New Hampshire Workforce Housing Council
Meeting Notes 12/6/06
Page 4
New Hampshire Workforce Housing Council
December 6 , 2006
Meeting Notes
Present: Linda Ajello, Don Bealko, Greg Carson, Ina Castagna, Michael Castagna, Dean Christon, Jennifer Czysz, Ben Frost, David Frydman, Bob Grenier, Lisa Henderson, Nancy Johnson, Barbara Kravitz, Jane Law, Donnalee Lozeau, Ignatius MacLellan, Alyson Mayo, Susan Newcomer, Malcolm Odell, Bruce Pacht, Gloria Paradise, Kevin Peterson, Ray Peterson, Becky Pinard, Bill Ray, Lara Rice, Mike Skelton, Susy Thielen, Robert Tourigny, Deborah Turcott, Walter Vail, Sharon Wason, Bryan Wyatt
HOUSING AND CONSERVATION PLANNING PROGRAM
David Frydman of the Growth and Development Roundtable presented the Council with the Housing and Conservation Planning Program. First he explained that the Roundtable is a coalition of New Hampshire business, conservation, housing, municipal and planning interests who have come together to address the negative impacts each are facing because of the lack of an effective strategy to address growth and development in the state. The Housing and Conservation Planning Program has been developed as a flexible program to assist local planning efforts. It provides incentives to develop affordable and higher density workforce housing, while preserving natural areas of land. Technical assistance matching grants are awarded to municipalities to engage in four specific steps in the development and implementation of a growth and development strategy which includes:
1. mapping housing and natural resource values and analyze local housing affordability and its
economic impact;
2. developing and adopting town-wide growth and development strategy;
3. amending the master plan to be consistent with the strategy; and
4. auditing and revising zoning, subdivision and site plan regulations to achieve goal of new
master plan and growth and development strategy
Each stage requires that municipalities address housing and conservation together to identify geographic areas for higher density workforce housing, as well as public education and conservation to promote informed decision-making.
The program would require an appropriation of about $600,000 a year from the General Fund.
David explained that he has had discussions with state Senators and Representatives and received positive feedback from the Governor’s office, but had some resistance regarding the funding. This program will be proposed as a Senate bill this legislative term and David is trying to encourage the Governor to put this program in his budget and make it a budget rider instead of a stand-alone bill.
David noted that he has not approached all of the Chambers in the state yet. He did encourage Council members to give him feedback and to share this program with the housing coalitions. He also requested that members contact him with the names of other “groups” who would support and endorse this program.
INCLUSIONARY ZONING
Jennifer Czysz from the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning gave a presentation on Inclusionary Zoning. She explained that it is intended to ensure the continued availability of a diverse supply of home ownership and rental opportunities for low and moderate income households. Inclusionary zoning offers incentives such as density bonuses, financial assistance and relaxed regulations to encourage developers to produce affordable housing units, and communities must determine where the greatest incentive for inclusionary housing development might be. These units are required to be built in the same style as market rent units and interspersed throughout the development. Renters/buyers must also undergo an income certification process to ensure that they meet the affordability requirements of the unit. In order to maintain the affordability of a unit, the developer must make a binding commitment that the units will remain affordable, enforced by a deed restriction, restrictive covenant, or a contractual arrangement through a local, state, or federal housing authority or other non-profit housing trust or agency. Inclusionary zoning will be administered by the Planning Board or Local Planning Department. Ongoing monitoring will be the responsibility of a designated entity such as board of selectman, planning department or building inspector. Lastly, an annual report must be prepared and submitted to the designated entity certifying that the gross rents of affordable units and the household income of tenants of affordable units have been maintained in accordance with the inclusionary zoning article.
To view a draft of the inclusionary zoning ordinance, go to www.snhpc.org/repp.html.
PROJECT UPDATES
· WHC Website
The Workforce Housing Council website is now available at www.workforcehousingnh.com. Ben
walked the Council through its different features and noted that it serves as the primary vehicle of
communication to the public. The site includes news articles pertaining to housing, which will be
archived for as long as the link stays active. Also available is a calendar of events, the location
and contact information of the various housing coalitions in the state, housing-related documents
and much more. Lastly is the extranet login. This area is dedicated to the coalitions to dialogue
between each other. In order to enter this area, a password must be assigned by Jane Law or
Ben.
· “Homes for New Hampshire’s Future”
Folder shells, featuring six different success stories from all over the state have been created.
They include a section for informational handouts as well as a CD. There are four different
handouts currently available and Ben is working on a fifth, so the folders can be tailored to specific audiences. All of the regional coalitions have received a box of 200 and there are about 2,000 left.
· Subsidy Retention Model
The model is almost complete. The ordinance for adoption by municipalities has been drafted,
but we are facing issues on how the unit will be kept affordable once it is built. Ben will provide
updates to the Council as they become available.
UPDATES: REGIONAL COALITIONS
· Bryan Wyatt, The Housing Partnership
Diane Hartley has been hired as the new Program Coordinator.
A breakfast forum was held which focused on panels and speakers. The next one is being planned and will highlight conservation and affordable housing.
· Susy Theilen, Heading for Home, Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce
A Community Business Breakfast was held and it was very successful.
Planning for the production of a 12-part series on workforce housing will begin at the end of
January. It will be aired on a new cable access channel once a month. Topics will include:
? defining workforce housing and how to get involved;
? talking to people with a need for workforce housing and see it as a problem;
? talking to employers; and
? talking to Twin Pines and see what has been done to address the issue.
· Lara Rice, Greater Nashua Workforce Housing
A business roundtable is being planned.
They are currently in the strategic planning phase; however, opportunities are coming
too fast to provide education so they are trying to figure out what steps need to be taken.
· Michael Skelton, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce
Bob Baines has agreed to serve as their Chair. A management team has been formed and they are now laying out the blue print for next year.
· Alyson Mayo, Upper Valley Housing Coal i tion
A Business Leaders Breakfast was held in October. They are now working on a mailing to all attendees, but the letters will be tailored to each individual in order to get them involved.
The Coalition will be holding two design reviews in which projects are developed and then presented to a panel for feedback.
The newsletter will be out in January. It will focus on accessing apartments and unique zoning.
Two Citizens Planners Conferences are anticipated for 2007. One will be held in the spring in New Hampshire and will focus on community participation. The next will be held in the fall in Vermont. It will host different planning boards discussing the issues that are of interest to them.
· Bill Ray, New Hampshire Housing
Each spring New Hampshire Housing conducts a telephone Rental Survey of owners and managers from all over the state. This year’s data related that rents are flat. There were some increases in gross rental costs, largely based on increasing utility costs. Rents in non-metro areas also rose slightly mostly due to the fact that people are moving out of metro areas in order to obtain lower rental costs. The report is posted on New Hampshire Housing’s website.
· Ina Castangna, Castangna Consulting
The New Hampshire AIA received a $10,000 grant as part of the Blueprint for America initiative. This is a nationwide effort where architects, citizens and community leaders from all over the country will come together to address a community’s distinct needs. New Hampshire will continue its anti-sprawl, livable community efforts by engaging one community over a longer period of time, with the goal of obtaining permits for workforce housing or mixed use development tailored to a New Hampshire community’s needs. Once permits have been submitted, a private or non-profit developer could then implement this affordable, smart growth project as a model that citizens could see and experience. This initiative will also become a guidebook for northern New England states, illustrating how communities can engage their residents in a proactive process that develops planning and zoning guidelines.
NEXT MEETING
A date has not yet been selected for the next meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:03 p.m.