Vice-Chair of the Partnership. The motion was made and seconded and all members were in favor of Rachel assuming that role. (!) It was also reported that Member Hochstadt has been appointed by the Governor's Office to be a Northampton Housing Authority Commissioner. This is also very exciting andwith Chair Wallace also a member, the coordination between our two entities will be greatly enhanced. Congratulations to all! Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes March 3, 2014 Members Present: Lynne Wallace, Chair, Gordon Shaw, Richard Abuza. Also present, Peg Keller, staff and Ashley Grant, Attorney from the Mass. Fair Housing Center. Call to Order: Chair Wallace called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. A quorum was not present, so no minutes were approved. Ms. Grant was welcomed and she gave a presentation, the highlights of which follow. Massachusetts Fair Housing Center Presentation/ Fair Housing Activity in Northampton •MFHC is having their annual conference April 10th and 11th. They will be celebrating their 25th anniversary as an agency and the 50th year of the Civil Rights Movement. Attendance of 300+ is expected. Many workshops and acclaimed guest speakers are scheduled.•Northampton activity-they are continuing to do trainings in the homeless shelters and process discrimination complaints.•2013 Northampton workshops included a session on CORI Reform; Reasonable Accommodation for People with Disabilities co-sponsored by the Stavros Center for Independent Living, Fair Housing Law for Landlords and Tenants•Specialized trainings were conducted at Safe Passage, Tenancy Preservation Project, ServiceNet, Highland Valley Elder Services, Hampshire County House of Corrections Discussion followed about reducing barriers for people of color and for those exiting jails. People with CORI' s are not a protected class but it is acknowledged as a huge barrier to accessing housing. People post incarceration moving in with family and friends in assisted housing jeopardizes that housing for the recognized tenant. One complaint referred to the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination involved a person with mental health issues being refused an apartment by a private landlord. There is also an active appeal with the Housing Authority. Member Abuza asked about discrimination activity in Northampton as compared to other communities. She said MFHC doesn't get a lot of calls from Northampton. She said that could also be related to the local presence of Community Legal Aid who may be getting more calls. Also a lack of calls could indicate that landlords are either more educated about fair housing laws or more savvy about skirting them. Most of their activity does come from Holyoke and Springfield. Northampton calls relate mostly to disability and reasonable accommodation issues, such as service animals. With regard to trends, Ms. Grant noted: •The Springfield SMSA (Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area) ranks highest in the nation for white/Latino segregation and 22nd highest (worst) for black/white segregation. Holyoke has a 48% Latino population; Northampton has 6%. A major goal of their work is to increase the integration across the three county region. •MFHC is working with the Holyoke Housing Authority to help tenants with Section 8 vouchers move to "communities of opportunity". Northampton is considered a high opportunity area with regard to schools and services. •Households at Echo Village in Amherst and voucher holders being priced out in Hampshire County tend to be people of color and those in protected classes. Plans for the future: •Identify and engage landlords willing to consider applicants from people in protected classes, to help open up housing opportunities in expanded areas. •Establish a dialogue with landlords once identified and provide education •Work with households to break down barriers of fear that may prevent them from moving north ( out of Hampden County). Memher Shaw mentioned that housing authorities are.often .reluctant-to rnlinquish administration fees if households with voucli.ers move to other HA catchment areas. This is in spite of the fact that the Section 8 voucher program was designed to promote mobility out of areas of high poverty concentration. Members discussed annual work scopes assigned by Northampton via the CDBG contracts. In past years, contracts have focused on predatory lending, SRO property management and reasonable accommodation,. Workshop attendance was discussed and it was noted that it is difficult to get people who need the information the most, to participate. Member Abuza asked what reasonable accommodations are being requested of landlords that are not being provided. Ms. Grant replied that the requests ·were not for physical ramps, actual physical modifications per say, but more in the realm of conduct related to a disability, i.e. a tenancy at risk of termination based on a behavior related to a disability. She said they work very closely with the Tenancy Preservation Project. The strategy usually involves securing services and getting a second chance from the landlord to preserve the tenancy. Member Abuza mentioned an NPR story he had just heard about Veterans experiencing PTSD but not eligible for services because the behaviors led to dishonorable discharges. Ms. Grant was thanked for her attendance and those present apologized for such a small Housing Partnership member turnout. The MFHC did not submit a CDBG application for the upcoming program year, so Peg will find out why that is, from Meris Bergquist, the Executive Director. The City is required to affirmatively further fair housing, so work needs to continue. Housing Authority Report Chair Wallace said Jon Hite has agreed to have a Housing Authority Board of Commissioners report as a regular Partnership agenda item, now that two Partnership members (Lynne Wallace and Toni Hochstadt) are serving on the NHA Board. Chair Wallace noted there were some minor audit findings that the NHA is addressing. There is also a CDBG application being submitted to demolish the building on Laurel Street. This parcel is the last of the 4 secured through the State Hospital disposition. The plan is to develop it for homeownership opportunities. There is a DHCD State sponsored LEAP application (Learning Employment Asset Program) coming out of DHCD the NHA is looking into. There is interest in a joint application with HAP as the lead agency. Housing Authorities with MRVP and State funded units are eligible. (Springfield Housing Authority federalized all their units). Western Mass. Network to End Homelessness Lynne reported the Network is apply-ing for a g-rant from DHCD for additional employment programming for homeless families. There is a collaboration with HAP, New England Farm Workers, FutureWorks, CareerPoint and Square One and the request is for $250,000 to continue the work of the original grant. HAP has placed 112 heads of households in jobs and Secure Jobs Connect has placed 68 households. The Center for Human Development has secured 80 additional beds in scattered site locations to house homeless families. HAP has secured a 19 unit building and it is now in use as a congregate shelter for families with a residential resource center on site. On site services will include Health Care for the Homeless, child care, job training and GED preparation. