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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-24-AHTBT-min Page 1 of 2 Affordable Housing Trust Meeting Minutes of April 24, 2025 10:00 am Hybrid meeting on Zoom and attended in-person in the Ellen Stone Room, Cary Hall Affordable Housing Trust Board Members present: Elaine Tung, Chair; William Erickson, Mark Sandeen, Linda Prosnitz, Tiffany Payne Staff present: Carol Kowalski, Assistant Town Manager for Development; Ragi Ramachandran, Administrative Assistant Ms. Tung chaired the hybrid meeting and called the meeting to order at 10:07 am. 1. Approve Meeting Minutes Ms. Tung requested a motion to approve the minutes of 1/30/25 and 2/13/25 AHT meetings. Ms. Prosnitz moved. Mr. Erickson seconded. The Trustees voted in favor of the motion 5-0-0, by a roll call vote (Erickson – yes, Prosnitz – yes, Payne – yes, Sandeen – yes, Tung – yes). Meeting minutes approved. 2. Chair, Select Board, Board/Committee Liaison and RHSO/staff report Ms. Prosnitz reported that the Housing Partnership Board will be meeting next week. Mr. Erickson reported that the LexHAB board meeting is scheduled for the following week. Ms. Tung shared an update from attending the Data Open Doors – MHP/Housing Navigator session on measuring affordable housing gap. The study found a significant need for one- bedroom units, and that 68% of low-income renters lack access to affordable housing. Their presentation highlighted the limitations of age-restricted housing and fixed below-market rent models, emphasizing that very low-income households struggle to qualify for inclusionary housing. The speakers proposed multiple tools to increase affordability, including project -based vouchers, municipal capital subsidies, and adjusting inclusionary zoning policies to serve households with 30% to 50% AMI, while also encouraging the development of non-age-restricted units. Ms. Payne reported that Lexington Housing Authority was approved for an EOHLC contract for financial assistance and the LHA board discussed their HCV (Housing Choice Voucher) administrative plan. Ms. Payne discussed the Bridge to Prosperity pilot program. The pilot program was developed to address the “cliff effects” for low to moderate income families by providing monthly cash assistance, career coaching, and a potential $10,000 bonus to help stabilize families. Representative Pat Duffy had filed an amendment to secure $150,000 in the house budget to expand this pilot, which currently only covers DTA benefits but aims to include other government partnerships. The program aligns with housing stability goals and has high demand, particularly in western Massachusetts. Ms. Payne felt the program had the potential to complement the Affordable Housing Trust's mission of strengthening economic mobility efforts across the state. Ms. Payne shared the update from attending the CHAPA 2025 Fair Housing Symposium the past week. Ms. Payne reported that the symposium emphasized the need for proactive fair housing policies, education, and enforcement across Massachusetts. Key takeaways included establishing Page 2 of 2 local fair housing commissions, expanding education and outreach, addressing discrimination in rental markets, and advocating for funding support. The symposium stressed the importance of connecting housing to health, transportation, and inclusion. 3. Housing Needs Assessment The group discussed that the Housing Needs Assessment report is not yet available for review, and they will review the document when it is ready. 4. Resident Support Ms. Tung stated that fuel assistance and heat pump assistance are not feasible for the Trust to provide. According to the Massachusetts statute by which Affordable Housing Trusts are established, it appears that the Trust may not be allowed to include fuel assistance. Ms. Tung also discussed this with Shelly Goehring at MHP. Ms. Tung suggested, as an alternative, that the rental assistance program could be administered by Metro West. She stated that MetroWest has been doing this for at least 10 communities since COVID. Their support will include checking on resident’s qualification for rental assistance and disbursing funds. MetroWest would also provide quarterly and annual reports. The group plans to review further the proposals on resident support options. The trustees discussed the rental assistance program presented in the last Trust meeting. They considered the eligibility requirements, including income limits, residency requirements, and rent caps. They debated prioritizing lower-income households where increased need has been observed versus focusing on middle-tier income levels. The group discussed the program's structure, duration, and potential prioritization methods . Ms. Prosnitz stated that this will be a pilot program and they could adjust the program offerings based on demand and effectiveness. The trustees discussed the logistics of the pilot program to help households, considering the administrative costs involved. Ms. Tung suggested the working group to think about how to leverage the Trust funds to help where the most need is. The group decided to explore partnering with Metro West for program administration, and agreed to gather more information about their fees and rental assistance programs. 5. Housing Roundtable Tabled for next meeting. Executive Session Ms. Tung moved to go into Executive session under Exemption 6 to consider the purchase or lease of real property for MBTA Multi-Family Development Buy-downs. The Affordable Housing Trust Chair stated that an open session might have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the Affordable Housing Trust. Ms. Prosnitz seconded. The Trustees voted in favor of the motion 5-0-0, by a roll call vote (Erickson – yes, Payne – yes, Sandeen – yes, Prosnitz – yes, Tung – yes). Ms. Tung stated that the Trust will not reconvene in an open session after the Executive session. The Trustees exited the regular session at 11:11 am. List of documents reviewed: Resident Support Working Group – Rental Assistance Program