HomeMy Public PortalAboutAffordable Housing Trust -- 2018-11-01 Minutes 15 pm
Brewster Housing Trust BREUST: k T01141 CLERK
November 1 , 2018 5 : 30pm Room A, Brewster Town Hall
Present : Ben deRuyter, Paul Ruchinskas, Madalyn Hillis- Dineen , Donna Kalinick
Maggie Spade -Aguilar, Tim Hackert, Sarah Robinson , Jill Scalise
Call to Order : Ms . Kalinick called the meeting to order at 5 : 30pm .
Citizens Forum : None
Call to order : Ms . Kalinick called the meeting to order at S : OOpm .
1 . Citizen ' s Forum : No citizens present
2 . Election of officers : Mr . deRuyter is interested in serving as Chair . Madalyn Hillis- Dineen
nominated Ben deRuyter as Chair, Maggie Spade -Aguilar second . The Trust voted 6-Yes, 0- No .
Ben de Ruyter nominated Sarah Robinson as Vice Chair, Tim Hackert second . The Trust voted 6"
Yes, 0- No . Ben deRuyter nominated Madalyn Hillis- Dineen as Clerk, Paul Ruchinskas second .
The Trust voted 6 -Yes, O- No .
3 . Goal setting process : Jill Scalise provided an outline of the Housing Production Plan goals .
The Trust talked about the value of working towards developing a 5 year plan which would help
our efforts to secure funding through the CPC and would include short term and medium term
goals . Mr . Ruchinskas said it should be programmatic with focus on the Millstone Rd . project .
There would be value at looking at what other trusts are doing, what other types of revenue
could be accessed and to look at buy downs in other communities . What would it take to have a
non - profit buy a house, rehabilitate it and resell it as affordable ; Eastham does it with rental
properties as well . A natural partner might be Community Development Corporation . We
should also review and see if there are any other town owned parcels suitable for development .
Could Ms . Scalise do an analysis of these ideas and programs . Ms . Spade -Aguilar asked if
Community Development Block grants funds could be used for buy down . Can housing
rehabilitation funds be used for home owners only or for rentals as well , by landlords . Mr .
deRuyter suggested we have a list of areas we want to focus on , then fine tune the list and put
it in silos and order . Ms . Robinson said we have already done some rehab programs in
Brewster . Ms . Kalinick explained that the Town started to form a rehabilitation program with
Harwich Ecumenical Council , but legal deemed it was not a proper use of CPC funds . Ms .
Kalinick is very interested in creating a rehabilitation program with non - CPC funds . It is a real
need and just in the short time they had started , they had 22 applications . Ms . Robinson asked
if we could look at other towns that have larger buy downs programs . Mr . deRuyter stated that
everyone in agreement that rehabilitation is on short term list . Both rentals and individual
affordable housing are important . Madalyn Hillis- Dineen asked if community engagement
should be done to get feedback from the public, maybe a couple outreach sessions or a video .
Mr . deRuyter thinks there should be a goal around communication . Ms . Scalise said there are
other towns that have done affordable housing action plans , like Amherst and Westport . These
were long processes; she can gather some information on those for the Trust . It is important to
have Mission and goals and what programs would meet those goals . Mr . Hackert thinks the
action plan should be short . It is also important to identify funding sources for programs such as
buy down and rehab as well as knowing who would administer them . Maggie Spade-Aguilar
suggested we have invite interested parties with constituents , such as the Council on Aging to
talk to the Trust . Mr . Ruchinskas would like to see us focus on what programs will cost and
what is viable . Ms . Robinson mentioned a successful rent to buy program in Chatham . Ms .
Kalinick said it would be good to hold a Community Housing Forum which she and Ms . Scalise
have discussed doing . Mr . deRuyter said we should compile a list of agencies and constituents
and work on a design for the Forum ahead of May town meeting . He suggested that trustees
send any suggestions of housing forum invitees to Ms . Scalise . Mr . Hackert would like to
identify stakeholders and organizations who are working on similar issues . Tim , Ben & Jill will be
a Community forum task group . Ms . Kalinick will take the draft goals and slot programs based
on HPP goals and bring back to the next meeting . Everyone liked the Mission statement from
the Vision plan , but Ms . Scalise will send around some other Trust mission statements to
discuss at the next meeting .
4 . Communication : Mr . deRuyter asked if the Trust wants to put resources in a website or not ?
Ms . Robinson said we should get estimated costs to create and maintain . Ms . Scalise noted that
the website would be a community engagement tool . Ms . Kalinick shared that we do have a
webpage on the Brewster Town website under the committee tab and she will talk to the IT
director . Ms . Spade -Aguilar asked if we really need a whole separate page . Mr . deRuyter
believes we should have a high quality tool to promote trust and programs .
5 . Funding request update : Ms . Scalise and Ms . Kalinick submitted the Trust funding request .
Mr . Ruchinskas said it was supported by the CPC . It will be voted at the December Town
Meeting . Unfortunately the Town cannot contribute funds right now, it may have a better idea
of financial situation and town -wide needs in May .
6 . Future Funding : Ms . Kalinick said the CPC application for funding of the Housing is
Coordinator due 12/ 1 . She will handle putting the application in but would like a letter of
support from the Trust . Mr . Ruchinskas asked if it makes sense to think about increased hours .
The position has been fully supported in the last 2 rounds . Ms , Kalinick said she has not
discussed increased hours with Ms . Scalise and she thinks long term , there should be discussion
about either outsourcing programs or increasing hours . Mr . Hackert motioned that the Trust
issue a letter of support, Sarah Robinson second . The Trust voted &Yes, 0 - No . The CPC annual
public input hearing is 11/ 14 at 4 : 45pm .
7 . Update on Millstone Road Parcel : Ms . Kalinick, Mr . deRuyter, Ms . Scalise and Mr .
Ruchinskas as well as Mark Forest met with Mass Housing Partnership to discuss pre - feasibility
and walk through the property . Mr . deRuyter explained that they would help with initial
engineering around access, layout, some parameters around an RFP, initial unit mix, some look
& feel , soil analysis, reaffirming some of the things we already know . Mr . Ruchinskas said that
there was a robust discussion about community input and holding a forum with experts that
can speak to what is feasible with Title V, state funding to help folks understand what
requirements are for each idea . After we get the official proposal , the trust and Select Board
should meet to talk about oversight of the project .
8 . Brewster Housing update- Ms . Scalise reported that there was a home resale of a unit on
our SHI that had $ 30K buy down fund assistance . The town has put in a request to DHCD to
certify our HPP with the approval of Brewster Woods , Ms . Scalise has been working on the ADU
bylaw which will be at town meeting for vote on 12/3 . She had a lot of assistance requests this
month , 22 . The more word gets out, the more inquiries for direct service she receives .
9 . Any other business not anticipated : None
10 , Adjournment : Tim Hackert moved approval of the minutes from September 6, 2018 &
October 4, 2018, Sarah Robinson second . The vote was 5 -Yes, 0 - No .
11 . Next meeting date $ December 6, 2018 at 5 : 30pm .
Mr . Hackert motioned for adjournment 6 : 44pm , Madalyn Hillis- Dineen second . The vote
was unanimous in favor .
Respectfully Submitted ,
Donna I Kalinick
Assistant Town Administrator
Approved 12 . 06 . 18