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Lakeville CPC discusses consultant outreach and partnerships to retain subsidized units
Summary
Committee reviewed the town’s SHI inventory, discussed contacting a consultant listed on CHAPA’s directory and exploring partnership with Middleborough housing authority to preserve subsidized units that may lose affordability, and agreed to reach out to identified contacts for training and next steps.
The Town of Lakeville Community Preservation Committee spent substantial time reviewing the town’s subsidized housing inventory and options for retaining existing affordable units, including hiring external consultants and partnering with neighboring housing authorities.
Robert Stefanian, member at large, told the committee the SHI (Subsidized Housing Inventory) list the group was using was “as of 3/26/21,” and said the committee should try to obtain updated figures before taking action. Stefanian summarized outside resources the committee had identified: guidance from a statewide coalition and a recommendation to hire a consultant from a CHAPA directory; he also mentioned the MassHousing Partnership as a potential early-stage resource.
The committee discussed the schedule of expiring restrictions on existing subsidized units. Members noted a cluster of small expirations in 2026–2027 and a much larger project with an affordability date in January 2039 that the transcript records as 102 units. Committee members repeatedly emphasized that the SHI inventory in their packet appears out of date and that confidential entries for group homes do not list expiration dates in the packet.
On options, members discussed several approaches: retaining funds to offer to property owners or nonprofits; contracting a consultant to create a preservation plan; and partnering with the Middleborough housing authority (which presently administers some Lakeville units) or local nonprofits to pursue preservation work. One committee member proposed a small pilot to tackle the four units expiring in 2026 as a way to “get under our belt” before addressing larger clusters.
The committee agreed to two near-term outreach tasks: Stefanian and another member volunteered to contact “Shelley” (identified from the coalition directory) to ask whether she provides trainings or consulting on retaining affordable units; and members will reach out to the Middleborough housing authority contact to explore partnership or shared services. No funding decisions or formal grants were authorized at the meeting.
Members also discussed practical constraints: Lakeville does not have its own housing authority and shares administrative services with Middleborough; the town has limited staff capacity and is operating with a reduced planning staff, which members cited as a reason to consider external consultants or shared staffing arrangements.
The committee left the item on the agenda for future meetings and asked volunteers to report back after the outreach contacts respond.
