2022-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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Report of the As 2022 began the Committee and EDIC were engaged Affordable Housing with the Town Planner following his efforts to work Committee with the Town Manager to award the feasibility study to one of several consultants that submitted proposals in response to the RFQ. However, the project soon To the Honorable Select Board and the became substantially delayed by a need to clarify Citizens of the Town of Mashpee the boundaries of the proposed site. Town Counsel This year the Affordable Housing Committee(the informed the Town Manager that an ambiguity in the "Committee") undertook a number of new affordable property boundaries could only be settled by a decision housing initiatives, and experienced a number of of the Land Court,a process he estimated would take a ups and downs as it advocated for an expanded year for the Court to resolve. affordable housing program. The Committee was in response to this delay,the Town Manager informed engaged in a number of significant projects related the Committee that while the proposed project at 108 to increasing affordable rental housing production, Commercial St was before the Land Court, he would including the development of 108 Commercial Street, instead support efforts to develop a smaller project at 209 Old Barnstable Rd, 950 Falmouth Rd (now 209 Old Barnstable Rd, the ownership of which had "LeClair Village"), and the Habitat Project to develop homeownership at Mendes Way. been transferred to the Trust several years ago. Toward the latter part of this year,the Town Planner had taken The Committee was also involved in broadening steps,as directed by the Trust,to connect with residents cooperative relationships among the various local of the neighborhood where 209 Old Barnstable Rd is agencies and groups that are needed for the support located to solicit their cooperation and support for the of a successful housing policy. This effort included project. support for the Mashpee Housing Authority CPA H. 950 Falmouth Road(aka LeClair Village) applications, and Committee initiatives to meet with Meanwhile, the Affordable Housing Project at 950 the Tribal Housing Commission to identify issues of mutual concern where Committee and the Tribe,or the Falmouth Rd was proceeding expeditiously. By late MHA,might be helpful to each other. spring the project had received full funding and was ready to begin efforts for a construction start by the The Committee experienced a significant turnover end of the year. However,this effort was soon delayed of its members in 2021-22. For a few months in the by the sudden mid-year increase in the inflation rate, summer and fall the Committee was pre-occupied with which caused a sudden multi-million dollar shortage efforts to identify new members who would broaden of funding to appear as contractors revised their its representation and strengthen its ability for new estimates of construction cost. Substantial efforts strategic insights needed to pursue a more effective by POAH-HAC, project developer, to overcome the housing policy. Finally, as the year closed,the Town funding shortage paid off, however, and by year-end Planner and the Committee were slowly beginning the developer had closed the funding gap and was efforts to update the Mashpee Housing Production preparing for a construction start in the beginning of Plan("HPP"). 2023. 1. 108 Commercial Street and 209 Old Barnstable Rd. III. Habitat for Humanity's Project at Mendes Way In May 2021 the Mashpee Economic and Industrial By the beginning of 2022 the prospective owners of Corporation ("EDIC") and the Affordable Housing the two units at of Mendes Way had moved in and were in the process securing the mortgage they needed Committee decided to work together to develop 108 Commercial St as a mixed income affordable to finally buy their homes. Once Mendes Way was housing rental project. First steps were taken by the completed, and both families secured their mortgages Affordable Housing Trust(the "Trust") to acquire title and finally own their homes,the Committee undertook to the land. The land transfer was approved at Town efforts to identify new sites in town that Habitat would Meeting followed by a Trust vote to issue a Request for be interested in acquiring for their next Mashpee Qualifications ("RFQ") for the purpose of retaining a homeownership projects this effort is ongoing and consultant to perform a feasibility study there. continuing into 2023. 95