MV Housing Briefs are regular email publications generated by the Island’s Regional Housing Authority to share information and resources.  Please email vho@vineyard.net if you want to receive these Briefs emailed or share information

Draft Update - 40B Subsidized Housing Inventory

The Department of Housing and Community (DHCD) is in the process of updating the Chapter 40B Subsidized Housing Inventory. Each of the towns, working with the Regional Housing Authority and the MVC, recently submitted updated inventory information to DHCD. Towns need to review the inventory and provide corrections to DHCD.

The inventory shows the number of units each town needs to reach its 10% goal, and the number of units required annually in order to control 40B Comprehensive Permits under the DHCD Planned Production Program.

Towns can also apply for units created through their Resident Homesite Program or under their affordable housing zoning provisions to be counted towards the 40B Inventory through DHCD’s Local Initiative Program (LIP) as long as the following criteria are met:

Units must serve Low and Moderate Income households (80% or less of the area median income),

Units are not developed with a comprehensive permit,

Units are subject to use restrictions which result from town action or approval (i.e. land or permit),

Use restriction is as long as practicable; but must be a minimum of 15-years for rehabilitation and 30-years for new construction,

Units are subject to equal housing opportunity guidelines.

For more information on DHCD’s 40B Subsidized Inventory, Planned Production Program, or the Local Initiative Program, contact the Regional Housing Authority at (508) 693-4419 or dcrha@vineyard.net

Island Housing Trust

Island housing advocates have long been concerned about how best to keep the housing created for Island residents affordable and available to future generations. Deed riders are effective but the restrictions often vary from town to town, can be difficult to administer, and don’t necessarily provide a long-term community benefit. The Island Affordable Housing Fund researched the community land trust model and found it to be a solution that could work well on Martha’s Vineyard.

The Island Housing Trust (IHT) is a non-profit organization recently created to provide access to land and housing for Islanders who are otherwise priced out of the housing market. The land beneath the homes – owned by the IHT -- is leased to the homeowners for a nominal fee through a long-term (99-year) renewable lease. The land lease requires that homeowners live in their homes as their primary residences. Residents and their descendants can use the land for as long as they wish to live there.

When homeowners decide to move, they can sell their homes. The IHT's resale formula allows homeowners to receive a fair return on their investment, while keeping the price affordable for other income eligible people. When homes are resold, the IHT can ensure that the new owners will also be residents – not absentee owners

Island Housing Trust presentations are currently scheduled over the next month for each of the Island towns. For more information on the Island Housing Trust contact the Regional Housing Authority at (508) 693-4419 or dcrha@vineyard.net or the Island Affordable Housing Fund at (508) 696-0943 or iahf@vineyard.net.

Vineyard Housing Office Website Update

The Vineyard Housing Office’s website at: www.vineyardhousing.org has been updated to include information and links under the “Planning” and “Resources” sections on Town Housing Strategies, Housing Legislation, Affordable Housing Toolbox, and Town Zoning Analysis for Affordable Housing. The quarterly Housing Briefs are also posted under the “News” section. Non-profit housing organizations and town housing committees are urged to contact the Regional Housing Authority if interested in having other housing related information posted on the website at (508) 693-4419 or dcrha@vineyard.net

STATE

40B Conference

A conference on Chapter 40B has been scheduled for Friday, June 18th at the Taunton Holiday Inn from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm and is being sponsored by the Citizen’s Housing and Planning Association, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development and the Massachusetts Housing Partnership. The conference will provide strategies and information for responding to and reviewing Chapter 40B proposals. For more information on the conference go to this website: http://www.chapa.org/40BConfJune18.pdf

More Communities Adopt Community Preservation Act

Conway, Groveland, Nahant, and Provincetown have all voted to adopt the Community Preservation Act. Out of the five towns that had the CPA on the ballot this spring, only Holden defeated it. That brings to 65 the number of communities that have adopted the CPA. As of now, nine more communities have agreed to place CPA on the ballot for consideration next Fall.

