12/02/2025 AFFORDABLE HOUSING Minutes (2)

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There are income guidelines on the voucher program, and the state just updated that system, like federal Section 8 housing. A voucher holder can go anywhere in the United States with a federal voucher, a state voucher is specifically to that state. Now, ALL voucher programs are on a statewide list, known as the CHAMP system, a common housing application. The state outsourced a company to verify priorities and preferences, for example, if someone was homeless, they would have more of a priority. The Housing Authority will take over from there to ensure quality and type. The state has a set of guidelines citing eligibility criteria. Children under 8 share a bedroom, and changes in the household can dictate number of bedrooms. Homeyer Village and Breezy Acres, the public housing units, have a voucher program and the CHAMP list, so someone can apply to both at the same time and sit on both waitlists. Ashers Path has a separate in-house maintained tax credit program that comes from a separate funding source with its own regulations differing from the state. It is owned by the Mashpee Housing Authority, there were tax credit guidelines for the first 15 years, and then continue to follow affordability restrictions for 15 years. Great Cove is owned by Housing Assistance Corporation, on Mashpee Housing Authority land. HAC got the proposal to build Great Cove, it is managed and operated by them, with multi audits a year. It required a lot of funding and is comprised of 5 buildings with two- and three-bedroom units throughout. There are 10 town house style units. The Housing Authority in Mashpee also operates between Mattapoisett and Brewster, with 62 units and 69 units respectively. Brewster has a small voucher program with 13 vouchers. The Board and staff make up the Housing Authority. The Board writes policies and staff implement those, as written by the Board. State regulations are incorporated into the policies. The Board hires the Executive Director. There are two full-time and one part-time positions, between administration and a Residence Service Coordinator. A grant was awarded in 2023 for more support. The Property Manager is split between Ashers Path and the Great Cove Community in Mashpee only. When an applicant applies for housing, they can pick any housing authority. Regulations over the last year have limited to selecting the top 5 towns. There are currently 7,000 people on that waitlist that have selected Mashpee as a place to live. Over the next year those numbers will be more defined. A local Native preference is not recognized on the state list, but when a developer builds a property, that could be conditioned through the tenant selection plan. The Tribe has property in Mashpee on Meeting House Road. Tribal members are eligible to apply like anyone else. Ms. Conn is in the process of looking for land now, especially land that can be transferred to the Housing Authority. Ideally, they want donated land or procure it with a nominal fee. They would work with an investment firm to do the development. The waitlist at Ashers Path is around 100, same as Great Cove. These properties are smaller with fewer turnover. 4