Housing Greenfield Meeting notes — 11/17/2025

Present: Susan Worgaftik, Peg Hall, Wisty Rorabacher, Nancy Hazard, Carol Letson, Dorothy McIver,  Amy Cahillane, Edie Heinemann, Brace Rennels,  Louise Amyot,  Judy Draper, Mary McClintock, Nikki Garrett, Jessa McCormack, Max Webbe, Monica Pulci, Deb McLaughlin, Michael Penn-Strah, Lexi Turner, Garth Shaneyfelt, Gina Govoni, Jen Hale, John Garrett, Mieke Bomann, Jack Redman, Judy Atkins, Pete Brown, Charity Day, Kementari Witcher, Mike Lentz, Sara Brown

Gear and Goods Drive—Deb McLaughlin
     This is the 4th year that this drive to provide equipment for people who are unhoused has been done. There are a wide variety of things needed to assist folks in weathering the winter. You can find out more at https://www.canva.com/design/DAG4UB42-f4/Ro-odxGwz5-9g1XrLDoA6g/view?utm_content=DAG4UB42 f4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h0659745f34

Also, the Interfaith Council is collecting funds to buy tents and other things and also provide motel rooms for very cold nights, especially for families. Checks can be sent to the Interfaith Council of Franklin County, PO Box 1171, Greenfield, MA.  01302, with “Housing” in the memo line.

Greenfield Housing Associates, Inc.—Jack Redman

GHAI requested a letter of support for their Community Preservation Committee application to construct 2 studio apartments in an apartment building that GHAI owns on Deerfield Street. The apartments will be rented at 100% Area Median Income; while not subsidized, they would be affordable.  The group voted to support this project. Susan will write a letter of support on behalf of Housing Greenfield to the Greenfield Community Preservation Committee. (The vote was positive with CPC members, Garth Shaneyfelt, Wisty Rorabacher, Jack Redman and Susan Worgaftik abstaining.)

Also, the GHA is waiting for the geotechnical study on the Conway Street property where they are proposing 5 apartments be built. The study should be available soon.

170-188 Main Street—Gina Govoni and Jen Hale
Rural Development Inc. was not awarded funding for this project by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities in the first round this year. But they have resubmitted the proposal for the mini-round and are waiting to hear about that. 188 Main Street, which is presently a boarded-up space will be part of the project and will provide a pollinator friendly garden as part of the total project. There will be 10 unit at ground level and no commercial space in this project.

Rental Housing Inspection Ordinance—John Garrett
John and Susan Worgaftik have been working on the development of a rental housing ordinance that will include three major components:

• A rental registry—where all rental apartments in the city will register with the city
• Regular, coordinated housing inspections for housing on a rotating 5 year basis—among the exemptions are owner-occupied houses with 4 or fewer apartments, including the owner’s apartment. –This takes the onus of inspections away from tenants calling in a complaint and makes it a regular part of doing business
• Anti-tenant harassment protections—to ensure that tenants who are concerned about the health and safety of the apartment are not evicted or otherwise harassed for voicing their concerns to the city

Susan and John have met with Greenfield Health Director, Michael Theroux, to review these policies. The present version meets the Health Department’s needs and concerns.

It is John’s intention to submit this draft to the City Council and start the process of moving it through the ordinance process. The ordinance will be self-funded by fees required for registration and for inspections.

It was suggested that we might want to discuss this with some landlords who would be allies. This is a great idea and we will follow-up on it.

Susan will put together a brief description of the ordinance for the December 8th Housing Greenfield meeting.

Rent Control/Rent Stabilization Petitions—Max Webbe
The petitions for this referendum have been collected and are being verified by the municipal clerks throughout the state. More than 100,000 signatures were collected statewide, with about 20,000 in the Connecticut River Valley.

The people working on this campaign are now strategizing messaging for the 2026 ballot. If you would like to get involved, check out https://shelterforce.org/2018/03/28/rent-control-works/ or Homes for All Mass at https://www.homesforallmass.org

It is also possible that the referendum could be avoided if the legislature votes to support https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1447.

