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FAIR HOUSING
ADVISORY COMMISSION MINUTES
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SEPTEMBER 18, 2006
ATTENDANCE: Rev. Jeffrey Ingraham, Nancy Burke, Barbara Hudgins, Carol
Frank.
STAFF: Margaret Suib, Fair Housing Officer
I. CALL TO ORDER
Rev. Ingraham called the meeting to order at 7:45 p.m. He announced that he would have to leave the meeting at 8:30 p.m.
II. APPROVAL OF AUGUST 21, 2006 MINUTES
The following corrections were noted:
Page 3, paragraph 2, line 10: please change “the first paragraph was taken from the original consent decree.” to “the first paragraph of the second consent decree was taken from the original consent decree.”
Page 3, paragraph 2, line 15: please change “Mr. Sigelson” to “Mr. Seligson”.
Page 3, paragraph 4, line 1: please change “Ms. Torrano commented that Section 8 starts to get at…” to “Ms. Torrano commented that Paragraph 8 of the decree starts to get at…”
Page 4, paragraph 1, line 12: please change “ …it will lost a major portion of the funding.” to “…it will lose some of the local control of the zoning as well as grants.”
Page 4, paragraph 3, line 5: please change “…generating back to the City information”
to
“reporting back to the City information”
Page 4, paragraph 4 line 12: please insert a line which reads “Ms. Frank left the meeting at 8:15 p.m.”
Page 5, paragraph 1, line 2: please change “…$400,000 condos are not required” to “…$400,000 condos who are not required”
Page 5, paragraph 4, line 3: please change “…that was build, a list of the affordable housing” to “…that was build and a list of the affordable housing”
Page 5, paragraph 5, line 2: please change “One unit would be approximately” to “One bedroom units would be approximately”
** MS. FRANK MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS CORRECTED.
** MS. HUDGINS SECONDED.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
III. FAIR HOUSING OFFICER’S REPORT
Ms. Suib stated that she would address the questions that had been asked in last month’s meeting. She indicated that there was a copy of the Affordable Housing Count list in the Commission’s information packet. There were many corrections on the list, which had not been updated in some time. Ms. Suib explained that she had submitted the report to the State, but the State would examine the title for each property before approving the list. She also reviewed the list of new Annual Report of New Deed Restricted Housing with the Commission members. Ms. Suib explained that there were a few entries that were labeled as “North Walke”, which is part of the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency. The notations indicating HSDA represent the Housing Site Development Agency. Ms. Suib also informed the Commission that copies of the notes and the deeds have been sent to the State for their inspection and approval.
Rev. Ingraham asked what makes the listed units affordable. Ms. Suib explained that there are limitations on the deeds. Many of the properties were purchased with some state or federal money and one of the requirements for those fund is that the buyer have a low or moderate income. Also, Ms. Suib pointed out that many of the properties have deed restrictions on them, which limits the amount that the property could be sold for.
Ms. Suib also indicated that she had been asked about the Maritime Yards project last month. She directed the Commission’s attention to the Affirmative Marketing Plan for Maritime Yards from the Housing Development Fund, Inc. of Stamford, which is doing the marketing for this particular aspect of the plan. Ms. Suib then proceeded to review the particulars regarding that report with the Commission. She also stated that the prices listed were from 2004.
A question was raised regarding about the term “affordable”. Ms. Suib explained that it was very important to realize that the “affordable income” was based on the State median income rather than the area median income. Rev. Ingraham asked how many units would be involved. Ms. Suib explained that there would be 6 affordable units for sale and 13 affordable rentals. When Rev. Ingraham asked why the sale number was so low, Ms. Suib replied that it requires a fine line between asking a developer to include some affordable units and making the number of affordable units required so steep that the developer chooses not to do the project. Rev. Ingraham asked how Ms. Suib knew that this was the maximum number of units that could be obtained and Ms. Suib replied that she had worked on this project for six months. Ms. Frank also commented that she had been on the Redevelopment Agency Commission during that time and the negotiations had been lengthy. Ms. Suib also stated that the Redevelopment Agency can only asked for affordable housing in areas that are designated as Redevelopment Agency areas.
At this point in the discussion, Rev. Ingraham announced that he had to leave. Seeing that there would no longer be a quorum, the remaining discussion items would be tabled until the next meeting.
IV. DISCUSSION OF SECOND AMENDED CONSENT DECREE
V. DISCUSSION OF STATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COUNT FOR NORWALK
VI. DISCUSSION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN REED PUTNAM DEVELOPMENT AREA
VII. OLD BUSINESS
VIII. NEW BUSINESS
IX. ADJOURNMENT
** REV. INGRAHAM MOVED TO ADJOURN
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted
Sharon L. Soltes
Telesco Secretarial Services
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