Call to order the Thursday, February 26 uh air affordable housing trust meeting. In accordance with chapter 2 of the act of 2023 suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law, public bodies otherwise governed by the open meeting
law are temporarily relieved from the requirement that meetings be held in public places open and physically accessible to the public so long as measures are taken to ensure public access to the body's deliberations through adequate alternative means. This
meeting of the air affordable housing trust will be live on Zoom and the public may participate remotely by joining Zoom meeting ID number 434 3228146 or by calling 9292056099. For additional information about the
about remote participation, please contact Alicia Hersy at aair.mma. us or 978-772-8220 extension 142 prior to the meeting.
Right. Um, first thing up is approval of the agenda. >> Make a motion that we approve the agenda as presented. >> Okay. I'll second that. >> Um, Jonathan, how do you vote?
>> I. >> Cindy, how do you vote? >> I. Colleen, how do you vote? >> I >> and chair votes I. All right. Um, next up is approval of the meeting minutes from um January 7th.
>> I make a motion to approve the January 7th, 2026 uh minutes of the Air Affordable Housing Trust. >> Okay, second. >> I'll second that. >> All right. All right. Uh Jonathan, how do you vote? >> I. >> Cindy, how do you vote?
>> I. Colleen, how do you vote? >> I >> and chair votes I. Okay. Minutes are approved as presented. All right. And our next item is the air rental assistance program for
2026. And Alicia, I will turn it over to you. >> So, at the last minute, just a few minutes ago, I sent everybody a copy of the ranking. Um, this is a ranking without any names, so it's just got code numbers for it, but it was something
that I really wanted everybody to see. Um, we actually had to extend the to the 17th because, um, I had forgotten that it was a holiday on the 16th. And then um so we've only had about I'm just
saying we've had 6 days to review these and and we got 34 applications I think in total. Um >> really interesting applications this time. It it says a lot because usually we're we thought it was a lot when we got 20 applications.
Um of the 34 applications there was two fraud. I don't know if you guys saw that. and they were serious fraud. >> Um, so we sent it over to the police. >> Um, >> wow.
>> And we had talked about that before. We still are waiting for a little bit of information. There's a couple incomplete um, applications here. They will be weight listed, but they still have till next Monday to get in the missing
information. So, this is not set in stone. So what I've highlighted in yellow are right now the we have 12 slots. That's what we agreed upon. I highlighted in yellow I think only 12. There was a 13. I highlighted
in yellow everything. Everybody who had over a 30 score 3 score. >> Line 27 is highlighted by error. >> Oh >> if you take that out then it comes to 12.
>> Oh good. Okay, thank you. >> Um, yes. >> Let me see. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10. Oh, actually 11. Okay, good. >> Oh, good. Because I've got some more 30s coming on. So now, if you remember, and
if you look at the incomes for all of those people highlighted, you're not going to see an income. You see a couple incomes at at 30 and change, $30,000 and change. And that's an income for all year. There's a whole lot of incomes
that are under 20. There's a lot of people that got 20 points for their income. So most of these people that have scores of 30 and above have 18 to 19 or 20 points for income. That means that they're the lowest income.
So nobody below that even got in. Now there is there is a caveat here. Um, we have some people in here that will be coming off midway through the program because they're going to get subsidized units that are coming available or um
there's another person that that might come off on on by by by choice because they're going to get a roommate. Okay. Um, so there is a possibility of of anywhere from three to five spots
opening up, which is good because I hate to have this many people. Um, really interesting things. There's people that applied, they have decent incomes, but they lost their Medicare
and they had to start paying at with families because they had their children on, you know, subsidized and so they ended up having an extra $700 come out of their >> Yeah. >> budget or go into their budget. And so
there's things like that. So, it's showing all the different things in if you go into the details of this that's happening in our economy right now. Um, any questions from anyone? >> Can you send will you be alerting us
after the deadline what the final numbers are or could is that or would we wait? >> So, there is one question that I do want to talk to you about. So, I had somebody who um actually has not even enough income to make their rent. Um have
um personal situations that have put them into an apartment. Um sold a house. They have a savings account. It is for Is there a point where we say we they we don't we count their assets? I don't
usually count assets, believe it or not, under $100,000 because $100,000 isn't going to get you that far. It get you a couple years and things like that. >> And so most people who are applying are
are have been in apartments for years and years and years, have not been homeowners. Correct. >> Yes. >> Is this a is this I'm sorry if you if you said this. I think I missed it. Um, is this the only person that has ever been in that situation where they've got
that kind of a >> No, I usually don't qualify. You know, usually they're if they have assets of, you know, for the most part I haven't had that much assets from anyone yet.