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes May 5, 2014 Members Present: Vice Chair Rachel Taylor-Doward, Gordon Shaw, Jen Dieringer, Toni Hochstadt. Also present; Peg Keller, staff, Peter Serafino, Real Estate Development Project Manager and Michele McAdaragh, Sr. VP of Real Estate Development from HAPHousing and Carol Rinehart and John Averill, potential Partnership members. Call to Order Vice-Chair Taylor-Doward called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. All present introduced themselves. Northampton Lodging/ 129 Pleasant Street Mr. Serafino and Ms. McAdaragh made a presentation to the Partnership about their agency's plans to acquire the existing 58 unit SRO on Pleasant Street. Highlights of their presentation were as follows: •HAPHousing has signed a 6 month option to purchase the property•At the end of that time period the agency will assess moving forward with the project •Existing building itself is obsolete; the plan is for tenant relocation, demolition and new construction•HAP has hired local architect Peter Frothingham who has created preliminary floor plans (they were circulated). •Ground floor will contain required retail use = 3,500 sq.ft./ some on-site parking•Bedroom composition will comprise studios and one bedrooms/ downtown location geared more toward individuals than families due to lack of open space, bars, night life, restaurants, etc. •Housing Plan does articulate the need for units for smaller households•Transit Oriented Development site -state favors projects in these locations/ train platform by Union Station , bike path, bus •Financing = 15-20 million dollar project 78 units 48 affordable 30 market •Low Income Housing Tax Credit program stipulates rents be affordable to households at 60% of area median income/ Permanent loan 5 million; going to 1 CPC for $300,000/ other possible sources may include MassHousing Investment Corp's Healthy Neighborhoods Equity Program/ for mixed income projects •First One Stop funding application to DHCD planned for early 2015.•Services will be provided on site via a Resident Services Coordinator/ maycombine with Valley CDC staffing for Lumberyard site project•Rents for one bedroom at 60% will be $800•Hap will pay for relocation of existing tenants and pay differential from currentrate and will probably take out leases in their name, rather than the tenant•After attrition, those that remain will be invited back at original rental rate/difference between that and the new rates will be absorbed by HAP•If HAP purchases the building, they will operate it as is, as the funding sourcesare secured/ it could be several years•DHCD allows only 8 project based Section 8' s per project/may look to MRVP also•Purchase price is 1.6 million; CEDAC acquisition loan is at 5%/ CPC funding maybe used for acquisition to reduce that pay back amount/ high purchase price•Use is allowed by right; design review will be required through the CentralBusiness Architecture Committee•Height proposed is 5 stories, so there will be concerns from Hampton Court•Preliminary design is a pedestal configuration with parking underneathMember Shaw said that unit number and mix yields a net loss of 10 low income units. Discussion followed. The other offer that was being entertained by the property owner was for demolition and new construction for solely commercial uses, so it is beneficial that what remains a significant number of affordable units will be recreated. Other questions about tenant relocation, the difficulties that will be faced trying to identify that many units for people to go to during construction, etc. were addressed. Members thanked HAP for their attendance. If they decide to go before the CPC for the August round, a formal letter from the Partnership can be requested. Members discussed the exciting possibility of having two substantial affordable housing projects located downtown. Community Preservation Committee Application Member Dieringer reported the CPC is developing their Memorandum of Understanding which may contain implementation conditions for the Community Housing Supportive Services Project. After that is produced, the Sub-Committee should reconvene. The next step is to craft the Request for Proposals to select an entity to 2 administer the project. Getting that out and selecting a vendor should be accomplished in the next 6 months, before the end of the calendar year, if not before. Peg will ask the Chief Procurement Officer for the City how and if 30B comes into play. The Vice-Chair noted that she does data collection for ServiceNet and can help articulate the data collection and performance outcomes component, in order to track and analyze results. Peg suggested the RFP developed by Karen Sunnarborg for the Housing Plan consultant could be a good model to use. Community Education Peg had no update on the OPED piece, or the annual report. Once the Annual Action Plan is submitted to HUD for the CDBG Program, she will be able to address those tasks. Mass Housing Partnership Conference Update Member Hochstadt reported on the event held at Holyoke Community College on April 25th. Attendance was good, with many local officials from smaller communities present. Trend and demographic overviews were given by staff of the 3 regional planning agencies/ Berkshire, Franklin and Pioneer Valley. Afternoon workshops were held on building constituencies for affordable housing development and on the development process itself. Case studies on actual projects were presented. Interesting to note the demographic similarities of Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire relative to smaller household sizes and aging populations. Housing Authority Update Member Hochstadt reported on the Commissioners meeting. There was an application to administer additional HUD V ASH units. There is also a plan to use some project based V ASH units for the new Soldier On units being developed on the Leeds Campus. Adjourn The meeting concluded at 7:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes June 2, 2014 Members Present: Rachel Taylor-Doward, Vice-Chair, Gordon Shaw, Richard Abuza, Toni Hochstadt. