2021-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commercial Street. Joint meetings of the two groups Report of the were held in May and June at which the Town Planner Affordable Housing presented the initial development steps that had to be Committee taken to make the project a reality, including transfer of the land from the town's ownership to the Trust, completing a feasibility study and designating a To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and the developer to build it all of which it is hoped will occur Citizens of the Town of Mashpee: by the end of next year. The business before the Affordable Housing At the Joint Meeting of the Committee and EDIC Committee ("Committee") in 2021 included a wide in May, MassHousing (one of the state financing array of matters related to the growing housing needs agencies for affordable housing) presented a program of Mashpee residents and the prospects for meeting this it has for workforce housing that has been used on the demand. The Committee meetings included Cape in Bourne and Eastham. Subsequent to the joint presentations by the Assistant Town Manager, Town meetings the Trust agreed to take steps to acquire the Planner, Mashpee Commons, MassHousing, and land and conduct a feasibility study with the funds developers of ongoing projects providing both rental EDIC agreed to provide for this purpose. Town housing and homeownership opportunities. Meeting approved the transfer of land in October. Following this, an RFP for the feasibility study was The most advanced new affordable housing issued and two proposals were received and are now project is at 950 Falmouth Road where 39 rental under review. As the year closed steps are being apartments for families of low income is in the process considered to complete the land transfer and select a of development. The Town of Mashpee designated consultant to perform the feasibility study. developer for the project is a joint partnership consisting of the Preservation of Affordable Housing Habitat for Humanity on Cape Cod also had a and the Housing Assistance Corporation ("POAH- good year in Mashpee. The nonprofit completed the HAC"). In February 2021 POAH-HAC received last two of a three-unit homeownership project at approval of its application for a Chapter 40B Mendes Way in September. That month the Comprehensive Permit and submitted applications for prospective owners moved into the home they will soon funding to the state Department of Housing and own once they get a bank loan approved and purchase Community Development (DHCD), the Barnstable the home from Habitat. The Committee is looking for County HOME Consortium(the"Consortium")and the other sites that may become homeownership Mashpee Affordable Housing Trust(the"Trust"). possibilities for Habitat to undertake. In June the Trust approved the POAH-HAC In November the Committee met jointly with the application for$300,000. Decisions on applications to Planning Board to discuss the need for affordable DHCD and the Consortium were delayed by increasing housing in Mashpee and discuss changes to the zoning construction costs common to virtually all affordable ordinance that might be considered to incentivize housing projects on the Cape and across the state. As developers to build it. The Committee Chairperson of the end of this year,no decisions have been made by made a presentation based on the 2010 census that DHCD for its Fall funding round,or by the Consortium showed there are 968 families in Mashpee with for HOME funding. However, in both cases there is incomes below 80% of Area Median Income living in optimism that the necessary funding will be approved situations in which their housing cost exceeds 30% of early next year allowing construction to begin before their income,which the US Department of Housing and the end of the year. Urban Development(HUD)defines as families that are "Cost Burdened" and in need of affordable housing In April the Committee and the Economic options. The census data also indicated that 47% of Development and Industrial Corporation ("EDIC"), Mashpee families of any income are cost burdened, a chaired by Selectman Carol Sherman, agreed to meet total of 2,485 families. The joint meeting seemed to jointly in pursuit of a new mixed income affordable heighten concern for making some changes to the housing project, including both affordable and zoning bylaw that would result in an increase in workforce housing rental apartments at 108 affordable housing production. 85