>> Okay. But I've got I've got some other people that are um newly single family, single um parent households and things like that. There are savings there. And I wanted to
know if you Wait a minute. Did somebody just Oh, yes. Mint. I wanted to know if you guys wanted to set a threshold of assets that I need to start calculating that in or not.
What's in the how's it presented in the application? >> Just income. >> Yeah, just income. >> What's hard? You know, it's really hard to answer your question, Alicia, because I have no idea what the legitimate threshold should be. It would just be
arbitrary. And that's what's frightens me. It's like what is 50,000, 100, 30? I mean, who it it's it's, you know, unless there's something to to benchmark it against, it feels like we're just just making something up. Do you have any thoughts about what a a legitimate
threshold should be based upon? >> I would say it h would have to be over a 100,000 because a 100,000 doesn't even usually get you, you know, four to five years of, you know, support. So, um, but
but then we don't want to pop somebody else off who doesn't have any assets at all. >> That's right. >> Right. >> That's what I'm worried about. >> So, so, and we're talking about somebody on social security in this situation and it's going down fast. I've got all our
bank statements and things like that. So, um, it's not going to this person doesn't have 50% of their household expenses. So my thought on it is that we do not want to wait until somebody is
>> desperate and in debt before we help them. So the fact that somebody has a certain amount of assets and you know I maybe you want to arbitrarily say 100,000 I don't know but like you're saying that doesn't get you very far in
the economy today. Um especially if you've got a family. So, I applaud people for thinking ahead >> rather than waiting until they're in desperate situation. Um, that's I I I
don't know what the right number is. that's really above my pay grade. But um that's something that I think that we should definitely look into and maybe come back with some statistics and
things like that from maybe other programs or um if we could even trust governmental numbers anymore. If there's any information out there on government websites that would help with something like that. Well, remember one of the
things that we set this program up for was to help people get out of trouble and to actually save and get themselves into a good place. >> Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. >> So, I think the number needs to be pretty high. I think it needs to be 100,
maybe even a little higher than 100. >> Yeah, I agree. >> You know, maybe even 150. after 150 they have options you know but if it's the full is if it's their full retirement I don't even >> I count their annuities if they get are
getting an annuity every month I count that in as income if they have retirement funds I don't usually count that in as income because we don't want everybody set to be on this kind of a program all their life we want them to
be able to stabilize themselves Right. >> Yeah. I think it's like Cindy's saying, I think it's worth further exploration. I think definitely for this goround. Um, not counting the assets. >> I agree with Sean.
>> But yeah, moving forward. Um, maybe it is something that we should take a look at. With that in mind, like you just said, we don't want people to use all their assets and end up >> being destitute. Um but yes, it should be a consideration.
>> Yeah, I I agree. I think something we should talk about, look at, you know, do we consider that in our point system for how we rank applicants down the road, but for right now, I think we don't consider it until we
until we feel better about knowing what that threshold should be. >> Exactly. I would hate to have that as a as a I think it would be unfair to insert that as a as a as as a qualifier now this late in the game. I think Sean suggested that we have Yeah, it has to
be a a deliberation >> and uh that means we have to postpone it to the next round because we can't it's not I think right now it's not appropriate at all. For the most part, we don't count assets, even when I'm doing um housing rehab um until they get
over a certain level. And and believe it or not, it's rarely people who apply for these programs don't usually have a ton of assets. Okay. >> Wouldn't think so. >> Yeah. Sorry. >> Oh, no. I was just going to say and also
we need to be able to define what what we're going to consider assets. Is it, you know, savings accounts? Is it automobiles? Is it, you know, um, and I think we could take some guidance, not necessarily all, but from, um, you know,
programs like Mass Health or things like that where they where they, you know, they do consider your car an asset. They So, um, but yeah, I think it will take a lot more um, research and, uh, flushing
it out and developing it a bit more. >> Great. Okay. I'm in full agreement with you. I you know the ass it's it's funny the way we have we look at um incomes and things like that and the documents we get you get a very full um some
people are very forthcoming and some people aren't but most of the people that end up qualifying for the program really are very forthcoming. Um, so that was one thing.