Senate Adopts Smart Growth Budget Amendments

The Senate adopted a variety of corrections and changes to the Municipal Incentives for Smart Growth Zoning sections of the budget. The amendments would allow:

Cities and towns with fewer than 10,000 persons that want to approve a Smart Growth Zoning District with housing densities lower than those required by the statute may do so provided they show hardship

Upon the issuance of a building permit, a density bonus of $3,000 would be paid for each housing unit of new construction in an approved Smart Growth Zoning District

Establishes a flat zoning incentive payment based on the number of units of new construction (including substantial rehabilitation) that could be developed in the district based upon zoning and requires that payment to be made within 10 days of confirmation of approval by DHCD

Clarifies that a city or town that has an existing zoning district that meets the Smart Growth Zoning District requirements may have that district approved and then become entitled to density bonus payments, priority for capital expenditures, and reimbursement for education costs, from the date of approval

The Municipal Incentives for Smart Growth Zoning sections are not included in the budget that was approved by the House. They will, therefore, be subject to conference.

House Passes Chapter 40B Legislation

On May 10, 2004, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a bill (H.4240) to reform Chapter 40B, the state’s Comprehensive Permit statute. A new bill, H.4715, which includes several amendments to H. 4240 that would significantly weaken Chapter 40B has been introduced and is expected to be voted on by the Senate before the end of formal sessions on July 31st.

Under the new House bill, at least 17 communities would reach the 10% threshold without creating any new housing. The House bill counts 50% of all mobile homes toward a community’s threshold (without any restrictions) and certain market rate assisted living units. The bill also gives responsibility for reviewing 40B applications to the local Planning Boards rather than the Zoning Board of Appeals, which will cause significant confusion at the local level. Several other amendments are problematic.

The original, compromise bill (H.4240) addressed many of the legitimate local concerns while keeping the Chapter 40B law intact. Some of the key changes included:

· Affordable homeownership units can be double counted, retroactively and going forward;

· Affordable housing produced using the Community Preservation Act can be counted, and deed restricted accessory apartments occupied by an income eligible person can be counted; If communities adopt a local housing plan and meet certain affordable housing production levels on an annual basis, they can deny 40B applications without facing an appeal at the Housing Appeals Committee;

· The bill strengthens the state agency process for determining whether a project is eligible and requires earlier and broader notification to the community. The bill also includes provisions to ensure that 40B developments are consistent with smart growth principles; and

· A cap is placed on the number of comprehensive permit applications that must be approved during a 12-month period, and the maximum size of a proposed development will be limited based on the size of the community.

Section 8 Rental Assistance Voucher Terminations Averted

On April 27th, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced that no termination letters will be sent to Section 8 voucher tenants. The Department had considered program terminations as a result of an unanticipated reduction in HUD funding in their current fiscal year budget, which ends June 30.

Congressmen Barney Frank, Bill Delahunt, and Michael Capuano joined 2,000 others at DHCD’s public hearing on April 16 regarding their plan to terminate assistance due to the shortfall in funding. Governor Romney wrote the HUD Secretary a strongly worded letter requesting that HUD adequately fund all of the vouchers currently in use. Senator Kennedy’s office has also been working closely with CHAPA and the Massachusetts Nonprofit Housing Association to resolve the situation. As of this date, DHCD believes that there remain other options with HUD to fill the funding shortfall and Governor Romney and DHCD are continuing their discussions with HUD.

2004 Area Median Income and Fair Market Rents Published

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has published the 2004 area median income limits and fair market rents for Dukes County. The Area Median Income in Dukes County for 2004 is $66,100 for a family of four. Click here for the 2004 Dukes County area median income figures by family size and percent of median income.

HUD has defined the Fair Market Rent (including utilities) for Dukes County in 2004 to be:

Studio: $710, 1-bedroom: $723, 2-bedroom: $961, 3-bedroom: $1,203, 4-bedroom: 1,350

For more information on rental limits by percent of median income, the contact the Regional Housing Authority, (508) 693-4419 or dcrha@vineyard.net

EO 418 Housing Certification Housing Strategies

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission and the Regional Housing Authority are developing Affordable Housing Strategies with each of the Island towns. The housing strategy ensures that towns continue their eligibility for state funding under EO 418 Housing Certification and provides a road map for affordable housing for each town. Once the town’s housing strategies have been completed by the end of April, the MVC and RHA will continue to work with towns to develop Affordable Housing Plans that will set annual goals which towns must achieve in order to deny or condition hostile 40B developments.

