The City Council is looking to meet with the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board, the Community Preservation Committee, and the Director of Housing and Community Development to discuss the city’s housing policy.
The order introduced by Councilors Brian Hatleberg and Norieliz DeJesus at Monday night’s meeting calling for a subcommittee on conference on the issue generated a healthy amount of debate among the council.
Hatleberg noted that both he and DeJesus served on the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board in the past, and said he wanted to make sure the council is up to date on the board’s plans.
“I know they are finalizing their work plan in early November, so my thought is to schedule the subcommittee in late November so we can hear what their plan is,” said Hatleberg.
When he was on the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board, Hatleberg said the board had been given a substantial amount of money from the city to spend to help create affordable housing.
“I want to make sure that the money actually is spent to create affordable housing,” said Hatleberg. “I think there is a natural and understandable and responsible attitude that would say we want to take care of the money we were given and use it prudently and cautiously. But we really need affordable housing units and we need them now and we need them as fast as possible.”
Hatleberg said there should be an effort by the city to assure the trust fund board that if it spends money on affordable housing units, the city will come up with more money.
“I hope we can give the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board some concept that at the council level we want the money used and spent, and that there will be more of it if it is used well,” he said.
DeJesus said she wants to listen to all the players in the city involved in affordable housing.
“I think that this is the perfect timing for us to have these conversations and really establish some long-standing services and projects that will ensure long-term success (with) the housing crisis we have right now,” DeJesus said. “I was really hoping we could get through the city manager process so we could start getting to work, and this was one of the top priorities across the board with my colleagues.”
District 1 Councilor Todd Taylor said affordable housing is a complicated issue that needs to be discussed.
“There is a substantial role that other communities have to take up in this state in doing this,” said Taylor. “Chelsea is 1.8 square miles with only so much room. We are never going to solve this problem without working collaboratively with other communities in the Commonwealth and with the state.”
Councilor-at-Large Damali Vidot said the conversation about affordable housing will continue to be an ongoing one that extends into the next council session in January.