At some point, I I I have to say if we go over too many people over 30 um a 30 point score and if it gets over if we get 13 or 14,
would you guys consider expend extending the program or do you think 12 is really what a reasonable thing for the town to be spending money on because that would extend to um $84,000
for the year's program. >> I'm always in favor of more. >> Do we do we have to go to town meeting or anything for that or can we discretion to do that? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Especially now that we have that additional
amount of funds, you know, assuming that we're successful at town meeting with our ask this time around, we would have those funds in place. I don't see any problem with going up to 15. It certainly looks like we have a
high level of need from your perspective Alicia in terms of you know whoever is going to be managing the program. I think that was why we had sort of started small and built up because of the amount of work it takes.
So if you think that is manageable for >> it depends you know I got to tell you I I have never reviewed this many applications in six days and it's pretty pretty much what I've done but because of a lot of other
issues it's it I'm trying to get it done and get it completed and get it moving forward. Um, I w I had hoped to have someone I was training to do this because even when I spent sent the two to to the two fraud were done by the
same people in Cal in in Florida. Okay. And and even when I sent them to the police station, they're like, "Oh, how did you catch this?" And after you've done it enough times, it the moment they came in, I knew they were fraud. Okay. And I'm I'm just I'm just having a
little bit of a I really would have liked to be able to have a chance to train the next person on on this because it gets faster and faster as you go, but it's still a lot of documentation um and being consistent on your
documentation and and reading the documentation. Um, there's all sorts of getting your paycheck early kind of accounts and there's all sorts of Chime. Have you guys heard about Chime? >> Yeah. >> I learned about all sorts of different
financing mechanisms. >> Oh, yeah. And so, um, anyway, um, so I would say that if you would give me, um,
the leeway to not over I would I think we can probably do it with just 14. I I think it's a I think it's a cumbersome program to go up. I do. But in the same sense, I hate anybody that's making that's falling at
30 points and above. Well, they're they're they're they're living on less than $30,000, most of them. >> Yeah. >> A year. >> Cindy, did you have a question? >> Yeah, I did. Well, it's kind of a statement question. Uh, I just wanted to
remind us that we did talk about at one time that anytime we raise the number of people that we're doing for this, that means that we don't have that money for anything else. And you know, Devon's
Crest came up and we were able to help and that was great, but that was because of CPC. So, um, I I'm not saying no. I I'm absolutely in agreement that nobody with that type of income should be
turned down. Um but I just want us to remember that the more money we put into rental assistance, the less we have for other things. So, I
I agree. You know, I have a similar concern to Cindy on that, but I'm wondering if we can talk to CPC about it next week and see whether or not if we really feel like this is what we want to do. the public
at the public hearing. See if it's not too late to raise the amount that we're asking for. I have no idea if that would have needed to happen at the last meeting or I know once you go to town meeting the amount the amount
they approve at the end of the public hearing is the amount that goes to town meeting can always come down but can't go up. But it may be possible that we have a little wiggle room to tell them what we're thinking and see if that amount can be adjusted before it gets
voted on at the public hearing so that we still have that additional amount of funds that we were planning. Um, >> and we're going to have four or five open up
later in the year. Yeah. >> So, if we approve two more going up to 14. Um, >> I was just counting through how many 20s we had. >> Yep. >> Um, let me just do it again because I'm
slow. >> Looks like >> So, I see two 30s that are probably going to come on after the fact. Okay. And um so only three more 20s and then we're in the teens.
Um actually four more 20s. So if we were to agree to or if we said okay to two more that would cover the 30s. >> Yes. >> And then the 20s would be covered by the
ones that are going to fall off. >> But but if five fall off then you're going to be going down into the teens which isn't a horrible thing. I mean all these people could use a hand. >> Yeah. >> But um and we're going to have let's count how many we're not going to be
funding. So, so we're talking about seven. >> That's counting. That's if we do all that's not that's basically Yeah, that's the teens and the 20s maybe seven or eight. I because of my
blank spaces I'm having trouble counting properly because I kind of know what those numbers are but I waiting for information and and you do and that's not counting the people I don't have any information. So you we've got an incomplete we've got
an incomplete number 521 P the third from the bottom. Um, that's an incomplete application. That application would come in at in the 20s probably,
maybe not. Um, let me see. And then there's another incomplete application. There's another application where somebody doesn't have a house, but is a local resident that is trying to find a rental. Um, and so I'm putting them on
the wait list. They will come in into their 30s. Okay. >> 508 there. Is that the one you're talking about? >> Yeah. 508. And >> yeah, that's Yeah, that incomplete application and 508. Okay, that's it. So
they So we really have about nine that are going to be served with the 12 grants. So you don't do you want you we can fund the first 12 and if we want to add some
next month but if we're going to do it we need to do it early. I'm gone. >> Mhm. I'm still I still have to have inspections on the units and write all
the contracts along with working on my rehab grant. So I we'll see what happens. >> Um
should Oh okay. So, should we fund the 12 also see if it's possible to amend our CPC request for an additional 12,000 for this program specifically? And then we'll have our answer on that and then if that's not possible, then we can make
a decision on the other two from the other funds that we requested. >> Does that sound like a good idea? >> I think that sounds very reasonable. I was going to even ask if we wanted to put one more in there just for sort of like emergency purposes. >> Oh, yeah. So,
>> make it 15 rather than 14, but plan plan to just do the 14 and have one sort of on hold or or or maybe it doesn't work that way. Maybe >> keeping one dumb. I don't know.
