HomeMy Public PortalAbout2020-10-18 Emergency Rental AssistanceWatertown Town Council
Committee on Human Services
Councilor Tony Palomba, Chair; Councilor Caroline Bays, Vice Chair; Councilor John Gannon, Secretary
Committee Report
Monday, October 18, 2020 at 7:00pm
The meeting agenda was duly posted, and noted that the meeting would take place remotely via Zoom. The agenda
also noted that Watertown Community Access Television would televise the meeting. In addition, the agenda
provided the public with notice on how to access the meeting online and by telephone, and that comments were
invited via email.
1. Call to Order
Committee Chair Palomba called the meeting to order at 7:02 PM and introduced the committee members present,
Committee Vice Chair Caroline Bays and Committee Secretary John Gannon. Chair Palomba noted that the
purpose of the meeting was to continue the discussion regarding the establishment of an Emergency Rental
Assistance Program and creation of a permanent Rental Assistance Program. Another purpose of this meeting was
to continue the discussion of affordable housing programs.
Other councilors present were Anthoy Donato and Vincent Piccirilli. Other attendees included Assistant Town
Manager Steve Magoon, Senior Housing Planner Larry Field, and CPC Chair Elodia Thomas and CPC member
Mark Kraczkiewicz
2. Continue the Discussion Regarding Affordable Housing with Emphasis on the Town Council's Directive
to the Administration to Create a Rental Assistance Program and to Consider an Emergency Rental
Assistance Program
Senior Housing Planner Larry Field presented an update on the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)
discussed at the last committee meeting. The Watertown Housing Partnership (WHP) launched the ERAP in
September. The program initially committed $175,000 to assist Watertown residents struggling to pay rent because
of economic loss related to COVED -19. The allocation was from Watertown's federal Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG). Eligible households were required to have incomes below 80% of area median income and
were not eligible if they had another form of public rental assistance. Households could receive assistance for up to
3 months, with the amount of money varying by bedroom configuration. There was no need to conduct a lottery for
the eligible applicants, as the number of qualified awardees was less than the fifty eligible awards.
Metrowest Housing vetted the applicants and worked with landlords to provide local program rental assistance
monies to the qualified applicants. 64% of apppicants provided all documentation they needed. Most applicants
wanted the first award to be applied to October rents. 12% of the remaining applicants had not to date provided all
paperwork needed to qualify. Some applicants who were determined to be ineligible for the program withdrew.
There will be remaining program funds left, but it is too early to know how much. There were applicants who
applied after the deadline, so a wait list was created.
(It was noted that an additional source of funding for those in need of rent support was funded by the Watertown
Community Foundation and implemented by Watertown's Social Service Resources Specialist. It served
approximately 40 households.)
Steve Magoon said that discussion is ongoing about re -visiting program administation methods, as well as finding
additional revenue sources. He stated that local HOME funds were not yet being used for the program. The
potential for more assistance needed due to the impacts of Covid is indicated by the unemployment assistance
numbers for Watertown showing that upwards of 332 households are possibly impacted. The Governor's rental
eviction moratorium is scheduled to expire in later October, so there is the potential for a greater impact.
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Chair Palomba thought that Watertown had a good response to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and
asked Senior Housing Planner Larry Field if the Town is going to announce a new program. Larry Field suggested
waiting until we determine what the Governor's future housing assistance relief efforts look like.
CPC member Mark Krackiewicz asked Mr. Field how many people applied to Watertown's ERAP initiative and
about the efforts that were made to inform eligibible applicants about the program. Mr. Field stated thay they
identified potential applicants through other programs and contacting people in their networks. Such sources
identified included churches, social service organizations, targeted press releases, website notifications, and sending
out word through elected officials.
In response to an inquiry of what we learned from this ERAP effort, Steve Magoon noted that the initial lack of a
housing planner presented an obstacle to early outreach. Now, with Mr. Larry Field on staff as the new senior
housing planner, we can soon begin to focus on creating a permanent rental assistance program. However presently
Mr. Field's efforts would focus on working with the WHP to create a housing production plan and implement the
HOME program. Mr. Field stated that the housing production plan most likely would be completed by the end of
the year. The plan would include housing demographics, a discussion of the Town's housing stock and the housing
market, development regulations, including the zoning ordinance, and a discussion of physical trends in
development and existing housing plans. The new year would present a good opportunity to begin working on the
permanent rental assistance program.
