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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-07-16 Joint MeetingSELECT BOARD MEETING Wednesday, July 16 2025 A Joint Meeting of the Select Board, Affordable Housing Trust, Housing Partnership Board, Lexington Housing Authority, Regional Housing Services Office and LexHab was called to order at 9:00am on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Police Station Community Room, 1575Massachusetts Avenue via hybrid meeting services. Present for the Select Board: Ms. Hai, Chair; Mr. Pato; Mr. Lucente; Mr. Sandeen and Ms. Kumar were present, as well as Mr. Bartha, Town Manager; Ms. Axtell, Deputy Town Manager(remote participation); and Ms. Katzenback, Executive Clerk(remote participation). Present for the Affordable Housing Trust: Ms. Tung, Chair; Ms. Prosnitz; Ms. Payne and Mr. Erickson Present for the Housing Partnership Board: Ms. Manz, Chair; Ms. Thompson; Ms. Weiss; Mr. Linton; Ms. Heitz; Mr. Hornig; Ms. Morrison and Ms. Cohen Present for the Lexington Housing Authority: Ms. Foley Present for LexHab: Mr. Burbidge; Ms. Morrison and Mr. Tanner Present for the Regional Housing Services Office: Ms. Rust Also in attendance: Mr. Wortmann, Novel Communications, LLC, Facilitator ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION 1.Facilitated Discussion: Roadmap, Roles, Responsibilities, Resources for Lexington Housing Entities Ms. Hai stated the goal for the afternoon was to foster collaboration among the town's various housing- focused entities to create a cohesive and effective roadmap for advancing affordable housing in Lexington. Mr. Bartha added that the meeting was intended to help clarify the roles, responsibilities, and resources of each group to ensure all parties are working together efficiently. The meeting was then turned over to facilitator Jon Wortman, who led the groups through a series of exercises designed to create clarity and define a path forward. Each group was asked to define its primary role and funding sources. ● Lexington Housing Authority (LHA): The low-income housing provider for the town, funded primarily by federal (HUD) and state subsidies, with some local funds (CPC, HOME). They are required to follow specific guidelines and regulations. ● Lexington Housing Assistance Board (LexHAB): A newly independent nonprofit that serves low- and moderate-income residents. It is funded primarily by rental income and CPC funds, with a goal to increase individual fundraising. It was noted that LexHAB is less tightly regulated than the LHA. They maintain existing properties as well as develop new affordable housing opportunities. ● Housing Partnership Board (HPB): An advisory committee to the Select Board that promotes and supports housing production and preservation. It acts as an advocate for diverse housing options in Lexington and does not request funds. ● Affordable Housing Trust (AHT): Uses trust funds to preserve and develop safe, sustainable, healthy, and high-quality affordable homes . It is funded primarily by the Community Preservation Act (CPA), with less than 1% from developer in-lieu payments. The Trust was formed to respond to opportunities in real time and to provide flexibility for affordable housing real estate transactions throughout the year. ● Regional Housing Services Office (RHSO): A municipal collaboration providing housing inventory monitoring, administrative and technical assistance, and administration of the HOME program services to ten communities, including Lexington. Funded by fees from member communities. ● Town Staff: The "doers and problem solvers," funded by taxpayers. They provide expertise, implement policy, and carry out the work designated by the boards and committees. ● Select Board: The elected policy-setting and budget-setting body for the town. The Board approves comprehensive plans, makes appointments, manages the Town Manager, and advocates at the state and local levels. The groups then identified what they see as the most significant problem statement for affordable housing in Lexington. The primary problems identified were: ● A lack of needed affordable housing units, driven by a lack of community support. ● Insufficient and unsustainable funding. ● Limited organizational capacity among the various groups. ● The general unaffordability of the town. ● The need for a greater diversity of housing options. Each group proposed actions to address their identified problem statement. ● The Housing Partnership Board proposed building community support through educational fairs, panels, and community conversations, with a particular focus on educating Town Meeting members and improving the HPB website. ● LexHAB proposed demonstrating an efficient model of deeply affordable rental housing, promoting positive tenant stories, and collaborating with other groups on common informational materials like infographics to educate the public. ● The Affordable Housing Trust stated its primary goal is to leverage town funds to help the greatest number of people. In the next year, they plan to establish a tenant financial assistance program, enter into an agreement with an MBTA multi-family developer for affordability buy-downs, and continue to actively support the Lowell Street development to a successful conclusion. ● The Select Board identified the core problem as the lack of a defined community goal. Their proposed action is to work with staff and stakeholders to define a clear, measurable goal (e.g., achieving a "true 10%" subsidized housing inventory) with a specific timeframe and interim steps. ● Town Staff identified their role as helping establish clear, board-endorsed priorities with a clear understanding of which entity is responsible for each task. The facilitator led a concluding discussion on how the group should work together towards increasing affordable housing options in Lexington. It was agreed that the full joint group should meet two to four times per year to report on progress, improve collaboration amongst the housing-related boards and organizations and align with the Town Meeting and budget cycles.The next joint meeting was tentatively planned for December 2025 or January 2026. ADJOURN VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted 5-0 to adjourn the meeting at 12:00p.m. A true record; Attest: Kim Katzenback Executive Clerk