For further information please contact the Regional Housing Authority, (508) 693-4419 or dcrha@vineyard.net or the Martha’s Vineyard Commission at (508) 693-3453.

Habitat for Humanity Announces Plans to Start Family Selection

Habitat for Humanity of Martha’s Vineyard will begin the selection process for a family to own Habitat’s fourth house to be built this summer. The application period will officially begin on April 1st and continue until May 1st. Applications can be obtained at local banks, post offices, and libraries and at the Habitat office on State Road in Vineyard Haven or by calling 508-696-4646.

The applications are open to all Island residents, and potential recipients are urged to call the office to have any questions they may have answered. Applicant household must have a minimum gross income of $1,650 per month (or $19,800 per year) and a maximum gross income of no more than $42,965 per year. Applicants must be year-round residents of Martha’s Vineyard for not less than two years. Habitat will hold a public information meeting at the High School, in a classroom near the entrance, to answer in detail any questions from the community on Saturday, April 3 at 9:00 a.m.

Habitat raises all of it funds from public contributions and does not except any government assistance. The recipient of the house will be expected to contribute 350 hours of sweat equity in the construction of the house, which will be sold to the family for $75,000. Habitat will hold an interest free mortgage for the deserving family and expects the payments to run around $750.00 per month with mortgage repayment, taxes and insurance.

Rental Conversion Program creates housing for 53 Island families

The Regional Housing Authority has achieved its 2004 goal of providing year-round affordable housing to more than 50 Island families and individuals through its Rental Conversion Program. The program has been funded by the generous donations of the Island Affordable Housing Fund’s annual Houses On the Moves fundraiser and the Chilmark Community Preservation Committee.

STATE

CHAPA and MHP Release New Housing Study

The state’s inability to keep pace with housing demand is forcing more than 600,000 households to spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, and 250,000 of those are spending more than 50 percent, a burden felt most by lower-income families and young adults, according to a new University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute study.

Entitled “Winners and Losers in the Massachusetts Housing Market,” the study—sponsored by CHAPA and the Massachusetts Housing Partnership--uses the 2000 census and other data to quantify the state’s housing shortfall and its impact on the population and land use. The study concludes that the state’s failure to meet housing demands has created a three-class system of “haves,” “have nots,” and “hidden homeless,” a growing third class of people who live with relatives or friends because they can’t find affordable housing.

The “haves” are those who bought their homes previous to the dramatic rise in housing prices over the past four years, and who have benefited from both rising prices and lower interest rates, the study says. The “have nots” are lower-income people and people new to the market who must use more of their income to buy a home, or must pay increasingly high rents for a dwindling supply of rental apartments or seek cheaper housing farther away from job centers.

The third class – the hidden homeless – appears to be the most obvious example of the state’s failure to keep up with housing demand as the 2000 census found that this category – referred to as sub-families – has jumped dramatically. The report found that the number of children in subfamilies has grown by 488 percent since 1980, from 26,000 to 52,000.

“There is a widening gap between what people earn and what it costs to rent or buy a home in Massachusetts,” said Clark Ziegler, executive director of MHP. “We need to eliminate the barriers that make affordable housing so difficult to build. Otherwise, people will move farther away and commute longer to their jobs, or leave the state entirely in search of housing they can afford.”

The study also found that of this total, over 91,000 homeowners and 160,000 renters paid more than 50 percent of their income on housing in 2000. Generally, a household that pays more than 30 percent of its income in housing costs is considered to be paying a burdensome amount.

