5/4/2010 AFFORDABLE HOUSING Minutes

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Housing Authority, Mashpee woods, Main Street Village, wapanoag village and Habitat homes totaling 210 additional units. Mr. Newton stated that the Mashpee median household income iri 2000 was$50,8'71 and the median rent at the time was $819. used on data from 2000 3P 35%(1,828 residents) are at or below the 0% median income level and consist of young households, growing families with children and the elderly. The Planning Department has projected, a 2020 population projection of 16,1351, requiring 727 housing units. Mashpee presently has 266 units and would need another 364. If the approved or proposed 210 units are developed, l lashpee's affordable housing rate would increase to 7.5% but still be short 154 units from meeting the 10%goal. Mr.Newton also stated that the Cape Cod Commission has been discussing the importance of affordable rental unit availability as part of its regional plan. Regarding proposed actions, Mr. Newton suggested a number of possibilities to achieve Mas affordable housing goals. Mr. Newton first suggested educating residents about the importance of affordable housing availability and to better describe existing projects. Town owned lands have been donated to organizations to build affordable housing but the practice must continue. Eligible affordable housing must be reported to DHCD and a mechanism has been needed to ensure that the Planning Department and the Affordable Housing Committee are notified when an occupancy permit is issued by the Building Department. NIr.Newton recommen ed that 30°/o of the annual available Community Preservation monies be utilized to produce affordable housing. According to state law, 10% of the funds must be allotted to affordable housing, open space and recreation, with the remaining % allocated to any of the three categories. Unspent funds have been placed in a town account. The Affordable Mousing Committee and the Community Preservation Act Committee, chaired by Selectman Wayne Taylor, could work cooperatively to discuss a change in policy. Ms. Egloff questioned whether affordable housing would be more likely to generate property tax and expressed interest in learning the amount of CPA funds used toward increasing affordable housing. Mr. Fud la added that when the Cape Cod Commission reviewed a project as development of regional impact .lacking 10% affordable housing, a fee is collected and placed in escrow to fund future affordable housing. It was believed that $250,,000 was currently available in the escrow account. Mr. Newton stated that he would serve as the contact for the Affordable Mousing Committee. Mr. Newton referenced the need to increase affordable housing with a projected target of 32 additional units per year through 2020. Mr. Newton suggested offering incentives such as donated land, fee waivers, wastewater assistance and eased parking requirements to developers to promote the increase of more affordable housing units. lr. Neon also recommended mandating a I /o affordable housing rate within the Town's by-lavers and offering a bonus to developers who create affordable units beyond the 10% requirement. Finally, Mr. Newton recom ended investigating a regional collaborative effort with other Cape towns such as Falmouth, Sandwich, Bourne and Mashpee. In response to Mr. Newton's suggestion to create a mandatory by-law, Mr. Fudala reported that there was a cluster zoning by-later`for subdivisions in excess of 5 acres requiring that I of every 10 wits must be affordable and an 11" lot is then provided to the developer. Update on wampanoag Affordable Housing Plans: Alice Lopez,Director of the Housing Department for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and Jay Briggs, Project Manager FIs. Lopez presented an overview of the wampanoag affordable housing plan which has been considered since 2003 to provide affordable housing for tribal members. Four months after receiving federal recognition in 2007, the Warnpanoag'Tribe submitted a housing plan and has been allotted approximately $600,000 each year to support the project. A planner was hired in 2008 to survey 3 y