[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6178105,"mediaKeyId","5328645-7dca74ab7a6547ace1d4f4d2dd7e86a3","parentId",5328645,"title","Housing partnership considers small, visible projects — bulk pickup, winterization kits and a resource hub","audioSeconds",1582,"startMs",3663000,"endMs",5245000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5328645-7dca74ab7a6547ace1d4f4d2dd7e86a3&start=3663&end=5245","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5328645-7dca74ab7a6547ace1d4f4d2dd7e86a3/thumbnail_3663000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6178105/Massachusetts/Housing-partnership-considers-small-visible-projects-bulk-pickup-winterization-kits-and-a-resource-hub","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178105-bf2bc1dae80492c032916bb486142c01/orig.mp4?Expires=1770668213&Signature=jpu24pXEiblWQrbqGOfvkrqV2XLqWR66oQ60GNQEIr72hpxwtPsp1morSRmMPn-U4wor0wj90G3L-mJLDVmeRdxWuzHmGvzKll95460-xIjADzgUhfqiDiv3EuVwoQ~WqLtahNuLQcvgskTl7HGxEUKTD907W2SI2G3St3-jwrarDGoLqKZ~vRwmrarTsBOSpDTnlEHm4Ai9PQbPR250ffOfq1V30MPjEhSKEWDq875W~S3ePPdDnEwY5x-FRiUJXuvPQquAeM-zGVf78bwNVw1qz2jZ3xWDOjNZ3fF~1VMMmoxy7Od9XE-QPwIjCRZAKhupJ52Tyj2nd9-y0Ozc0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Northampton City, MA","date","2025-07-08T15:30:40Z","article","A member of the Northampton City Housing Partnership on Monday proposed a set of four small, low‑cost projects intended to produce quick, visible benefits for residents while building momentum on housing issues.

Hannah presented ideas that include a twice‑yearly bulk item pickup to reduce illegal dumping, winterization kits (weatherstripping, window plastic), household emergency kits (flashlights, batteries) and a consolidated, multilingual resource packet for tenants that lists local services, tenants’ rights resources and utility assistance options.

Hannah said the first three ideas could be accomplished for roughly $1,500 to $10,000 depending on scale and noted that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection runs microgrant programs that could cover events like bulk pickups. She recommended microgrants, CPA funds or city partnerships to cover costs. “They provide immediate value,” she told the partnership, and “they create energy for the housing partnership.”

Members discussed implementation details and existing programs. Gordon Shaw and others pointed to MassSave for weatherization support and to MassLegalHelp and the Massachusetts legal resource finder (mslrf.org) and 2‑1‑1 as authoritative sources to include in any resource packet. Keith, the city housing staffer, said the city would need to be the applicant on grant requests and would likely administer any awarded funds.

Rather than formally forming a subcommittee, members agreed that individuals would take preliminary research tasks and report back. Volunteers included Hannah (to draft and share slides and a written summary), Ben (to research illegal‑dumping and grant options) and another member who offered to outline a pamphlet and identify key agencies. Several participants noted open‑meeting‑law constraints and suggested individual, non quorum research before returning recommendations to the full partnership.

The partnership asked staff to review funding cycles (DEP microgrants, CPA application schedule) and to post materials on the city website. Hannah said she would email her slides and a short summary to Keith and Gwen for distribution.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Northampton Housing Partnership | July 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A partnership member proposed four low‑cost, high‑visibility projects (bulk item pickup, winterization kits, household preparedness kits and a consolidated resource pamphlet). Members agreed to individual research and staff follow‑up rather than forming a formal subcommittee immediately.","taxTitle","Northampton City, Hampshire County, Massachusetts","taxId",68541,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6178110,"Housing partnership reviews broker‑fee law and New York court decision; implementation questions remain",200,2895000,3095000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5328645-7dca74ab7a6547ace1d4f4d2dd7e86a3&start=2895&end=3095","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5328645-7dca74ab7a6547ace1d4f4d2dd7e86a3/thumbnail_2895000.jpg","/articles/6178110/Massachusetts/Housing-partnership-reviews-brokerfee-law-and-New-York-court-decision-implementation-questions-remain","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178110-5e736648547084aa47cd0d1616290bd0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770668213&Signature=G6sxnZAiTgRIrVs9dRWNkJnuwDnntIGSHytCnKeoP652hHHVIC05Rx26GUrGGoMoo7z9u6Q1z20k1EIN4~~OG0w3fRN~eKO7Z9bcWim9qiNcyZrXu4eArzyhfnFQ8~S86qBQ-EXxg16cnUQIjeFVnJyFCxOyVHKLbZL0MlCYfD1asxpt8Laj~Dg6pEKG-22r52puKI6FPLiDiMVpQPH7RdmWeuFBTs58haqmQy1t8Rvrp-HeUIL3ERIT1yARxxcX~uX332czJe5eUX3gS6s3iNe3XxjWnN-oGCvf2BRiS9JZ3EJptAfR3FhiVffmzYE7aLEdcoFH3~p2nqpXxIo4FA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Northampton City Housing Partnership received an update Monday on broker‑fee reform after the governor signed a statewide law and a federal court in New York declined to issue a preliminary injunction against a New York City ordinance restricting broker fees.

Gordon Shaw briefed the partnership on the New York litigation: landlord associations challenged New York City’s ordinance on several constitutional grounds, including the First Amendment and impairment of contracts. The federal court dismissed two of three claims and declined to issue a preliminary injunction, allowing the law to remain in place while the claims proceed to trial.

“It was significant that we finally had a court ruling,” Shaw said, noting the district court found the likelihood of success on contract‑clause claims to be weak and therefore declined the injunction. He said the New York decision is relevant to Massachusetts because the state law closely resembles the New York ordinance.