The increasing cost of homeownership was responsible for the rise in households spending a burdensome amount. The study found that between 1990 and 2000, the amount of owner-occupied households paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing grew by 30,000 to 269,000, or 22 percent of all homeowners in Massachusetts. The study found that nearly one-third of the people paying more than 30 percent had bought their homes in 1999 and 2000.

In terms of income, census data revealed that in metropolitan Boston, more than 41 percent of all homeowner households making below the median household income of $50,515 per year pay over 30 percent for housing. Statewide, 37 percent of those making median income pay more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

The study also found:

• Between 1980 and 2003, the nation’s largest overall percentage increase in housing prices took place in Massachusetts.
  
  
• The failure to build enough new housing largely explains why prices increased. Between 1990 and 2000, the number of new households in Massachusetts grew by 8.7 percent, whereas the number of new housing units increased by 6 percent. To keep pace, the state would have needed to produce 70,000 more housing units than it did.
  
  
• From 1990 to 2000, there was a significant loss of two-family, five-to-nine family and 10-to-19 family structures. During the 1990s, 37,563 new multifamily units were created but 20,236 existing units were lost.
  
  
• Between 1990 and 2000, the number of vacant units in Massachusetts declined by nearly 48,000, mostly in multi-family housing. The supply of vacant single-family homes dropped by 6 percent whereas the number of vacant units in multi-family buildings dropped by 43 percent.
  
  
• From 1990 to 2000, 157,000 single-family homes were built while only 17,327 new multi-family units were added.
  
  
• More land is being used to build fewer houses. From 1971 to 1985, two new single-family homes were built per acre used. From 1985 to 2000, single-family housing was built at a density of 1.3 units per acre. This spread of low-density development of single-family housing away from urban job centers contributed to higher amounts of land consumption, and increased the distance that people traveled to work.
  
  

The study concludes that the state’s failure to keep up with housing demand, especially in multi-family and high density housing, has driven costs of existing housing to unmanageable levels. The study urges the construction of more multi-family and more densely built single-family units, thus relieving the pressure on lower-income people and people new to the housing market.

The study is available on CHAPA’s web site at www.chapa.org

November 2003

ISLAND

MV Subsidized Housing Inventory

The Dukes County Regional Housing Authority has recently completed an inventory of all subsidized housing on Martha’s Vineyard.   The inventory will be regularly updated and used to help monitor and evaluate all subsidized housing on the Vineyard.

The Regional Housing Authority has inventoried 427 housing units created over the past twenty years that involved public or private subsidies (i.e. land and/ or money), including: 171 elder/ handicapped rental apartments, 11 special needs rental apartments, 87 family rental apartments, 129 ownership homes, and 29 homeowner rehabilitations. 

An analysis of the inventory and report outlining recommendations on the towns 40B Affordable Housing Inventory, local Affordable Housing Plans (see Nantucket Affordable Housing Plan notice below), and restrictive covenants has been drafted and is being shared with all towns and housing organizations.

Island towns will also be able to use the inventory to complete their annual Housing Certifications and update their 40B Affordable Housing Inventories. 

For further information please contact the Regional Housing Authority, (508) 693-4419 or dcrha@vineyard.net.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity of Martha's Vineyard is building two houses on Bennett Way in Edgartown and has been building quickly to close in these houses from the weather.  We are close to finishing the framing and roofing so that construction can continue as the weather turns cold.

If you are a skilled worked or novice and have time to give to your Island neighbors, Habitat needs your help.  Please call the Habitat office at 508-696-4646.

Good House Associates

In September 2003, Good House Associates completed an affordable home on Pin Oak Circle in West Tisbury.  The project was financed by private and bank loans, and a deed covenant insures that the house will remain affordable in perpetuity.  Tucker Hubbell, who also built the Housing Authority rental duplex on Halcyon Way, did a first-rate job of high-quality construction while keeping costs down.  Fifteen applicants expressed interest in buying the home, and the buyers – Sarah Rubick, Jody Mendez, and their child Ryan – were chosen by lottery from among eligible candidates.  Good House Associates looks forward to its next project, and welcomes information concerning available and affordable parcels of land.  Contact Tony Nevin at 508-693-1071, email tonyn@vineyard.net, with comments and questions.

