Southborough Affordable Housing Trust narrows timeline for housing production plan, eyes two consultant proposals and several parcels

The Affordable Housing Trust for the Town of Southborough met to review two consultant proposals for a town housing production plan, discuss potential parcels for affordable housing, and consider next steps on funding and technical assistance.

Trust members were told the trust now has about "$998,000 plus a little" available for housing work. "I contacted the treasurer today, and the total sum available to us now is $998,000 plus a little," said Al (Affordable Housing Trust member). Trustees said the money is available now but that a staff member’s return from vacation is delaying administrative processing.

Why it matters: the housing production plan will establish the town’s eligibility and strategy for state programs, is tied to a late summer deadline, and could guide use of the trust’s available funds and partnerships with nonprofit or for‑profit developers.

The Trust discussed two proposals that came in response to an RFQ: one from a firm identified in materials as Barrett and one from a firm described as Community Scale. "The prices came in almost identical. The difference of a few hundred dollars," said Ellen (Affordable Housing Trust member). Trust members said both firms showed relevant experience; Barrett included prior housing production plans the group found especially applicable, and Community Scale proposed plain‑English presentation materials and a public website to present findings. One trustee said Barrett described the schedule as "a daunting task to…