Several members asked how the Massachusetts law will be implemented and enforced locally: will landlords change rents, will enforcement be complaint‑driven, and whether local adoption is necessary or whether the state law preempts local rules. Shaw and others said they had not yet reviewed the full text of the state law and recommended monitoring guidance from state agencies and possible enforcement mechanisms.

No formal action was taken. Partnership members agreed to monitor developments and to seek clarification from city staff and legal counsel about how the law will apply in Northampton and what, if any, local steps the partnership or city council should take.

The conversation followed earlier remarks from members about local opposition to some downtown developments (Phillips Place was cited) and the need for community members to attend planning board proceedings to support housing proposals. Members said they will continue to watch court outcomes and state guidance for practical effects on tenants and developers.","Members discussed the newly enacted Massachusetts broker‑fee law, the federal court ruling in New York that declined a preliminary injunction against a similar ordinance, and unanswered questions about enforcement and local implementation.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6178115,"Northampton housing panel spotlights homelessness, public‑housing concerns and eviction‑record sealing",947,1055000,2002000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5328645-7dca74ab7a6547ace1d4f4d2dd7e86a3&start=1055&end=2002","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5328645-7dca74ab7a6547ace1d4f4d2dd7e86a3/thumbnail_1055000.jpg","/articles/6178115/Massachusetts/Northampton-housing-panel-spotlights-homelessness-publichousing-concerns-and-evictionrecord-sealing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178115-d813862d1e04e4b6925ee9177762cc5c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770668213&Signature=BAFnTOn6rP-NIKWYDq5XJIgN41TDUpu52Mmt-LziQy4japV7ZHlSSjhZ~Q~v2019d49UBfoesXlqWAIppG5usSG5Y5OAsxLsjjWdEvq23elAOBFW~kFYAz-ZxmH6t9I3nIyPjO3Y5Z2CVfkgeLsR9qVZ0meSlALCTpXWGZG0MCls68FUHhlH3IC0DHDWjCTxJw5jImLuocBCz9rxXZylBrgleaN~Kz0MWhZPfMB-khGJRhZtWCtpNNtcv7Ao1GvCiyjRsT85WFzsynm0gbYogGgGEjOH8uBOVU36JsBn8otpKPoCI7ykdgwbT1~W4kVJqVIFO34gpQ0hF72YhG3wBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Strong Towns interns and members of the Northampton City Housing Partnership on Monday discussed homelessness prevention, the condition of public housing in the city and legal tools to clear old eviction records.

The presentation by Strong Towns interns Halle( Haley) and Maddie outlined work on a housing progress report tied to the Sustainable Northampton comprehensive plan, and partnership members then focused on Goal 3 of the plan: ending homelessness.

Members said the city is pursuing several steps — a community resiliency hub at 298 Main Street, cooperation with Valley CDC and a proposed non‑police Division of Community Care — but highlighted gaps in services and protections for people already in public housing.

“By the time they come into public housing, they are already experiencing some form of trauma,” a speaker identified in the meeting as a Northampton resident said, describing mold, asbestos concerns and repeated maintenance visits that leave tenants exposed. The attendee asked whether resident‑service coordinators funded by state grants are being used effectively to prevent evictions and help vulnerable tenants stay housed.

Gordon Shaw, a housing partnership member, and representatives from Community Legal and other attendees described legal and programmatic barriers that help create homelessness, including loss of income, poor rental histories and limits in emergency assistance shelter eligibility. Shaw noted a recent Massachusetts law that allows some tenants to petition to seal older eviction records and said local legal aid groups, including Community Legal, assist with that process.

“Massachusetts just enacted its eviction‑sealing law in May,” Shaw said, and “you can petition to have eviction records sealed” in many cases, which can remove a barrier to finding rental housing. He pointed participants to MassLegalHelp.org for details.

Speakers described ongoing efforts to preserve existing low‑income housing, including monitoring and seeking extensions for expiring‑use affordability covenants, and noted city involvement in the Meadowbrook complex purchase and preservation. The Strong Towns interns reported tracking zoning incentives, the affordable housing trust fund and CDBG/CPA‑funded projects as part of their progress report.

Panelists also discussed system‑level constraints: higher interest rates and rising construction costs have slowed new development, and federal rental assistance cuts could reduce housing affordability even when units are built. “It costs about a half‑million dollars to build an apartment out here right now,” Ben Wood said, urging the group to consider “desperate moves in desperate times.”

No formal vote or policy change resulted from the discussion. Partnership members agreed to continue coordination with the interns and city staff, and several members volunteered to research specific program and funding options and return with feasibility information to a future meeting.

Next steps noted during the meeting included continued development of the resiliency hub coalition, legal‑assistance support for eviction‑sealing petitions and staff follow‑up on where city resources (CDBG, CPA) might support preservation or stabilization work. Several participants urged closer coordination with the Northampton Housing Authority and invited the authority’s interim director to present on strategies used in Holyoke to produce new public housing stock.

The partnership’s discussion emphasized a mix of immediate tenant supports and longer‑term strategies to preserve affordable units and increase housing stock, while members repeatedly stressed the limits of local authority over state public‑housing operations and the need for regional coordination.","Strong Towns interns presented a housing progress report to the Northampton City Housing Partnership; members raised immediate concerns about public‑housing conditions, preserving expiring‑use units and new state eviction‑record sealing rules that could help some tenants re‑enter the rental market.","actionData","errors"]

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Housing partnership considers small, visible projects — bulk pickup, winterization kits and a resource hub

Housing partnership reviews broker‑fee law and New York court decision; implementation questions remain

Northampton housing panel spotlights homelessness, public‑housing concerns and eviction‑record sealing