Federal Supportive Housing Situation—Susan Worgaftik
The Continuum of Care organizations throughout the country have received notice from HUD on reapplication. Information on our Three County CoC can be found at https://www.communityaction.us/threecountycoc. The CoC’s in Massachusetts have been key funders of rent and other services for supportive housing in the state. The new plans from HUD move away from a housing first model (services for folks once they are housed) to a treatment first model (mental health and substance abuse treatment first, then housing). We know that the housing first model works so this is a setback. There are a large number of detrimental aspects to these changes. The changes can be found at https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/8d49559a-360a-42cc-a954-a58de07cbf85 and here is an analysis of what it means for Massachusetts https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/8d49559a-360a-42cc-a954-a58de07cbf85.

Overall, the federal approach is more restrictive, more punitive, and will likely mean more single adults without homes.

Susan checked with Keleigh BenEzra from CSO about the Wells Street supportive housing project. Luckily, this project does not have any CoC funding, but there are Section 8 vouchers involved in it and we do not yet know what HUD restrictions are going to be coming around Section 8.

Hope Street—Amy Cahillane
By the end of the year, a complete plan for public engagement for the Hope Street lot will be available. It will involve both a community-wide meeting and a neighborhood meeting to discuss options for the site. Residents will also have the opportunity to make their thoughts known digitally and Amy will have some “office hours” for discussion as well.

The community engagement process will start in January with the development of the Request For Proposals in February or March; a public review of the draft RFP and the issuance of the RFP to potential builders in March. All these dates are subject to change. But the overall approach is to issue the RFP in the spring.

Winter Warming Center—Amy Cahillane
The Warming Center will once again be at the Salvation Army. It will be open from 7pm to 7 am as last year on very cold nights that will be designated by the city. It will be staffed by one public safety officer and one community member. Sarah Ahern will be coordinating the warming center. Deb McLaughlin said that there is also a list being created for daytime warming centers and it will be made available to folks using the center at the Salvation Army. More information will be forthcoming.

Stone Farm Lane—Sara Brown
The Stone Farm Condominiums application was withdrawn without prejudice. This means that there will be a new version of the project introduced at a later date. There were several technical issues around frontage and the title of the land that have to be clarified. The neighbors have also hired a lawyer. The development design may be described as a subdivision in the future and will likely include both the cooperative housing and the condominiums using Open Space Cluster Zoning as the basis for the project. Once the new design is developed, it is likely that they will have to go through the entire city review process once again, but that is not clear.

City Council Unhoused Task Force—Sara Brown
The Task Force is working on several areas:

1. Improving access to resources through infrastructures, downtown and campsites such as sustained trash pickup, year-round port-a potty and water access, 24/7 access fridge and drinking water as well as other basic needs and providing a map or other visual directions those resources.
2. Location of sites for safe and accessible camping or a village model with small permanent and transitional structures and to amend zoning ordinance to allow such areas to be established.
3.  Change curfew and trespassing restrictions to allow individuals who reside in their vehicles or camp to stay overnight, if possible.
4. Amend zoning ordinance to strike the ban on mobile homes (now known as manufactured homes) and mounted tiny houses.
5. Other issues such as an affordable housing trust, rental registry, short term rental ordinance and rent control.

More information to come.

Next meeting: December 8th, 6:30 pm on zoom

Here is the link to the Attorney General’s guide regarding rental housing designed for both tenants and landlords.

Sara Brown also asked that everyone know about these events:

• Human Rights Award ceremony honoring Larry Thomas Monday December 8th at the Greenfield Public Library community room 5:30-7pm. Food will be served (not a full dinner). Larry is a Wildflower Alliance Outreach Advocate and member of the Greenfield Unhoused Community Committee.
• This Wednesday November 19th 11am-5pm is the hearing for the Joint Committee on Housing: Landlord, Tenant & Home Rule Petitions, and you can support rent control, Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), and other exciting bills. To give written testimony, write a brief letter to the Joint Committee on Housing, address it to Senate Chair Julian Cyr and House Chair Richard Haggerty, and email it to Chairs’ staff at meg.ribera@masenate.gov and luke.oroark@mahouse.gov. Sign up to testify during the hearing has ended but additional comments may be allowed depending on time.