>> So, we had somebody leave. So, I keep a spreadsheet. Mhm. >> That shows that we have funds where somebody left early and sometimes I put the funds. So we have some maybe three months or six months of funds that we didn't sp spend from a past year.
>> Oh, okay. So instead of adding an extra, we just have that as sort of a a little I don't want to call it a slush fund, you know, it's an emergency fund. >> It's emergency fund. And I've I've thought to and I have come to you in the past where we actually
>> voted to go forward with someone for a part-time thing. >> Yeah. >> So, okay. >> Well, whatever y'all think. I >> 14 or 15. It's I'm going to vote for it either way.
>> So, you're looking for emotions. So, I'm trying to figure out the correct language here. Um Yeah. Basically, I want to say what Sean just said. Sean, could you actually make the the motion because you articulated it so well, then I can second it. >> Uh, so we be the motion would be to
amend our CPC request >> for an additional $12,000 um for the rental assistance program, bringing our total to 14. >> I second that.
>> Okay. Um, Jonathan, how do you vote? >> I. >> Uh, Cindy, how do you vote? >> I. >> Colleen, how do you vote? >> I. >> And the chair votes I. >> Can I vote? >> Oh. Oh, yeah. Pat, sorry, it doesn't have your name. Sorry about that. Yes,
Pat, please vote. >> Oh, I don't know why. Yeah, it allowed me in. >> Yeah. >> Hello, everyone. I vote yes. >> Okay, thank you. I then maybe you're just a random resident wanting to like listen in.
Perfect. All right. And then um and then back to um for now we need to do the agree to the 12. Correct. >> Yes. And on that,
>> there's a couple that could pop some of these off, but if you can approve that the 12 highest ranking. >> Okay. >> Um with the contingent that if it is approved by CPC,
um we can then move it to 14. Is can we do a um a motion like that? I I make a motion that we approve the top 12 applicants to the rental assistant program as determined by Alicia Hersy and then pending the CPC decision, there
may be possible two more. >> Second. >> All right. Uh Jonathan, how do you vote? >> I. Uh Cindy, how do you vote? >> I. >> Pauline, how do you vote? >> I. >> Pat, how do you vote?
>> I. And the chair says I. All right. Perfect. All right. So, that was approved. And let's see. All right. Um, and I think that also then I we can
discuss if need be. But that covers the next uh item on the agenda, the CPC financial request. >> I just wanted to remind you guys that next year, so we're now doing it a year late. We do have funds in the but I
think they prefer us to do it in the spring anyway. >> Yeah. >> So hopefully we'll start and moving forward to having funds in, you know, enough to cover and then we'll go in the spring every
year for the CPC request or whenever we need to. We're also starting to get inclusionary housing um built and right now they're building the units which is great but there is a possibility that we'll start getting the funds for any in
le of payments will be coming into the trust and the trust is going to need to start thinking about okay how are we going to encourage people um and can I take us a little side because I want to give a little guidance here. Yeah.
>> So, some of the things you can look at is buying down units. All the units that are made through the inclusionary housing are low to moderate. So, you guys had a great experience of figuring out what low to moderate is. You know,
40% AMI, 50% AMI, 60% AMI, that's all low. When you get to 80% AMI, that's moderate. All inclusionary housing requires that they rent or sell to loan to moderate. So up to 80,000 80% AMI.