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Vice-Chair Taylor-Doward called the meeting to order at 5:37 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. The minutes from the May meeting were approved with one abstention. Review of Proposed Zoning Ordinance Change Members commented on the Planning Department's proposed revisions to a new section dealing with development projects in excess of 7 residential units. The proposed language was as follows: 8.Building shall meet both environmental and affordability standards:a.Meet one of the following environmental standards:i.Meet Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rating of 41 or less; orii.Be US Green Building council LEED New Construction Gold or NeighborhoodDevelopment Gold Certified;b.Meet one of the following affordability standards:i.Contain 10% of the units meeting Zoning definition for affordability; orii.Contain 25% or more of the units no lg.rger than 1,200 sqJLgross floor are_a for atleast 5 years from certificate of occupancy.Members wondered if numbers would be rounded up or down and what the minimum number of affordable units created could be. They also noted that improved energy efficiency doesn't necessarily translate to increased costs. Member Abuza referenced an article he just read in Fine HomeBuilding magazine addressing this topic. Members felt that building green should not be a choice but rather a direction we should all be moving in. They also felt that the second option under b. did not address affordability at all. Peg said the thinking was probably that smaller units are often more affordable but members wanted to see something more specific. They supported option i. but not ii.; because there were no income restrictions attached and they were looking at an ad for the next residential phase being constructed at Village Hill by Wright Builders that were 1,500 sq. ft. and larger selling for $489,000 and up; hardly affordable. Another 1 article circulating depicted new co-housing units proposed for Village Hill in the 1,200 sq. ft. range to sell for $275,000-295,000 slightly more affordable. Members preferred a single option in the language that says: for developments of 7 units or more, 1 or 10% but not less than 1 unit be affordable according to the zoning definition of affordable. The current definition of affordable unit in the ordinance reads as follows: Affordable Units Housing units which the Planning Board finds are affordable for rent or purchase by households making 80% of the median household income for Northampton and, to the extent practicable, are only available to households whose income does not exceed 80% of median income, as calculated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, with adjustments for family size, provided that there are deed restrictions, easements, covenants or other mechanisms to ensure that the units are affordable for a minimum of 99 years. Peg will relay this feedback to the Planning Department. Project Updates Inclusionary Zoning: Peg circulated an article about the town of Amherst delaying a proposal for an inclusionary zoning by-law. She learned at the PVPC Housing Plan Implementation Committee meeting that this tool is falling out of favor because often there are no logistical cost offsets. Smaller communities doing only single family construction need to have larger projects (at least 10+ units) in order to gain affordable units. Developers need a critical mass in order to cover the costs. Many are turning to the Community Preservation Act for administrative funds for implementation. Tools such as density bonuses, the waiving of fees, dimensional reductions don't always ereate the needed incentives. Community Housing Support Services RFP Members had asked to see the Memorandum of Understanding from the Community Preservation Committee to ascertain if there are award conditions. Peg has not received it yet from Sarah La Valley, but expects to tomorrow. She will circulate it upon receipt. Members of the sub-committee will assemble and begin to craft the Request for Proposals to identify a vendor. Members discussed issues of oversight, supervision, liability related to whether the respondents need to be agency affiliated or a free lance consultant. Peg read the email (shown below) from the City's Chief Procurement Officer about whether 30B Procurement rules need to be followed. If the City, acting through the NHP, gives a grant to a non profit agency, grants being defined as: 2 "an agreement between a governmental body and an individual or nonprofit entity, the purpose of which is to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation instead of procuring supplies or services for the benefit or use of the governmental body" then their grant would be exempt from 30B. That being said, competition is a good thing. The caveat is that if NHP sets up a process they need to follow the process. If NHP wants to award based on A, B and C and a vendor brings up D, NHP can't take D into account in making an award. NHP could take Dinto account if they notified the other interested parties and let them address D also. If there is an obvious candidate agency for doing this work, NHP could just give them the grant if their price seems reasonable. A well defined Scope and how success would be measured would be good whether or not competition is sought. The sub-committee will convene when they have the CPC MOU. They will work thru the summer for an RFP issuance in the fall; vendor selection to be made by the end of the calendar year. Trust Ordinance Language Revision Peg reported that Lyn Simmons in the Mayor's Office has asked if we want to adopt the State model for an Affordable Housing Trust or continue with the one we adopted earlier. Peg will circulate both so we can compare and contrast. Housing Authority, PVPC and Western Mass Network updates were provided. Membership Peg said she had sent follow up emails to Carol Rinehart and John Averill. Both had attended a meeting to observe and consider membership. Mr. Averill seemed unclear about what he could contribute, although he supported the work. Member Abuza offered to-speak with him. Ms. Rinehart is -considering sume-other-volunte-e-ro-pttons and will let Peg know later. Peg noted that Casa Latina is also in need of new board members, if anyone knows of anyone who might be interested in that endeavor. Miscellaneous Updates Peg reported on community meetings she attended for a pre-release program from the Hampshire County House of Corrections proposed for Wilson Road, at the end of Grove Street near Rte. 66 and a neighborhood informational meeting about the attack that took place at the AFIY A House on Jackson Street held at Jackson Street School. She also updated members on the pending purchase of Northampton Lodging and the opening of Olympia Oaks, family housing developed by HAP in Amherst. Adjourn The meeting concluded at 7:00 p.m. 3 Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes July 7, 2014 Members Present: Lynne Wallace, Chair, Rachel Taylor-Doward, Vice-Chair, Toni Hochstadt, Jen Dieringer, Gordon Shaw, Richard Abuza. New member Peter Frothingham and observer Tiya Isaza-Figueroa. Also present, Wayne Feiden, Planning Director and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Wallace called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. Members introduced themselves to the new member Peter Frothingham and to Ms. Isaza-Figueroa who is considering joining the Partnership. Approval of Minutes/ Member Shaw made a motion to approve the minutes from the June meeting, seconded by Member Taylor-Doward. The vote in favor was unanimous with abstentions from Chair Wallace and Member Frothingham. PATH Application/ Wayne Feiden Mr. Feiden described a grant application he has recently submitted to DHCD. It is called PATH (Planning Assistance Toward Housing), formerly known as the Priority