Housing Strategies for Tourism Communities

William S. Hettinger from the University of Southern Mississippi, who conducted research on Martha’s Vineyard during the summer of 2002, has recently published his dissertation on housing strategies for tourism communities.  The research focuses on tourism communities where there is an imbalance between housing supply and demand and where market interventions have been used to address this imbalance.  The research confirms the theory that significant external forces affecting housing in tourism communities, including second home demand, and growth management and land use zoning regulations, are the cause of market failures in these communities.  The Vineyard was one of several case studies included in the dissertation where the housing market failure has created unaffordable housing and has displaced local residents.  A copy of the dissertation can be downloaded at: http://www.usm.edu/idv/files/BillHDiss.pdf

Regional

Nantucket Luxury Tax

The Town of Nantucket has a bill in the legislature that proposes to put a $10 per square foot surcharge on any new residential construction over 3,000 square feet.  Funds raised will be solely for the purposes of purchasing, acquiring, constructing, operating, maintaining, or making repairs to existing affordable rental housing.  Representative Eric Turkington proposes to model a state-wide bill after the Nantucket legislation. 

Nantucket Affordable Housing Plan

The state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has approved an Affordable Housing Plan for the Town of Nantucket. The plan was developed for the Town through a collaboration of the Nantucket Housing Office and the Town Planning Director, and builds off past work such as the Nantucket Comprehensive Community Plan, Nantucket’s Executive Order 418 Certified Housing Plan and Nantucket’s Year-round Housing Needs Assessment. Nantucket’s is only the third such plan to have been approved by DHCD.

Communities with an approved Affordable Housing Plan may request DHCD certification of compliance with their plan by submitting evidence that housing units eligible to be counted in DHCD’s Subsidized Housing Inventory have been produced in the calendar year totaling at least ¾ of one percent of the community’s year-round housing stock. For Nantucket, the production goal is 30 units. To be counted, the units must have 1) affordability to households with incomes at or below 80% of Nantucket median income; 2) a deed restriction; 3) a regulatory agreement (for monitoring compliance with the restrictions); and 4) fair and open marketing.

Once a community is in compliance with its plan, for a twelve-month period the local Zoning Board of Appeals has the ability to deny or approve with modifications any request for a 40B Comprehensive Permit. According to Bob Nussbaum, the Executive Director of the Nantucket Housing Office, “This will enable Nantucket to earn local control a year at a time, 30 units or more per year. Without this new Planned Production capability, things would have remained out of our hands for years.” 

Leedara Zola from the Nantucket Housing Office went on to state:  “The Plan outlines a set of strategies to reach our goal, but does not specifically call out individual housing developments. We have flexibility. It’s up to us as a community to address our housing needs with Nantucket scale and Nantucket style housing solutions.”

For further information please contact the Nantucket Housing Office, (508) 228-4422 or info@nantuckethousingoffice.org. 
 

STATE

Massachusetts Leads States for High Cost Rental Housing

A person in Massachusetts has to earn $22.40 per hour or more than three times the minimum wage to be able to afford to rent a modest two-bedroom home—making Massachusetts the least affordable state in the country, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Out of Reach report released last week.  This amount, known as the Housing Wage, is the amount a person working full-time has to earn to afford the fair market rent on a two-bedroom unit while paying no more than 30% of income in rent.

An estimated 61 % of renters in Massachusetts cannot afford the Housing Wage for a two-bedroom unit.

Out of Reach 2003 found that:

Massachusetts is the least affordable state in the country, with a housing wage of $22.40.  California is second at $21.18, followed by New Jersey, and New York.  

• Two working parents, each earning the minimum wage, must work nearly 70 hours a piece, per week, to afford a median priced two-bedroom unit in the Commonwealth.  A single person earning the minimum wage must work 133 hours per week to afford the same two-bedroom unit. 
• There is no jurisdiction in Massachusetts in which a person earning the minimum wage can afford the fair market rent for even a one-bedroom unit.

