Groveland plans public workshops and expert briefings ahead of possible Affordable Housing Trust vote

Town staff described a staged outreach plan to help residents learn about the potential establishment of a Groveland Affordable Housing Trust. The plan calls for a town web project page, case-study presentations from nearby cities and towns that have trusts, an informational session with the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, and public workshops in September or October to gather resident feedback.

Staff noted the Community Preservation Committee and the planning board each hold funds that could be used for affordable-housing activities but stressed that CPC funds cannot be used for maintenance and require CPC and Town Meeting approvals for disbursement. Board members said they want examples from towns closer in size to Groveland, expressed concern about quickly spending long-accumulated funds without a clear multi-year plan, and asked staff to gather five-year program scenarios and success stories from comparable communities.

Action taken: The Select Board voted to move forward with the town administrator's outreach plan as described in the June 5 memo. The vote authorizes staff to schedule presentations, public workshops and to coordinate with CPC and other interested boards.

Next steps: Staff will invite Newburyport (and other towns with trust experience) to brief the board and will share examples of how towns used CPC and other funds. The administrator will assemble materials and a timeline that the board can use to decide whether to place an article before Town Meeting.