Development Fund. The program's purpose is to provide funding to municipalities to increase the supply of housing for a range of incomes by encouraging community-based planning_ac_tiYitie_s that le.ad dire_ctly to housing production. Eligible activities include: •Community initiated activities such as education and outreach efforts that support theproduction of multi-family housing•Planning for housing/mixed-use development in specific geographic areas•Activities associated with the production of multi-family housing on municipallyowned/ con trolled sites•Planning, outreach and adoption of smart growth zoning under c.40R and other types ofhigh impact up-zoning•Other activities leading to housing production including the preparation, update orrenewal of Housing Production Plans under c. 40B.The Office of Planning' s application asked for funding to accomplish: ■A sophisticated housing build out analysis of the downtown core, URB and URCzones1 •Analysis of development barriers•Identification of infrastructure projects needed to facilitate developmentThree community forums are planned that the Housing Partnership is welcomed to co­sponsor. He is not sure of the chances for getting the grant because we were funded through the PDF program last year. DHCD was pleased with the results of the PDF grant however, so that may bode well for another award. The build out analysis is in response to public interest in the universe of impact from the recently adopted and proposed zoning changes. He will keep us posted on the outcome. Mr. Feiden also reported on a MassWorks application he is currently preparing. This fund was formerly the Public Works Economic Development program. He is proposing street infrastructure work on Pleasant Street to support the two affordable housing projects and the corridor improvement effort. Projects have to be shovel-ready for spring of 2015. That is early for both housing projects but he is asking for support letters from them to include anyway, as the infrastructure improvements will benefit them later. Work will address sidewalk repair, a widening of the right of way in some places and restricting it in others, possibly a "parklet" in front of Northampton Coffee, curb extensions, crosswalks, traffic calming and bike lanes, street trees, benches and drainage work. He asked for a support letter from the Housing Partnership as well. Member Abuza made the following motion: " ... recognizing that vibrant downtown streetscapes are an integral part of supporting quality housing options, especially in denser urban core neighborhoods, we wholeheartedly support this funding application and the meaningful infrastructure improvements it would accomplish". The motion was seconded by Member Dieringer. The vote in favor was unanimous with abstentions from Chair Wallace and Member Frothmgham (HAP employee and architect for the HAP 129 Pleasant Street project). Definition of Affordable Housing/ Proposed Ordinance Revision Mr. Feiden then spoke to the proposed change to the definition of affordable housing in the Ordinance of the City of Northampton. The revision includes a requirement that the units created be counted on the States Subsidized Affordable Housing Inventory. It also changes the term of affordability for homeownership units from 99 to 30, which is in line with the State requirement. Members discussed the proposal. Mr. F eiden said that there are several sections in the Zoning Ordinance that will refer to this definition: cluster development, subdivision regulations and projects creating 7+ units. The 99 year term works well for rental 2 projects, but is difficult for homeownership scenarios. Most projects that create affordable units utilize State funding sources and therefore meet the requirements for inclusion on the inventory, but private projects such as Emerson Way have no public funds. Reducing the time period to 30 years opens the possibility of a homeowner earning equity should they remain in the unit and matches State funding requirements. Local groups, either through awarding CPA and/or CDBG could mandate longer periods if they so chose, but 30 years would be a minimum. Member Dieringer made a motion to support the proposed revision; seconded by Member Abuza. The vote in favor was unanimous. A support letter will be sent to City Council. Project Updates Community Housing Supportive Services Program Member Shaw reported on the meeting of the sub-committee which is now developing the Request for Proposals for choosing a vendor. Member Dieringer provided a background summary for the new members. NHP applied to the CPC for a three year $195,000 grant to support people in housing through budgeting instruction, assignment of a rep payee when needed and referral and linkage to other community resources. A salary for a full-time position in addition to administrative costs required for a rep payee program are the funding components. The sub-committee made some revisions to the Memorandum of Agreement from the CPC that will be reviewed at their next meeting. Member Dieringer is researching the issue of whether the program needs to be administered through the Housing Trust. Peg will produce the template for the RFP, the sub-committee will determine how the responses will be evaluated/scored and Member Taylor-Doward will assist with a matrix fur data-colle-ctiun-and-pe-rfo-rmance-outcome measurement. The run-Parffiersmp will review the RFP and responses. The plan is to release it and select a vendor by the end of the calendar year. Community Education/ Op-Ed Members discussed the need to produce something that extols the virtues of the two proposed housing projects. There was a letter to the editor saying HAP would reap huge profits in the 129 Pleasant St. project, which should be refuted. Strategy was discussed. Peg will take the first cut at a draft and circulate it to the members. This will help to address the goal of keeping affordable housing issues visible in the community and dispel myths. Housing Partnership Composition Number 3 Because the Mayor's Office is reviewing City Ordinances, Boards and Commissions for a September revision package required by the Charter change, the Chief of Staff asked about the 15 member composition number on the Partnership. She (Lyn Simmons) noted that this is a higher number than most Boards or Commissions. Members opted to have the number remain 15 and hope for additional members in order to attain full composition. The majority of active voting members will remain the test for quorum. Affordable Housing Trust The Mayor's Chief of Staff also asked if in revising the local Affordable Housing Trust Ordinance (to include funding positions such as the one recently funded by the Community Preservation Committee) the NHP wanted to adopt any of the provisions from the State Affordable Housing Trust Law. Peg circulated both prior to the meeting and Member Shaw had some suggestions. The response was yes, we should adopt the purposes and powers in the State version, to solidify and sanction local activities. Member Abuza made a motion to update the local Affordable Housing Trust Ordinance to make it co-extensive