More data for all of Massachusetts’ counties and Metropolitan Statistical Areas are available at the NLIHC  website, www.nlihc.org.  Click on Out of Reach 2003. 

MHP Community Strategies

The Massachusetts Housing Partnership Funds provides instructional materials so that cities and towns can take the proper steps to plan, create and preserve affordable housing that fits their community, including:

Taking the Initiative: Guidebook on Creating Local Affordable Housing Strategies (March 2003)
This 164-page guidebook is for local officials and citizens who are grappling with how to house essential service workers, senior citizens, young families and those with special needs. It's especially for those in smaller towns who don't have professional housing and planning staffs. It is a veritable atlas on local housing solutions, with chapters on getting started, finding funding and sites, and preserving existing housing. It also features a glossary of terms and an affordable housing rolodex of agencies and organizations. The Citizens' Housing and Planning Association, with funding from the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, prepared the book.

The Nuts and Bolts of Community-Initiated Development (7 meg powerpoint file- allow a few minutes to download).
A concise, clear power-point presentation of the fundamental steps that need to be taken to get affordable housing efforts started and completed in your town. This presentation comes with examples of how towns have succeeded in building affordable housing.

Getting started: Building Local Housing Partnerships
Forming a local housing partnership of local citizens is an effective approach to creating affordable housing. This MHP guide is designed to explain the role a partnership can play and how to effectively organize one in your community.

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Zoning
Affordable housing efforts can't start without proper zoning. This primer explains zoning, the process for amending local zoning bylaws and zoning map, and the role of the planning board and zoning board of appeals in administering zoning. It provides definitions for many of the terms commonly used in zoning. This was written and produced by the Amherst Planning Board and Planning Department.

Inclusionary zoning: A tool to help towns create housing
Here you'll find four reports commissioned by MHP on inclusionary zoning, the concept that mandates that developers make some of their housing affordable. Also included is a court ruling on one inclusionary zoning law.

Case studies on community-initiated housing (updated, June 2002)
Periodically, MHP authors best practice case studies on communities that have taken effective steps to create affordable housing. Click here to read about recent housing efforts in Westford, Barnstable, Bedford, Springfield, and Amherst.

MV Housing Briefs are produced on a regular basis by the Regional Housing Authority to share information and resources between those involved in creating affordable housing on Martha's Vineyard. If you want to receive these briefs by email or want to share information for upcoming briefs, please email us at: vho@vineyard.net

ISLAND

2003 Median Income & Rent Guidelines
The federal HUD 2003 median income guidelines for Dukes County have been published. The median household income for a family of four is $61,100 .  Please contact the DCRHA or visit the Vineyard Housing Office's web site (http://vho.vineyard.net/frameindex.html) or HUD's web site (http://www.huduser.org/datasets/il/fmr03/index.html) for a complete listing of the 2003 Dukes County median income guidelines.

HUD has defined Fair Market Rents for Dukes County in 2003 to be:
Studio   $700      One-bedroom  $713    Two-bedroom   $948      Three-bedroom   $1,186          Four-bedroom  $1,331

Good Houses
A two bedroom West Tisbury house is being offered for $180,000 by Good Houses, an island non-profit developer, to Island families making less than 100% of median income.  The application deadline is June 27^th.  Applications are available at the Vineyard Housing Office (346 State Road in Vineyard Haven) or at the West Tisbury Town Hall.

Metcalf Lane Lottery
The Edgartown Resident Homesite Committee selected four Edgartown families on June 10^th  to purchase four houses moved from various locations in Edgartown by the Island Affordable Housing Development Corporation to land donated to the DCRHA and the Town of Edgartown by Vineyard Golf.

