HomeMy WebLinkAboutHousing Task Force - 01/05/2004Housing Task Force
Minutes of January 5, 2004
A meeting of the Housing Task Force was held in Room 3AB of the Mansfield Tow_ n
Hall.
Members present were: Steven MacCaffrie, Chairman and Selectmen's representative;
Kenneth Torman, Vice Chairman, Planning Board representative; Mary -Lou Cotton,
Housing Authority representative; Donna Harrington, Council on Aging representative;
Eric Butler, Zoning Board of Appeals representative; Louis Andrews, Natural Resources
Trust representative; Judy Martone, Fair Housing Committee representative; and Mike
Sams, Local Housing Partnership representative.
Also present were John O. D'Agostino, Town Manager; Richard Lewis, Conservation
and Environmental Planner and Staff Advisor to Zoning Board of Appeals; Beverly
Estes-Smargiassi of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD);
and consultants Judy Barrett and Wayne Danagh of Community Opportunities Group,
Inc. (COG).
A general discussion with members of the public preceded the call to order at 7:45 p.m.
During this discussion Ms. Estes-Smargiassi reported on the status of the current
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) of $559,000 which is coming to an end.
To qualify for assistance from this program residents must fall within the income and
asset guidelines established by HUD. Mansfield falls within the Boston statistical area
which sets the income guidelines as under $40,000 for a single individual to $62,450 for
a family of four. Assets are not included in the calculation, but any income generated by
those assets are counted. Under the current program nine units have been completed,
with two additional units to be completed in the next week or two, and six units under
construction. All are two-family units. In addition there are two units being prepared for
bidding which are the result of emergency situations and extensions through June of 2004
have been requested on those.
Following the meeting's call to order Ms. Barrett explained the meeting was originally
intended as a public hearing to get public input for the Housing Plan. Due to the holidays
the hearing never got put together, so the meeting was now being held to give her an
opportunity to get to know the committee members and establish a schedule of meeting
and public hearing dates. The goal of the initial hearing should be to identify the needs of
the Town, how to meet the goals and objectives through the development of the housing
plan, and to maintain the effort to hold growth at .75% annually. The second part of the
Housing Plan should address how to continue over the next four to ten years to maintain
the goal of 10 percent affordable housing. It was noted that "affordable" housing is now
defined for this area as $373,000 for a single family dwelling unit.
Based upon the goal of completing Mansfield's Housing Plan within eight weeks of the
first meeting, the following schedule was tentatively established. This will be confirmed
by Ms. Barrett after checking the available of meeting rooms:
January 22, 2004 — 7:30 p.m. Public Hearing
January 29, 2004 — 6:00 p.m. Housing Task Force Committee Meeting
February 12, 2004 — 6:00 p.m. Housing Task Force Committee Meeting
February 19, 2004 — 7:30 p.m. Public Hearing
Ms. Estes-Smargiassi also reported that a Housing Production Plan is being prepared in
accordance with Executive Order 418 in order to receive eligibility certification for the
next round of grant awards.
The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitt�ejd,
L.
Mary -Lou Cotton