with the powers and enumerated in the State statute/ Chapter 44 Municipal Finance, Section 55c Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The motion was seconded by Member Dieringer. The vote in favor was unanimous. Peg will redraft the current ordinance and submit it to the Mayor's office for review and approval. Zoning Proposal/ Review of 7+ unit Projects Members discussed the status of the zoning proposal discussed at the last meeting. This relates to the moratorium placed on projects of 7 units or more in order to create additional review criteria. Peg reported that she relayed the Partnership's concerns to the Planning Dept. about the second option not being acceptable. Evidently the proposal, which is before the Ordinance Committee, will not be reviewed again until August. Partnership members said they would offer to meet with Councilor O'Donnell to express their concerns about the options for affordable housing in the proposal. Member Frothingham mentioned a new site plan review requirement for additional dwelling units on principal lots. Having to prepare drawings and come to a hearing could impede the creation of affordable units. Discussion followed. He made a motion to state the Housing Partnership's concern that proposed zoning changes impact costs of creating affordable housing and that we wish to work with the Ordinance Committee to remediate any possible negative impacts. The motion was seconded by Vice-Chair Taylor-Doward and the vote in favor was unanimous. Housing Authority Report 4 Chair Wallace reported that the NHA is participating in a program offered by DHCD called Mass LEAP. A $362,000 grant will be distributed to several housing authorities to provide job, educational and financial literacy training for tenants with Mass. Rental Voucher Program subsidies (MRVP, the state rental assistance program). HAP will be doing the case management for the region. WMNEH Report Chair Wallace reported that Network Coordinator Pamela Schwartz will be on leave until September, traveling with her family. Committees are still meeting with other people running them. Andrew Morehouse of The Food Bank of Western Mass is now co-chairing the Network with Lynne. There is a new round of $250,000 for Secure Jobs Connect from DHCD for Hampshire and Hampden counties through HAP. After the success of the first round funded by the Fireman Foundation, the State picked it up as a line item in the Commonwealth's budget assigning 500,000 statewide. There is an additional 200,000 from the Fireman Foundation for Franklin and Berkshire counties. August I September Meetings There will be no meeting in August and the September meeting will be help on the 8th. HAP Support Letter Chair Wallace and Member Frothingham departed from the meeting. Discussion followed about doing a formal support letter to the Community Preservation Committee for the 129 Pleasant St7Northampton lodging project that HAP is undertaking. Discussion followed about tenant relocation and protections and the requirements in the Federal and State Re-location Acts. Additional research will be done to better understand short term and long term protections. All members present supported sending the letter in favor of the project. The presentation on the project had taken place at the May meeting. Member Shaw made the motion to send a support letter, seconded by Member Abuza. The vote in favor was unanimous. Adjourn The meeting concluded at 7:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 5 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes September 8, 2014 Members Present: Lynne Wallace, Chair; Toni Hochstadt, Richard Abuza, Gordon Shaw, Peter Frothingham. Also present Tiya Isaza-Figueroa, (awaiting appointment) and My Nguyen of Valley CDC, City Councilors O'Donnell and Sciarra, Carolyn Misch of the Planning and Sustainability Office and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Wallace called the meeting to order at 5:34 p.m. Member Abuza made a motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting. Member Shaw seconded the motion, the vote in favor was unanimous. Valley Community Development Corporation Presentation/ LumberYard Project My Nguyen, representing Valley CDC, made a presentation on the proposed redevelopment of the LumberYard site (256 Pleasant Street) to inform the Housing Partnership and request a letter of support for their Community Preservation Committee application. Highlights are as follows: •CPC request is for $500,000; 2.5% of the overall budget •60 units of affordable housing; total project cost 19.9 million dollars •20% of the units will be made available for 30% area median income and below•Zoning-ehange al-lews residential-uses on-the first-floor except on street frontage, which will be commercial (with 20 ft. setback) •Drainage conduit traverses the property underground •Bedroom mix will consist of one, two and three bedroom units•VCDC will move its offices there •Technical Review with City departments planned for end of September •Site Plan Review with Planning Board will follow/ October, November •Central Business Architecture Review also required•Meeting with abutters & Ward 3 Neighborhood Association will be held late fall •Effort to change status of Short Street from private to public would take too long to help access issues for the project; access will be off of Holyoke Street •Building will be four stories, upper floors will contain the 1 and 2 bdrm. units, 3' s on the first floor 1 •DHCD One Stop applications will be made in the spring round of 2015 and if not funded, in the fall round •A schematic site plan was circulated and reviewed Member Frothingham asked about on-site play area for the families. Ms. Nguyen said that was still being examined. Member Abuza made �he following motion: "This project represents an unprecedented opportunity to increase the availability of affordable housing in a suitable location, accessible to services and commercial resources and which addresses the needs of low and very low income households (30-60% AMI); therefore the Northampton Housing Partnership urges the Community Preservation Committee to fund Valley CDC's request". Member Shaw seconded the motion and the vote in favor was unanimous. Zoning Proposal Discussion/ Review Criteria for Projects with 7+ units Member Hochstadt updated the members on the status of the effort. After the initial submission to the Housing Partnership Members Hochstadt and Frothingham met with Councilor O'Donnell to discuss the Partnership's concerns. He was asked to join us this evening to further that discussion. The issue relates to item E. on the proposal, which offers the choice between an inclusion of affordable housing units of 10% of the total, or b.creation of at least 25% of units 1,200 sq. ft. or smaller. The Partnership felt that b. would not necessarily translate into affordable units and that given a choice, developers would choose b. Councilor O'Donnell said the proposal is going to the Ordinance Committee on September 22nd, but that affordable housing is very important and he wants the Partnership-to be comfortable-with t:ne-language. Discussion followed on numbers for thresholds and mandatory vs. voluntary options. All agreed that given a choice, option a. will not be chosen. Ms. Misch noted that option b.would create other housing units that the Housing Plan also said were important to have in the inventory for market choice - a range of housing options to address a variety of needs. The market does well creating subsidized units through the non-profit development community and via private developers for the high end, but it is the middle range that has fallen away, she said. The zoning districts included in this proposal are the two most dense downtown zones -URB and URC, so the universe of parcels potentially impacted is limited. Few parcels are large enough to accommodate developments of seven units or more. (Shaws, North Street, Ft. Hill/Lyman Estate­ maybe others). 