Housing Greenfield meeting notes – 09/14/2026

Present: Susan Worgaftik, Lexi Turner, Wisty Rorabacher, Judy Draper, Mike Mullin, Edie Heinemann, Carol Letson, Peg Hall, Louise Amyot, Amy Cahillane, Nancy Hazard, Jen Hale, Patricia Williams

PRESENTATION

Elderly and Disabled Tax Fund—Patricia Williams

The Elderly and Disabled Taxation Aid Fund was established to provide tax assistance for elderly and disabled Greenfield residents to defray the costs of their property taxes. Qualified recipients will be resident homeowners with limited income and assets. Funding will be by voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses and organizations the sole intent of which is to provide real estate property tax relief for the most vulnerable members of our community.

The amount an eligible applicant will receive depends on total funds available and total number of eligible applicants and demonstrated need.  The goal this first year is to raise $20,000 which could provide help to 10 or more households.

There will be a fundraiser to support this fund on Sunday, September 27, from 4-6 pm at the LAVA Center, 324 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301. There will be music, snacks, and drinks. Please bring your checkbook all contributions will help.

If you would like to contribute, but cannot attend the fundraiser, please go to https://greenfield-ma.gov/departments/assessor/elderly_and_disabled_tax_relief.php.

For more information, see attachment.

DISCUSSION

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Rules regarding the Community Reinvestment Act – Susan Worgaftik
The latest set of rules regarding housing that the Trump Administration is planning to change involve the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). This act was passed during the 1990’s when there were a lot of bank mergers happening. It was an effort to ensure that the local support for communities including affordable housing and small business development would not be lost as smaller banks became part of larger banks. In terms of affordable housing, the CRA is responsible for 85% of the Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) that are essential to building housing like the Wells Street Shelter, the Wilson’s complex and the 170 Main Street complex. They allow banks to facilitate the buying of these credits which they then sell to individuals or corporations who use them to lower their federal tax obligations.
The new rule, which we have not yet seen, is likely to do two things:

1. Increase the amount of assets a bank must have to be exempt from this requirement. This will allow smaller local banks to avoid compliance and has the potential to limit the amount of LIHTC credits available.
2. Change what LIHTC credits can/must be used for and could change the definition of eligible projects to include things like oil pipelines.
   We do not yet know what the rule will look like and how long the comment period will be. CHAPA is on top of this issue and as soon as we have more information, we will let you know.  We will need letters to go out to the FDIC. Stay tuned.

Planning for Housing Greenfield’s Future — Lexi Turner and Michael Mullin

There were 31 responses (out of 120 sent) to the survey that the committee sent out.  This is a good showing for a survey.

Consensus Themes (For more specifics on each of these, please see attachment.

1. Strong Support for Housing Greenfield’s Mission and Work

2. Concerns About the Phrase “Affordable Housing

3. Education and Information Sharing Are Core Strengths

Other Important Themes

4. Support for Continued Advocacy, Plus More Direct Action

5. Focus on Accessibility, Seniors, and Sustainable Engagement

Strategic Takeaways

The survey suggests 3 consensus priorities moving forward:

1. Refine mission language
2. Maintain strong education and advocacy efforts
3. Develop a sustainable volunteer and leadership structure

And 2 additional priorities:

1. Continue to support opportunities for practical, hands-on involvement
2. Expand focus on accessibility, seniors, and people with disabilities.

In regard to refining the mission statement, these three were offered for consideration:

1.  “The mission of Housing Greenfield is to improve, protect and increase housing and shelter opportunities affordable for all in the City of Greenfield by advocating for policies, resources, and tools through collaborative action.”
2.  “The mission of Housing Greenfield is to improve, protect and increase housing and shelter opportunities for all in the City of Greenfield, including affordable housing, by advocating for policies, resources, and tools through collaborative action.”
3.  “The mission of Housing Greenfield is to improve, protect and increase housing and shelter opportunities for all in the City of Greenfield by advocating for policies, resources, and tools through collaborative action.”

As part of the discussion, Wisty mentioned that when she and Judy moved to Greenfield, they looked around for ways to connect to the community. We might want to do something to encourage involvement with Housing Greenfield and/or other organizations, especially for people new to the city or newly retired.  Susan said that she would be interested in working on that.  Wisty and Susan will be meeting on this and will report back at the October meeting.

UPDATES

Rental Registry and Inspection Ordinance — Susan Worgaftik

The ordinance will be coming up for a public hearing in October at the Council’s Appointments and Ordinances Committee (A&O) on October 14th at 6:3O pm in City Hall. It would be great if a few members could attend in support of the ordinance. We have received support from A&O in the past and expect that the ordinance will move on to the full Council. It would be very helpful if folks could attend and speak to the importance of this ordinance at the City Council meeting on October 21st at the John Zon Community Center. The key points for the ordinance are attached.

60 Wells Street – Keleigh BenEzra via Susan Worgaftik

Keleigh could not attend this meeting but wanted to let folks know that the 36 supportive housing apartments at the site should be fully occupied by the end of September.

Hope Street Project — Amy Cahillane

The community meeting to discuss the request for proposals for Hope Street will be October 5th at 6 pm at the John Zon. Amy also asked for suggestions on where to hold a similar community meeting for precinct 5 residents and received several suggestions.

Next meeting:  Monday, October 19th 6:30 pm via zoom Please note the date change. We will not be meeting on the 12th as that is Indigenous Peoples’ Day.