Annual Town Meeting 2024
There Housing Trust has three articles on the 2024 Town meeting warrant:
ARTICLE 23 TRANSFER TOWN OWNED PROPERTY TO THE MUNICIPAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST
To see if the Town will vote to transfer town owned property located at 8 Lancaster Road, Map 19, Parcel 52 (1.44 acres) to the Berlin Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, or take any action relative thereto. (MUNICIPAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST)
PROPOSED MOTION
I move to transfer the town owned property located at 8 Lancaster Road, Map 19, Parcel 52 (1.44 acres) to the Berlin Municipal Affordable Housing Trust.
DESCRIPTION
The Berlin Municipal Affordable Housing Trust was established at the last annual town meeting. The Trust is requesting the town owned property located at 8 Lancaster Road for the purposes of an affordable housing community build project.
ARTICLE 26 COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT FY25 PROJECTS
To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the total sum of $200,000 from the Fund Balance Reserved for Affordable Housing Fiscal Year 2024. The funds would be utilized in the construction of affordable housing units and in the development of a grant fund to assist low-income, first-time homebuyers, said funds to be expended by the Housing Trust in consultation with the Community Preservation Act Committee; or take any action relative thereto. (COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT COMMITTEE/MUNICIPAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST)
PROPOSED MOTION
I move the Town appropriate the total sum of $200,000 from the Fund Balance Reserved for Affordable Housing for Fiscal Year 2024 to construct affordable housing units and develop a grant fund to assist low-income, first-time homebuyers.
DESCRIPTION
The Housing Trust looks to pursue two projects in support of their mission to create and preserve affordable housing, an affordable unit community build with existing unused tax title property built partnering with a non-profit (Habitat for Humanity) and the development of a first-time homebuyers grant program to help widen the pool of applicants able to purchase existing affordable units.
ARTICLE 27 COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT FY25 PROJECTS
To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the total sum of $20,000 from the Fund Balance Reserved for Affordable Housing for Fiscal Year 2024. The funds would be utilized to pay a portion of the expense of engaging a part time Housing Coordinator in Fiscal Year 2025 and Fiscal Year 2026, through a program with the Central MA Regional Planning Commission, said funds to be expended by the Housing Trust in consultation with the Community Preservation Act Committee; or take any action relative 14 thereto. (COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT COMMITTEE/MUNICIPAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST)
PROPOSED MOTION
I move to appropriate the total sum of $20,000 from the Fund Balance Reserve for Affordable Housing for Fiscal Year 2024 to pay a portion of the expense of engaging a part time Housing Coordinator for FY25 and FY26.
DESCRIPTION
The Housing Trust currently benefits from the assistance of a Housing Coordinator shared with several other local communities. The position allows access to professional, technical, and administrative support services for the housing related programs, projects, and activities necessary to maintain an active Housing Trust.