2 Member Shaw suggested 10% or a minimum of one, rounding up after one half and reiterated that small does not mean affordable. Ms. Misch said that the 10% relates to the State threshold for subsidized units. She said, and members agreed, that meeting the requirements to have the units counted on the State inventory is burdensome for developers of smaller projects. The discussion ended with staff's commitment to do additional research. Members accept that there are multiple goals at play here, and a range of housing opportunities need to be created. One suggestion was 2 units for projects of 15 units and larger, or 25 units+ with 3 affordable units. Finding the right threshold to de-stigmatize lower income families in a development ( difficult to be the only ones) and creating a unit critical mass for developers to create internal subsidies and cover the costs of the affordable units -is the task. The Ordinance Committee will be asked to give the Partnership an additional month for research. Recommendations will be made to the NHP at the next meeting, scheduled for Oct. 6th. Community Housing Support Services RFP Committee is working on the draft. The plan is to circulate it before Thanksgiving. Housing Authority Report Chair Wallace said a Selection Committee is being formed to begin the search process for a new Executive Director. Mr. Hite announced he is retiring in February of 2015. Western Mass Network to End Homelessness Chair Wallace reported that a State line item earmark ($125,000) survived the budget process to give additional resources to the Network. A consultant will be brought on board-to align regional activity with-the-F-etle-raI-ep-en DoorsPlan toEnd Homelessness. The Network has also been invited to attend a gathering in Washington D.C. with 11 other programs to tout the success of the Secure Jobs Connect project which links employment to homeless families. The United States Inter-Agency on Housing and Homelessness, the Department of Labor and HUD will be present. This has been a highly successful collaboration that has achieved national recognition. Congratulations! Adjourn The meeting concluded at 7:25 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes October 6, 2014 Members Present: Lynne Wallace, Chair, Rachel Taylor-Doward, Vice-Chair, Jen Dieringer, Toni Hochstadt, Richard Abuza, Peter Frothingham. Also present, City Councilors Ryan O'Donnell and Gina-Louise Sciarra, Carolyn Misch, Permits Planner and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Wallace called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. Zoning Update Peg Keller circulated a memo she and Carolyn Misch created addressing inclusionary zoning issues relative to the current zoning proposal. Most communities that have mandatory regulations are under the 10% affordability threshold for their housing stock. The research also acknowledged the low number of projects this ordinance would affect, considering it is only the two dense residential zones. It was also noted that a goal of the housing plan is to create housing opportunities for a range of incomes. Also noteworthy is that with 4 new housing development projects proposed for Northampton adding 221 affordable units to the inventory, this could lessen the pressure to add mandatory language at this time. Ms. Misch said we could take more time to study this as she is not sure any big projects are going to-move--for-ward immediately.-Meml,er-Abuza said we shoula have something on the books before a project does pop up so it doesn't appear as if a remedy is project specific. Ms. Misch said she views this process as an on-going conversation that would not be reactive if it is continually examined. After some discussion Member Hochstadt said she would support the proposal moving forward as currently proposed if we task ourselves to work on it more fully. The proposed addition of so many units is significant. She also would not want to hold up the process which has been underway for many months. Members acknowledged that the choice of b. ( creating smaller units without an affordability restriction) may not accomplish "little a" i.e. market rate affordability, but will succeed in filling an inventory gap for smaller sized units. Member Dieringer stated that management of subsidized housing is no easy task and requires professional expertise better left, in most cases to non-profit housing developers. She cannot imagine smaller developers 1 taking that on (in a scenario such as a new development of 10 units with 3 affordable). Other members echoed their agreement. Applying for an allotment to the Community Preservation Committee to assist developers with administrative costs might also be a tough sell. Non-profits will still develop affordable housing so this proposal could facilitate the creation of market rate affordable units and units for smaller households which is a priority need. Councilor O'Donnell asked if the Partnership wants to explore inclusionary zoning (ever). He also asked if they wanted to consider a moratorium on very large projects in order to study it more fully. Members agreed that a more vetted discussion of inclusionary zoning is a conversation that should be had, to see if there is a way to make it work, but there is no desire to hold up the current proposal. Members offered to send a letter of support to the Ordinance Committee. Vice-Chair Taylor-Doward made a motion to do so, seconded by Member Frothingham. The vote in favor was unanimous. Members also agreed to form a sub-committee to study the issue further to assemble after the first of the year. A copy of the State enabling legislation will be obtained to begin the discussion. �ocial Services, Veterans, Culture and Recreation Sub-Committee Chair Wallace asked staff for a progress report on the Housing Plan to help she and the Vice-Chair prepare for a meeting with the City Council Sub-Committee. Community Housing Support Services Coordinator RFP The Committee feels they have done what they can with the sample template and need staff to ascertain bidding requirements. Staff will follow up. A meeting will be scheduled after that information is gathered. Community Education/ OP Ed The draft will be re-circulated and re-examined to identify the focus that makes the most sense currently. Updates Housing