Joint Meeting of the
Planning Board and Wellfleet Housing Authority
April 20, 2011
Library Conference Room
Planning Board Present: Gooz Draz, Gerry Parent, Olga Kahn, Janet Reinhart, Barbara E. Gray, Rex Peterson (Assistant Town Administrator)
Wellfleet Housing Authority Present: Harry Peabody, Elaine McIlroy, Elaine LaChapelle, Judy Taylor, Mary Fontanarosa
Ms. McIlroy called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. She said that the Housing Authority requested the meeting to discuss concerns raised by the Planning Board at their April 6, 2011 meeting about the ability of property owners to select applicants for affordable rental and ownership units. Mr. Parent said that from his perspective, reaching the 10% affordable housing stock goal recommended by the State is not as important as providing housing for local people; Town employees, family and friends.
Ms. McIlroy said that she spoke to the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) regarding applicant selection and local preference. DHCD said that with rental units, a pool of applicants can be presented, and the property owner can have the final choice of the tenant. These units would still count toward the 10% goal. In the case of ownership, the process must be a “fair and open” process including a marketing plan and lottery. The property owner must accept the individual or family selected through the lottery process. It might be possible to develop a long-term housing plan with DHCD that would call for every third unit to be openly marketed, with the other units given local preference.
Mr. Draz said that it was very late in the process to amend the by-law. He recommended moving ahead with the by-law as presented, and giving a full explanation of the difference between rental and ownership units as far as tenant selection and local preference. Ms. Kahn asked if the Housing Authority would be willing to amend the by-law to eliminate the requirement for units to count toward the Town’s Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI). Ms. McIlroy said that the Housing Authority believes it is important to work toward the 10% SHI goal and that they would not be willing to accept such an amendment. Both groups agreed to move forward with the by-law as presented in the warrant. Ms. McIlroy will move and present the article.
Respectfully submitted
Rex Peterson
Assistant Town Administrator
Planning Board approved these minutes at the meeting held 5/18/11.
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