Okay. So when you get funds in your account, you can think about building. You can think about um doing RFPs to to encourage say you got a piece of land through the town and you wanted somebody to build something. You could do an RFP and you could give incentives and that
sort of thing to bring in a nonprofit builder to build you some housing. You can um buy down some of the housing that is being done through inclusionary zoning. You can buy it down for um handicap. You can buy it down to a 60%
AMI. There's all sorts of things that or even lower. So those are the things that you can use with that money. and you at some point probably doing a little bit more work. I'm really hopeful
that you get a a great housing person and um that can give you guidance on this and um also have a chance to just do some own deep dive on that. So those are just some ideas for you. >> Thank you. >> Is this your last meeting with us?
>> Well, it depends on if we do a meeting before. We'll see. We'll see. I I'll send a note. Okay. >> I would appreciate that. Yes. Please let us know. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> All right.
>> Okay. Um Okay. So, and we already approved the financial request, right? That was more just uh that was just an update. >> It Yeah. So, CPC voted at the last meeting to move it to a public hearing. The public hearing is next Wednesday
um at 7 o'clock and then should it pass public hearing then it will go to town meeting. >> Perfect. All right. All right. Um then the next item will be the air comments update >> and this is the best news and if you
haven't heard it yet. So, um, Air Commons has had had an earmark at the federal government for $4 million, expecting it to be cut down to two if they if they even ever voted on the 2025
budget. >> They voted. They got a $4 million earmark for Air Commons. So that's, you know, that's that's going to help them get, you know, a fire behind them at the state and everything like that. So
>> that's amazing. >> Yeah, it is amazing. And we aren't hearing news like that that often, >> right? >> So that's >> Go ahead. >> So now it's just up to the state. >> Yes.
All right. Any questions or comments on air comments? >> Great. >> All right. Then, uh, next would be a Devon's Crest update. >> Um, I'm pretty much going to pass. I owe them some documentation and just one
more thing that's going to need to get done. Um, but we'll get it out to them on I don't know, Colleen, where are you guys at on with CBC? I think they're waiting for me to get all the documentation collected for CBC
and for um and I'm meeting with Janet tomorrow on some of this. So, >> um, you want to give her a heads up? We might ask for a little more money and see what she says. No, she we No, I think that some of this
is I need to I had somebody reach out to me and I need to get back to them and um get I've told them multiple times what I need, but we found out. So there when you have affordable housing and
it's designated affordable housing going on our SHI list, there is an organization that oversees that project and it's either um EOHLC with the state or it can be mass housing or Chapa and
I think this one landed in Chapa and I did get the contact for that. So, I need to reach out to them because they will have all the documentation that we need. And I'll try and do that tomorrow before um I have my housing committee meeting
with with Janet and um get that over and definitely get it before we have the CPC meeting. Okay. So that we can get that moving along and have it so we can distribute those funds. >> All right.
Okay. Um, that brings us to public comment section. We do not see anybody here. >> Can I just one more thing? >> Yeah, absolutely. >> Okay. Um, wait, now I forgot.
Sorry. >> That's okay. >> I have too much in my head right now. Come on, Alicia. You're part of the public. >> Yeah. Um, >> no, it's not there. >> It's gone. >> It's gone.
>> And there's no one in the waiting room. >> Just want check. There's no one in the waiting room. >> We've got six particip participants and nobody in the waiting room. Yep, we're good. >> Just double checking. Okay. >> All right. Um, good job.
>> So then that that's it. Uh, >> you're looking for a motion to adjurnn, sir? >> Yes. >> Could we discuss our next meeting before? >> No, we could do that. Yes. Sorry. >> Let's do that. Yay. TBD. Let's see. >> Sorry.
>> Oh, you. >> All right. >> Obviously, I think we want to make it when Alicia is going to be there. >> That would be helpful. >> Do you want to do it the second week of March? Okay.
>> The 11th. Go back to Wednesday. >> Um >> because I have the library board on on uh that Thursday. >> Yep. That works for me. >> Wednesday the 11th. >> Yep. >> Yep. >> That works for me. 6:15.
>> Yep. >> 6:15. >> And you know what would be good? I'll I'll get Ray to come because if we don't have anybody hired by this time, then I think she should be covering. >> Okay. So that would be a really good transition here. >> Awesome.
>> I like it. >> All right. >> Now we can make a motion. >> Okay. Now >> I'll make a motion to adjourn. >> All right. Can I get a second? >> Yes. Seconded. >> All right. Colleen, how do you vote? >> I.
>> Jonathan, how do you vote? >> I. >> Cindy, how do you vote? >> Hi. >> And Pat, how do you vote? Hi. >> All right. And we are adjourned.