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Select Board signs off on HUD-based rent schedule for Chestnut Green, warns residents town role is limited
Summary
The board authorized town manager to sign HUD-based affordable-unit rent levels submitted by new Chestnut Green owners, while staff said the town’s enforcement options are limited and invited residents to report actionable code or regulatory violations for follow-up.
The Select Board approved May 27 the HUD-derived rent schedule for affordable units at Chestnut Green and authorized the town manager to sign the submission, while clarifying the town’s limited regulatory role on owner-set market rents.
Town staff explained that HUD-based affordable rents are typically set by area median income (AMI) bands and are not adjusted at the board’s discretion. "Those rates are based on HUD area median income calculations and typically apply across projects at the same AMI level," the town manager said, cautioning that the submission came from the property owner rather than the state.
Residents have raised concerns about the new ownership and rent changes; select board members said the town’s hands are partly tied if the rents for market-rate units fall outside the town’s regulatory agreement. The building/zoning enforcement officer has received resident complaints and the town said it will investigate any violations that fall within local jurisdiction.
The board approved a motion authorizing Town Manager Paige Duncan to sign the Chestnut Green HUD rent request and asked staff to keep residents informed of any regulatory findings.
