Williamstown Housing Trust Discussing Marketing Plan for Subdivision
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The board of the town's Affordable Housing Trust hopes to resolve in January an issue with the non-profit looking to build four single-family homes on a Summer Street parcel owned by the trust.
At their Dec. 17 meeting, the trustees revisited the question of how Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanities will market the homes, which will be built over a period of four years if the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity wins approval from the town.
The final regulatory hurdle for Habitat is Development Plan Review for the proposed subdivision by the Planning Board, which is scheduled to address the issue in a public hearing at its Jan. 14 meeting.
In August, representatives of NBHFH told the board that the trustees' desire to have homes built on Summer Street count in the commonwealth's Subsidized Housing Inventory was a problem given the Habitat model of picking an initial occupant before a home is built and determining a price at the end of the process.
The commonwealth, meanwhile, requires prices to be determined before homes are marketed to prospective buyers.
Last week, a working group of the seven-member Affordable Housing Trust board met with representatives from Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity to try to resolve what the non-profit leaders have described as a "mismatch" between the Habitat and state procedures.
Trustee Tom Sheldon told his colleagues at the Dec. 17 meeting that he arranged the meeting for Friday, Dec. 19, between a few members of the Trust board and members of the NBHFH board.
"There are two pretty clear viewpoints," Sheldon said. "One, the protocols are such that Habitat would have some real difficulties [following the state's rule for the SHI].
"[Former AHT board member] Andy Hogeland shared an email that indicated a more affirmative view of getting these houses listed on the state inventory. The purpose of the meeting on Friday is to hear from Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity — [President] Keith Davis and [Board Secretary] Laura Gura — why this is problematic."
Following Wednesday's meeting of the trust board, Sheldon clarified to iBerkshires.com that the email from Hogeland went to three members of the current board.
At the meeting, telecast on the town's community access television station, Willinet, the board agreed that Sheldon and Ruth Harrison would represent the town panel in the meeting.
Cheryl Shanks, who wouldn't be attending the Friday meeting, had a request for those who would.
"I hope from the meeting, it will be possible to get a sense of … where it is that Habitat can be flexible when it comes to the way they advertise for people or get people to do the sweat equity, the timing of all that," Shanks said. "Where are their negotiation points? I have not sense that there are any from them, but I don't know that there aren't."
In other business at the Affordable Housing Trust's December meeting, the trustees discussed putting together an application for Community Preservation Act funds for the fiscal year 2026 cycle.
The Community Preservation Committee, which vets applications and makes recommendations to the annual town meeting for approval, has set a Jan. 22 deadline for FY26 applications.
Tags: affordable housing trust, habitat for humanity,
