Housing Greenfield Meeting Notes — January 13, 2025

Present: Susan Worgaftik, Anna Oltman, Charity Day, Ella Condon, Louise Amyot, Nikki Garrett, Edie Heinemann, Peg Hall, Dorothy McIver, John Garrett, Alyssa Larose, Jen Hale, Jack Redman, Mary McClintock,  Wisty Rorabacher, Pamela Goodwin, Shaundell Diaz, Rachel Gordon, Tom Bledsoe, Christy Lemoine, Sara Brown, Judy Draper, Nancy Hazard,Jessa McCormack, Nan Sibley

Discussions:

Continuing the work of Housing Greenfield
Susan reminded folks that she is looking for someone to share the responsibilities of Housing Greenfield.  She is not looking for someone to go to all the meetings that she attends, but for someone who will gradually take on the responsibilities of some of the organizational maintenance tasks and be a person to share overview concerns of the organization.  As no one has yet stepped forward, she will be talking to some people about this.

Zoning Regulation Changes
     The zoning changes related to housing that were voted in December, and that we supported (See December notes) are up for review at the City Council meeting on January 15^th.  The meeting will be at the Jon Zon at 6:30 pm.  If Housing Greenfield members can come to the meeting either in person or virtually or write to the council about your support of these changes, that would be very helpful.

Transfer Fee Bills—Greenfield and Statewide
     The Local Option for Housing Affordability coalition (LOHA) is once again trying to get the transfer fee passed.  The transfer fees would be a local option.  Transfer fees are fees attached to the sale of property (in this case housing) that become part of the transaction.  The LOHA coalition and the home rule petition that Susan submitted to some city councilors (see attached) would provide for a transfer fee of .5% to 2%(determined by the municipality) on the amount paid for a property that is MORE THAN the county median.  So, if my house were sold for $350,000 and the median for Franklin County is $300,000, then the transfer fee would apply to the $50,000 above the median.  If Greenfield decided on a 1% transfer fee that would allow for $500 to go to an affordable housing trust for support of affordable housing.  The community would decide if the $500 would be paid by the buyer, the seller or split between them.  The transfer fee could be included in the mortgage.  The transfer fee bill would have to be approved by the city council and then would go to a community vote.

     The LOHA coalition has requested that as many communities as possible put through home rule petitions to demonstrate the interest.  A home rule petition is not a commitment to actually put through a transfer fee.  It is a request to the state for the option of doing so.  It does not commit Greenfield to any action.  And, frankly, it is unlikely to pass as last year there were at least 10 cities and town including Boston that had home rule petitions that were not supported.  This is much more an effort to support the statewide bill.

Susan will work on this with the councilors as part of a housing package which will likely include an affordable housing trust.

Housing Greenfield voted to support this process moving forward.

Also, LOHA will have the numbers of the new transfer fee state bill shortly.  When she receives those, she will provide sample letters for requesting that Natalie and Susannah co-sponsor and thanking Jo for sponsoring.  If possible, members should send emails similar to those letters.

Reports:

Rural Development Inc. Update—Alyssa Larose
     The Planning Board approved RDI’s plans for 170-186 Main Street (see December notes for more detail)  RDI will be applying for state funding this February, but it is more likely that they will receive funding the next round for FY 2027.  RDI will be setting up some community meetings in March.  It was suggested that they be recorded by GCTV.  The ownership will be an LLC because there will be tax credits involved.  And they will be paying property taxes.  Alyssa will be setting up a fact sheet about the project.  It was suggested that a packet with FAQs might be helpful.  It was noted by Ella Condon that at least one of the businesses in the building was unaware of the project and there might need to be some discussions with her.

At the February meeting, Alyssa will make a request for a letter of support for the proposal.

Rental Housing Survey Project
     Susan reported that the project is moving along well.  We have contacts with both No One Leaves Springfield and Neighbor to Neighbor who have agreed to provide tenant information if people have tenant questions.  We have been working with the Assessor’s Office to also provide an anonymous questionnaire that they will use for evaluation.  Bela Bupp-Chickering, the GCC student involved in the project, will have city credentials so that he will be able to show them if he is questioned about his legitimacy in doing this survey.  We have a google docs survey document which will allow Bela to put the data  in via his cell phone.  Susan and Bela will do a test survey in early to mid-February to try out the google doc and then make adjustments.  The survey will then be used from February through May.

     Two days after our meeting, the Recorder ran an article on the survey. https://www.recorder.com/Greenfield-Community-College-student-will-help-map-rental-properties-in-city-58905294

Greenfield Warming Center—Anna Oltman & Christy Lemoine

• Hours: 7pm – 7am on nights where the temperature drops below 15 degrees, or when opening is otherwise warranted

• The center has been open for 13 overnights thus far, with 4 more evenings scheduled through 1/17 — so a total of 17 evenings by this Friday.

• Volunteers are coordinated through the Medical Reserve Corps and staff the center in teams of 2, working for 4 hour shifts (7pm-11pm; 11pm-3am; 3am-7am)

• Volunteers are pulled from the MRC, community members and public safety (police and fire). We will be making some changes so that public safety is asked to sign up later in the outreach process, as we’ve heard we have volunteers who have not been able to volunteer because all shifts are full.

• We are working with the MRC to get all volunteers CORI’d / SORI’d, and we are encouraging volunteers to join the MRC volunteer corps

• The Opioid Task Force has been an amazing partner, both in helping to solicit volunteers and source supplies, as well as in operating other warming centers throughout the region.

• The number of guests has ranged from 2 to 17, with 13-15 being the census on most nights recently.

Point in Time Count—Shaundell Diaz

     The 3-County Continuum of Care Program will be holding its annual Point in Time Count of the number of unhoused individuals and families in our region on January 29^th.  This is an annual effort that documents the need for funding and the types of programming we need.  Reports will be accepted from January 29^th through February 5^th.  For more information and training, https://www.threecountycoc.communityaction.us/pitcount2025

New Housing Possibilities

     Last month we discussed 2 properties that Bob Williford had located as housing possibilities.  Susan followed up with Amy Cahillane and the Mayor:

• 46 Severance Street will be a park in the near future.  The building on the property has already been taken down.  There is no Greenfield park on that side of Route 2 so this will be a benefit to the community.
•  7 Petty Plain Road will be in limbo until the fate of the Green River School is determined.  It is part of that property and will either become a part of the overall plan for that property or will be treated as a separate entity.

Shelter Updates:

Adult Shelter –Report from Keleigh BenEzra

     The Wells Street Shelter is fully moved into Arch Place.  There are 45 beds filled every night.  If someone has an assigned bed, but for some reason will not be at the shelter on a given night, that bed is filled for that night with someone who could use it.  The shelter is also providing day warming center services for people who were in the warming center but had to leave the warming center at 7 am when it closes.

 Days Inn Family Shelter—Susan Worgaftik, information from Mayor Desorgher

     As of 1/13/25, there are about 13 families still left in the Days Inn, which will be closed as a family shelter by the Commonwealth on February 28^th.  The families are being placed into housing.  No one will simply be left to fend for themselves at the close of the shelter.  No new families are being accepted into the family shelter.

Procedural Questions for Discussion:
Within the course of the meeting two questions arose:

• Can our meetings be recorded?
• Should our meeting be announced more publicly, for instance in the Recorder or as an event on the city calendar?
• We will discuss these at the next meeting.

Next Meeting:
Our regularly scheduled next meeting will be February10^th 6:30 pm on zoom.

Two attachments to these minutes may be accessed here:

Home Rule Petition

Leaflet Copy