Mr. Magoon stated that the Watertown Housing Partnership struggled with adapting a state model for a housing
production plan, which relies on the G.L. c. 40B goal of having a housing inventory of 10% or more affordable
units. Watertown meets the other, rarer, G.L. c. 40B safe harbor of having affordable housing cover over 1.5% of
the developable area of Watertown. Having already met the c. 40B threshold, Watertown is uniquely positioned
relative to other communities, as we do not have to build larger housing complexes to meet afforbability goals.
Accordingly, we can focus on what Watertown wants to accompish for housing goals. Mr. Field stated that the
housing plan would be developed through meetings of the WHP, seeking as much public input as possible.
Councilor Piccirilli stated that the town is not necessarily adopting a housing production program, as we have
reached housing affordability goals; we should be focusing on an affordable housing plan. He thinks the plan
should focus on how Watertown can produce affordable housing for people who live and work in Watertown. Mr.
Magoon agreed that Watertown's having reached the affordable housing threshold puts Watertown in a unique
position and that it is up to us as a community to design that unique program. He will continue to address this
dynamic with the WHP.
Councilor Donato stated that his preference would be for the town to think less of allowing the building of larger
developments and more in favor of considering diverse housing options. He encouraged the WHP to consider, for
example, acquiring such housing as residential two-family properties, so that the town would be adding affordable
housing options in neighborhoods, thereby making them more inclusive.
Next Steps for Committee on Human Services to Consider:
Chair Palomba presented a summary of two years of Committee on Human Services affordable housing discussions
and asked the Committee for input on the creation of afforable housing in Watertown, including how the
Committee should proceed, and a consideration of the resources needed to accompish these initiatives. We could -
consider an amendment to the Watertown Zoning Ordinance to allow the creation of accessory dwelling units to
existing properties, propose the creation of a Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and propose the enactment
of a transfer fee, perhaps at 1.5% assessed to the seller, which would be dedicated to the creation of affordable
housing. He would like to have the Town's Assessor present at a future meeting of the Committee on Human
Services to discuss the impact of the transfer fee to discuss how much money such a proposal might generate for
the creation of affordable housing.
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Councilor Bays stated her position that the key goal to creating affordable housing is money. We should explore
how to acquire funds, such as through the CPA and/or the creation of a Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, that
can be dedicated to the creation of new affordable housing units. She also concurred with adding an amendment to
the Watertown Zoning Ordinances to facilitate more affordable housing.
Councilor Gannon reiterated his support for the Town's adoption of a local option statute, G.L. c. 44, s. 55C to
create a Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund. He noted that with the Town's adoption of the Community
Preservation Act, monies for affordable housing from the CPA could be combined in a Municipal Affordable
Housing Trust Fund with other affordable funds, such as Massachusetts Housing Partnership funds and CDBG
program interest funds, to create one large pool of affordable housing funds. Such a combined pool of would allow
the Town to proceed more quickly when affordable housing opportunities arise and would reduce redundant
administration of separate funds. Mr. Magoon expressed support for the Town's adoption of G.L. c. 44, s. 55C,
saying it would make sense to create a larger pool of funds for affordable housing. Councilor Piccirilli questioned
whether such a Municipal Affordable Housing Trust would be making decisions on local affordable housing
programs. Mr. Magoon responded that a Trust would not be making such decisions.
Motion 1: Adoption of Affordable Housing Trust Fund, G.L. c. 44, s. 55C
Chair Palomba made a motion to ask the Department of Community Development and Planning to prepare the
documents and analyis for the adoption of a Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund, pursuant to G.L. c. 44, s.
55C for presentation to the full Town Council at a future date. All three members voted in the affirmative;
therefore, the vote was 3 in favor, and 0 opposed.
He also suggested that the Committee on Human Services discuss the adoption of an amendment to the Watertown
Zoning Ordinance to allow for the creation of accessory dwelling units at its next meeting. He recommended
holding the next meeting after the adoption of the WHP's housing plan.
Motion 2: Motion to Adjourn
Chair Palomba moved to adjourn the meeting of the Committee on Human Services. All three members voted in the
affirmative; therefore, the vote was 3 in favor, and 0 opposed.
The meeting adjourned at 8:45pm
Respectfully submitted,
John Gannon, Secretary