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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-04-30-AHTBT-min.pdf Page 1 of 2 Affordable Housing Trust Meeting Minutes of April 30, 2026, 10:00 am Hybrid meeting on Zoom and attended in-person in the Select Board Meeting Room, Town Office Building Affordable Housing Trust Board Members present: Elaine Tung, Chair; William Erickson, Mark Sandeen, Tiffany Payne, Linda Prosnitz 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 10:03 am. 1. Approve Meeting Minutes Ms. Tung requested a motion to approve the Affordable Housing Trust meeting minutes of 1/22/26 and 3/11/26 Executive sessions, and 3/19/26 Open and Executive sessions. Ms. Prosnitz moved. Mr. Erickson seconded. The Trustees voted in favor of the motion 5-0-0, by a roll call vote (Erickson – yes, Sandeen – yes, Payne – yes, Prosnitz – yes, Tung – yes). Meeting minutes approved. 2. Chair, Select Board, Board/Committee Liaison and RHSO/staff report Mr. Erickson reported that EOHLC will be touring the LexHAB ADU sites on May 1, 2026. Ms. Prosnitz reported that the Housing Partnership Board’s presentation of the Board’s strategies to the Select Board is scheduled for May 11, 2026. Ms. Tung stated that Lexington was designated as a Housing Choice Community which will enable the Town to access additional state grants and also add points for State grant applications. Ms. Tung thanked the Town Staff for their efforts and for their application to get this designation. Executive Session Ms. Tung moved for the Affordable Housing Trust to go into Executive session under Exemption 6 to consider the purchase or lease of real property regarding MBTA Multi-Family Development Buy-downs. The Affordable Housing Trust Chair stated that, in her opinion, an open session would have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the Town and Affordable Housing Trust. Ms. Tung stated that the Trust will reconvene in the open session after the Executive session. Mr. Sandeen seconded. The Trustees voted in favor of the motion 5-0-0, by a roll call vote (Payne – yes, Erickson – yes, Sandeen – yes, Prosnitz – yes, Tung – yes). The Trust exited the open session at 10:11 am. The Trust reconvened in open session at 11:38 am. 3. Pilot Rental Assistance Program Ms. Prosnitz stated that the Pilot Rental Assistance Program contract has been signed by the Town and Metro West Collaborative Development. The Trustees reviewed the tentative schedule from Metro West for the pilot rental assistance program launch. The Trustees delegated Ms. Prosnitz and Ms. Payne to review the draft program materials such as applications, flyers, and program guidelines and to provide comments to Metro Page 2 of 2 West so that the materials can be finalized. The next step is for Metro West to test the online application in preparation to roll out the program. Ms. Prosnitz stated that the program is planned to launch with a month-long marketing period starting May 26, 2026. The Trustees discussed the marketing strategies for the program and marketing the program prior to May 26, 2026. The Trust will provide a list of suggested marketing avenues to Metro West for marketing the program. The Trustees discussed amending the contract with Metro West to extend the project timeline beyond December 31, 2026. 4. Potential AHT Housing Choice Community Grant Application Ms. Tung reported that Sandra Hackman and John Zhao from the Council on Aging had reached out to her to see if the Trust can help with improvements for seniors to stay in their homes. Ms. Tung mentioned that the Littleton Affordable Housing Trust had received a Housing Choice Community grant from EOHLC to assist with necessary home renovations. Ms. Tung passed along the program details to the Council on Aging recommended that the Council on Aging consider applying for a Community One Stop for Growth Grant due in June 2026. She also recommended that the Council on Aging reach out to the Commission on Disa bility as well as Town staff including Human Services, Carol Kowalski and the Building Department to see if a program modeled after Littleton’s would be feasible. The Trustees expressed a willingness to support and collaborate with the Council on Aging if they were to apply for the grant. 5. LexHAB 2/2026 ADU and renovation funding application Ms. Tung explained that the LexHAB Accessory Dwelling Unit and renovation funding is more complex than the prior LexHAB grants due to the construction loan aspect requiring phased disbursements and a formal closing process. The Trustees discussed the use of MassDocs which EOHLC uses to close its loans. The Trustees debated the benefits and potential concerns of using MassDocs including cost savings and potential municipal interests. The Trustees expressed interest in proceeding with MassDocs while ensuring the Town’s affordability restrictions are required similar to what is contemplated with Lexington Woods. They discussed the process for invoicing and disbursement of funds to LexHAB. Ms. Kowalski will consult with Ms. Rust about the use of MassDocs in other communities and any concerns or standard practices with its use. Adjourn: Ms. Sandeen moved to adjourn the Affordable Housing Trust Meeting. Ms. Prosnitz seconded. The Trustees voted in favor unanimously by a roll call vote 4-0 (Sandeen – yes, Payne – yes, Prosnitz – yes, Tung - yes.). The meeting adjourned at 12:22 pm List of documents reviewed 1. Rental Assistance Program - MWCD Tentative schedule for program launch