Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Page 1 of 2 <br /> <br />Affordable Housing Trust <br />Meeting Minutes of October 23, 2023 11:30 am <br /> <br />Virtual meeting on Zoom <br /> <br />Affordable Housing Trust Board Members present: Elaine Tung, Chair; Mark Sandeen, William <br />Erickson, Tiffany Payne, Linda Prosnitz <br />Staff present: Ragi Ramachandran, Administrative Assistant <br />Other attendees: Elizabeth Rust, RHSO; Sarah Morrison, LexHAB Director; Lester Savage, <br />LexHAB Vice-Chair <br /> <br />Ms. Tung chaired the zoom meeting and called the meeting to order at 11:43 am. <br /> <br />1. Executive session to discuss a potential real estate acquisition <br />Upon motion duly made and seconded it was voted 5-0 by roll call unanimously to go into <br />Executive session to consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property at 497 <br />Massachusetts Avenue. Further, the Affordable Housing Trust Chair declared that an open <br />meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the Town. <br />The Affordable Housing Trust will not reconvene an open session at the conclusion of the <br />Executive session. <br />497 Massachusetts Avenue <br />Ms. Morrison updated the members on the possible purchase of 497 Massachusetts Avenue in <br />Lexington. The offers are due at 2pm on Oct 23. LexHAB requested up to $700,000 from the <br />Trust for the purchase of the property at 497 Massachusetts Avenue. The two-family building is <br />situated in a convenient location with respect to its accessibility to services and transportation. <br />It has one unit on top of the other, the units are well cared for, there are two bedrooms in each <br />unit, and four parking spaces. <br />LexHAB is planning to make an offer for $950,000 for the purchase. LexHAB has $400,000 of <br />CPC funds and is looking for the balance of up to $700,000 from the Trust. LexHAB is prepared <br />to make any necessary immediate repairs required. LexHAB will work with MassSave to <br />upgrade the energy efficiency of the property. The purchase will add two units of affordable <br />housing to the Subsidized Housing Inventory following the LIP application process. There is a <br />tenant in one of the units. The tenant will be given 30 – 60day notice to move out, and to find <br />suitable housing. <br />The Trust discussed the process of the regulatory agreement and the affordability restriction <br />that restricts the property in perpetuity. The EOHLC, LexHAB and Town will all be parties to the <br />restriction, and it is a standard LIP regulatory agreement. LexHAB will go through the LIP LAU <br />application process after purchasing the unit. LexHAB shared the anticipated closing time is <br />approximately end of November – early December. <br />The Trust reviewed and discussed LexHAB’s request in detail. The Trust felt the property is well <br />protected from a tear down, the price is attractive, and the property has great potential in the <br />long term. Funding for such a property purchase aligns with the purpose the Trust was set up