MHP Soft Second Loan Program
The Dukes County Commissioners have submitted a request, on behalf of the six island towns, to participate in the Massachusetts Housing Partnership Fund (MHP) Soft Second Loan Program.  The Soft Second Loan Program provides loans to low and moderate (80% or less of the area median income) first-time homebuyers to reduce their first mortgage amount and to lower their initial monthly costs so that they can qualify to purchase a home (with only a 3% down payment, much as $217,000 for a family of three and $238,000 for a family of four).  As part of the program requirements, the applicant must complete a homebuyer education course (Housing Assistance Corporation in Hyannis).  Currently the only on-island bank that can process these loans is Compass Bank.  Other island banks have been asked to participate in the program, and several island attorneys’ have been asked to provide pro bono legal services through the program.  For more information about the Soft Second Loan Program you can visit the MHP web site at:  http://www.mhp.net/homeownership/softsecond.php

Homebuyer Service
The Island Affordable Homebuyer Clearinghouse provides Island families and individuals with information on affordable homeownership opportunities as they become available through public and private programs.  Other services offered by the program include assistance completing housing applications, as well as providing additional information on soft second and lower-interest loans. Those interested should contact the DCRHA at (508) 693-4419 or visit the Vineyard Housing Office at 346 State Road in Vineyard Haven to sign-up for the service.

Recycled Houses
The Island Affordable Homebuyer Clearinghouse also provides information to Island residents interested in moving and using houses slated for demolition.   Those interested should contact the DCRHA at (508) 693-4419 or visit the Vineyard Housing Office at 346 State Road in Vineyard Haven.

Housing Workshop 
Representatives from all six island towns and Nantucket participated in a workshop held at the Martha’s Vineyard Commission on May 30^th.   The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) made a presentation on updating town's subsidized housing inventories through state’s Local Initiative Program (LIP) and the Planned Production Program.  The Martha’s Vineyard Commission also led a discussion about how affordable housing can fit into planning for the Island’s future.  For more information about these workshop topics please contact the DCRHA concerning the subsidized housing inventory program or visit the DHCD web site (http://www.state.ma.us/dhcd/default.htm) and the Martha's Vineyard Commission concerning the town's Community Development Plans.


STATE

Governor’s Task Force Releases 40B Report and Recommendations

The Governor’s Task Force on 40B released its final report on June 12th at a press conference in which Governor Romney embraced the recommendations for 40B reforms and indicated his interest in working closely with the legislative leadership on passing 40B legislation by the end of the year.

The 43-page report, which has received substantial media coverage, includes 17 recommendations for modifications to the 40B process.  Some of these include:

·In 40B homeownership developments, twice the number of affordable units will be counted towards a community’s 10% goal.

·Communities can deny a 40B application if 40B units pending during the prior nine-month period equal at least 2% of total housing units or .5% if the community has a state-approved housing plan.

·Communities with an approved housing plan can deny a 40B application if they have permitted qualifying units equaling .5% of total housing units during the prior 12 months (this is a reduction in the current regulation of .75%). 

·Subsidizing agencies, in making a determination of project eligibility, shall take into consideration “density and size; degree of affordability; principles of sustainable development and smart growth; community impact and consistency with housing need; impact on historical resources; and impact of other pending applications for housing development.”

·DHCD should establish an ad hoc advisory committee to evaluate the Housing Appeals Committee (HAC) procedures and guidelines and recommend ways to expedite the HAC procedures.

·The Administration should appoint a task force to recommend changes to Chapter 40A zoning laws.

·The Legislature and the Governor should establish a new “growth aid” fund to provide financial assistance to communities commensurate with the costs of housing growth.

·A fund should be established, managed by Massachusetts Housing Partnership, to provide technical assistance to help cities and towns review and respond to 40B applications.

·Under a three-year pilot program, contiguous communities may collaborate to form a “housing region” to address regional housing needs.  The communities may agree to meet their housing goals under 40B within a defined region, as long as the goal for the region is equal to or greater than the sum of the minimum number of housing units of the member communities.  Only contiguous communities that have attained at least 5% affordable housing and not more than 10% can participate as a region. 

Many of these recommendations will serve as the basis for legislation that will most likely be crafted by the Housing and Urban Development Committee.  It is important that legislative leaders and the Governor “hold the line” so that additional proposed amendments do not weaken 40B. 

The full report is available on the DHCD web site at: http://www.state.ma.us/dhcd/default.htm