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Housing partnership to produce resource brochure; members recap broker-fee reform and local history
Summary
Members tasked Hannah with designing a foldable housing resource brochure for review next month and discussed the local origins and statewide passage of the broker-fee ban, noting anecdotal landlord pushback and the Partnership’s historical role in advising on CDBG allocations.
At its meeting, the Northampton Housing Partnership directed a member to design a public-facing housing resource brochure and reviewed the local history of tenant broker-fee reform.
Hannah said she compiled a list of legal housing resources, utility assistance programs, phone numbers and addresses and that she will lay out a foldable brochure for review at the February meeting. "My goal is to do that for next month with enough time that everybody can look it over and review," she said. Members discussed printing and distribution and whether small city funds or a tiny grant would be needed to pay a graphic designer or print copies.
Members also discussed the broker-fee reform that limits tenant-paid broker fees. Gwen Nabad summarized the local push that began with ACE and a home-rule petition in Northampton and said the measure later moved statewide and was approved by Governor Maura Healey. Nabad said she had seen anecdotal reports that some landlords tried to resist the change, including by taking listings offline or seeking workarounds. "I heard through social media that landlords had shut down their whole site. There were some that are trying to find workarounds," she said; no formal evidence was presented during the meeting.
Staff member Keith described his role in the Office of Planning and Sustainability, including managing the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and coordinating city parcels for affordable housing projects. Longtime member Richard Abusa outlined the Partnership’s origins from a housing action committee and said the group historically played a role in recommending CDBG fund recipients and local housing actions.
Members asked staff to circulate the most recent housing plan and a UMass/Wayfinders research report to help onboard the new member and suggested a brief written history of the Partnership for future orientation packages. Hannah will proceed with the brochure design; the Partnership will revisit printing and distribution options at the next meeting.
Background: Members noted that 10% of Community Preservation Committee funds are dedicated to affordable housing in Northampton and that the Partnership has historically been involved in advising on allocation of local and federal housing funds.