Authority/ a consultant is being hired to guide the selection process for a new Executive Director. Visioning sessions will be held with community stakeholders, staff and tenants. The Section 8 waiting list will be opened. Western Mass. Network to End Homelessness/ 2 A State line item earmark has been secured in the amount of $125,000 for data collection and policy and programmatic alignment of regional activities with the Federal Open Door Plan to end homelessness. Research and analysis will occur in the four counties served. Network progress will be tracked; funds to be spent by June 30th. A group of area providers will travel to Washington D.C. to take part in a day-long session with other providers across the country to discuss the success of our Secure Jobs Connect project and learn about other best practices. Linking homeless families with employment opportunities in the region with foundation grants has been hugely successful. It is an honor to have been invited. Congratulations to all. .... Fair Housing Next month we will discuss implementing the recommendations in the Impediments to Fair Housing Analyses in view of the Mass. Fair Housing Center not applying for a contract with the City for CDBG funding. Adjourn The meeting concluded at 6:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes November 3, 2014 Members Present: Lynne Wallace, Chair, Gordon Shaw, Peter Frothingham, Toni Hochstadt, Richard Abuza, Jen Dieringer, Tiya Isaza. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call To Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:35 p.m. September and October minutes were reviewed and approved. Members re-introduced themselves and their affiliations to newly appointed member Intiya Isaza-Figueroa. Project Updates Affordable Housing Trust Peg reported that the new version of the local affordable housing trust is moving forward to City Council in the Mayor's package of Charter changes. She read the language that revised the local configuration to include all the powers and duties of the State model. She will move forward on repopulating the Trust membership and Ms. Dieringer and Mr. Shaw reiterated their willingness to serve as the Housing Partnership representatives on that body. PATH Grant Peg reported that the Planning Department has been awarded the PA TH grant for $-25�000. S-he read members the scope of service-s: •A housing build-out analysis for the urban core areas and surroundingneighborhoods to project potential units and prepare for them.•The results of the build-out analysis will allow the City to determine theremaining impediments to housing, specifically multi-family housing in theseareas, including market limitations, regulatory restrictions, discrimination inhousing as well as other factors.•The finding of the impediment analysis will direct the City to undertake changes,such as transportation and street improvements, among others.Peg will ask the Planning Dept. to keep the Partnership informed as this project moves forward to identify any possible collaboration. Potential Development Proposals Peg reported that the Northampton Nursing Home remains on the market and members brainstormed about potential reuses for the property. Discussion included thoughts about congregate housing models vs. scattered site models and some pros and cons of each. City Council Sub-Committee/ Social Services, Veterans Affairs, Culture and Recreation Chair Wallace reported on the meeting she attended with Vice-Chair Rachel Taylor­ Doward and the three City Councilors. They updated the Committee on the Housing Plan implementation progress, CPC activities on affordable housing projects and the developer's forums. It was an informative session and new City Councilors Sciarra and Klein appreciated the presentation, as well as long time chair Councilor LaBarge. Fair Housing Discussion Peg reminded members that they also serve as the City's Fair Housing Committee and there is a need to ensure the City affirmatively furthers fair housing activity in a tangible and measurable way. HUD requires the City to identify specific tasks on an annual basis and document progress. Because the Mass. Fair Housing Center did not apply for CDBG funding this year, we need to be more proactive about this responsibility. The list of recommendations from the Impediments to Fair Housing Analysis was circulated for review. Suggestions for activities included making de-leading resources available and working with the Board of Health to publish a list of de-leaded properties; zoning relief for adding dwellings to lots; education around legal advertisements, such as on Craig's list. The largest impediments still seem to be access to housing. Tenant selection plans were discussed. The difficulty in getting the right information to the people who need it most was noted. Member Abuza reminded us of the annual letter to the multi-family property owners that goes out in January as a great communication opportunity. Mayor Narkewicz had penned a letter with landlord resources a few years ago, perhaps that can be done again. Contacting rental agencies about a possible workshop on fair housing law was mentioned. Member Abuza said a large portion of our rental stock exists in buildings with 2-4 units and those owners are difficult to reach. A workshop for landlords on fair housing laws and workshops for small property owners have been tried, but can be tried again. Chair Wallace mentioned that HAP has personnel who conduct those workshops. Banks require attendance at workshops for people buying multi-family properties. More thought will be given to identify specific tasks to pursue and will be discussed further in January. OP-Ed Some comments have been received on the draft. Member Shaw offered to give it some "punch" and circulate it for review and additions by others. Ms. Isaza offered to circulate it via google docs. Community Housing Support Services RFP Member Dieringer said the sub-committee had taken it as far as it could and expressed disappointment that it had languished at the staff level for the last two months. Peg agreed to get it out as soon as her work load permitted. Regional Activity Reports Northampton Housing Authority Member Hochstadt reported that the NHA' s Section 8 Waiting List was opened on October 14th. 232 applications were received and 200 more were expected. A lottery will be held December 18th to see who will get placed on the list. The NHA also administers 272 HUD V ASH vouchers. For the Mass. Rental Voucher Program, HAP opened their waiting list. 9,000 applications were taken out and 5,000 returned, for 58 slots. The NHA has signed a contract with Carole Collins, a consultant, to assist the Board of Commissioners with the search for a new Executive Director. Ms. Collins will begin interviewing community stakeholders to identify what people are looking for moving forward. Salvo House has received an electrical upgrade, and three apartments at Tobin Manor are coming back on line. Western Mass. Network to End Homelessness Chair Wallace reported on the trip to Washington D.C. for the Secure Jobs Connect Program. The full day work session with 12 other programs from across the country focused on work force development issues relative to ending family homelessness. She said the Secretaries of HUD and the Department of Labor attended earlier in the day then came back at the end of the day to see the results of the best practices brainstorming efforts. Four "silo imploding" ideas were fleshed out. The idea that the Western Mass. delegation worked on involved preventing the cliff effect that occurs when program participants gain employment then get their benefits such as SNAP and child care vouchers cut. A graduated step down process was recommended. The Secure Jobs Connect program designed is being considered by the Melville Trust in Connecticut for implementation there. The 125,000 earmark in the State budget for Network work has been delayed because the Network is not a 501 C-3. It may need to be resubmitted in February for expenditure by June 30th. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 7:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes December 1, 2014 Members Present: Lynne Wallace, Chair, Jen Dieringer, Gordon Shaw, Peter Frothingham, Richard Abuza, Tiya Isaza-Figueroa, Toni Hochstadt. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order: Chair Wallace called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. The minutes were approved from the November n:ieeting. Project Updates Community Housing Supportive Services RFP The deadline for the responses to the Community Housing Supportive Services Project is December 19th. Members asked to be notified as to how many proposals are received after the deadline. It was agreed that staff and members of the sub-committee, Members Hochstadt, Dieringer and Shaw will conduct the interviews. Once we know how many responded, the interviews will be scheduled. Affordable Housing Projects Peg reported that the HAP Northampton Lodging project (129 Pleasant Street) has secured its Community Preservation Committee allocation of $300,000 and its permits from the Planning Board and Central Business Architecture Committee. A Request for Release ofFunds for tlie CDBG allocation will be requested this month. HAP will be moving forward with its purchase of the property very soon. Valley CDC's lumberyard project (256 Pleasant Street) will go before the Planning Board and Central Business Architecture Committee on December 11th. Valley is gathering additional information on the site infrastructure constraints. The CPC required Valley to conduct an additional neighborhood meeting to address concerns about lack of opportunity for input by some abutters. That meeting will be held 12/29. The City Council will be voting on the CPC recommendations later this month. Both projects will be in the queue for State funding for both rounds in 2015. Census Letter to Multi-family Property Owners Peg circulated a copy of the letter and resource list that went out under the Mayor Narkewicz's signature two years ago acknowledging contributions landlords make in 1 the community. Peg said she will contact the City Clerk's Office to see if another one can be sent this year. Suggestions were made about new resources to include in the list.If specific workshops were to be offered, they could be announced. The letter attachedto a special permit application under Mayor Higgins signature was circulated. Since most of the application process is now on line, it was suggested that this message (toinclude affordable units in new development projects) could be put on the City'sWebsite. Peg will check with Carolyn Misch.Zoning Sub-Committee Work ScopeThe Committee consists of members Isaza and Frothingham. Members suggested thatthe items to be addressed should include: inclusionary zoning, dimensional setbacksand the permit requirements for multiple structures on a parcel and what uses are allowed by right as opposed to requiring a permit -all examined from the context of removing impediments to the creation and preservation of affordable and market rate affordable housing. Peg will be in touch with sub-committee members about a meetingschedule.Fair Housing Impediments AnalysisPeg circulated the recommendations from the current IA and asked members to reviewit and come to the January meeting with specific projects and goals to meet in the newyear. This year the City is required to create and submit a 5 year Consolidated Plan toHUD, inclusive of an Annual Action plan and fair housing must be addressed.Area Activity UpdatesNorthampton Housing Authority-Chair Wallace reported Housing Authority Commission Chair Joe Defazio no longer wants to fill the designated seat on the City'sCommunity Preservation Committee. Housing Partnership and NHA CommissionerHochstadt was asked to fill the CPC seat. She has agreed and will resign from the Housing Partnership in order to serve on the CPC. She said she will stay on the NHPuntil the vendor has been selected for the Community Housing Supportive Servicesproject. Members said they will miss her on the Partnership but feel she will fill acritical need for a housing advocate on the CPC. Relative to the search for a newexecutive director, the job has not been posted yet. The process is a little behindschedule. Mr. Hite will stay on until the new director has been hired.Western Mass Network to End Homelessness -Chair Wallace reported they have found away to deliver the $125,000 earmark to the Network without it having to have a 501C3 designation. February 6th will be a legislative session to provide updates on the SecureJobs Connect effort and Network accomplishments.2 Elections Chair Wallace reported that due to her extensive work load and participation on the Housing Authority Board and her role on the selection committee there, she is unable to serve as Housing Partnership chair. Rachel Taylor-Doward, current vice-chair is resigning from the Partnership, which will leave both leadership positions vacant. Members were asked to consider taking them and to be prepared to vote at the January meeting. Peg reported that Alyx Akers, a former member who as a realtor, had difficulty attending meetings has offered to fill the business slot on the Affordable Housing Trust. The trust will meet less frequently. Peg will be in touch with her after the holidays. Members Shaw and Dieringer will serve as the Partnership reps on the Trust. Mike Trembley of ServiceN et' s Resource Center had agreed to serve. The Mayor fills the fifth slot. The Trust will be reconstituted in 2015 with the revised Ordinance expanding the powers and duties. With Members Hochstadt and Tayor-Doward resigning, new Partnership members are needed. Members were asked to think about possible replacements. Ms. Dieringer said she was the Planning Board rep when she first joined so we could get someone from the Planning Board. Peg will check the Ordinance to see what the composition requires. Smith College alumnae were mentioned. Notices could be circulated through neighborhood associations and the Chamber and banks and realtors could be approached. Adjourn/ The meefing concludea a{ T:10 p.m. --The next meeting will be held January 5th, 2015. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3