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March 28 |
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April 3, 2007
Affordable Housing Committee Hosts Live Call-In Forum
"Dial Up Democracy" Allows Residents to Participate from Home
NORFOLK-- Norfolk's Affordable Housing Committee will conduct the first-ever public forum by Community Access Television that enables residents to watch the meeting as it occurs and to call in with comments and questions. The public forum will occur at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25 and can be viewed on Norfolk Cable Channel 22. Residents wishing to attend in person are welcome to the meeting in Room 124 at Norfolk Town Hall. Residents who wish to participate by television can tune to Norfolk Cable channel 22 and call 508-528-1408 during the question and answer portion of the show to ask questions, make suggestions and provide comments.
The public forum will discuss the state requirements for affordable housing as well as Norfolk's options for creating more housing choices for residents. The first half of the forum will consist of presentations by members of the Affordable Housing Committee, followed by a public question and answer session moderated by committee member Dan Winslow. "We are glad to have this opportunity to open town government to a wider audience," said Sarah Del Mastro, Chair of the Affordable Housing Committee, " and to get suggestions and feedback from residents on strategies to create more housing choices in Norfolk."
"This live television forum is an experiment in dial up democracy," noted Winslow, "where even residents who cannot attend the meeting in person have a chance to participate and share their views."
March 28
Norfolk’s Affordable Housing Committee Establishes Its Foundations
Created by the Board of Selectmen in November of 2006, and with its full complement of members established in January 2007, the Affordable Housing Study Committee is expected to become a central resource for affordable housing information, and a driving force for the accomplishment of Norfolk’s affordable housing goals.
The committee consists of seven members including representatives from the Housing Authority, ZBA, and Planning Board, in addition to four community members representing each of the four voting precincts. (see ‘Members Affordable Housing Committee Members’, inset).
Affordable Housing Committee
Members
Sarah Del Mastro (Chairperson), Precinct 2
Rob Garrity, ZBA
Steve McClain, Planning Board
Bill Crane, Housing Authority
Bill Crump, Precinct 1
Jeanette Wood, Precinct 2
Dan Winslow, Precinct 3
The committee’s overall goal is to promote and support the creation of affordable housing which is in keeping with the goals and objectives of the town. By staying informed on affordable housing issues at local, state, and federal levels, the committee will become a valuable resource, for other boards and committees, for developers and for the general public.
The committee will be an active participant in future affordable housing development proposals. Such projects might be initiated by the Town, by developers or through public/private partnerships and may include renovation and rehabilitation of existing housing, ‘friendly’ 40B projects such as the Town Center Condominiums and the proposed Norfolk Landing development, construction of affordable units in new subdivisions under the Town’s new inclusionary zoning, and the construction of individual units on public or private land. The committee will also be involved in the review of land use regulations, zoning bylaws and other decisions that impact the development of affordable housing.
The committee is charged with maintaining a State approved Affordable Housing Plan. The plan is an informational document that will guide the future development of affordable housing in Norfolk. Additionally, if the Town meets the affordable housing production goals described therein, maintaining a State approved affordable housing plan will enable the Town to protect itself against so-called ‘aggressive’ 40B projects. The initial version of the plan has been created based upon Norfolk’s Community Development Plan (June 2004) with the addition of updated statistics and information on the Town’s progress since 2004. Norfolk’s Affordable Housing Plan is close to being approved by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The Affordable Housing Plan will be regularly revised and updated by
the Affordable Housing Committee to ensure that it is in keeping with the Town’s Master Plan and any new initiatives or directions. Norfolk’s Affordable Housing Plan, as submitted to the State, is available to download from the Affordable Housing Committee webpages.
The committee has developed a comprehensive webpage on the town’s website containing information about the committee, meeting minutes, and a ‘Progress to Date’ section. There are also links to FAQ pages that answer common questions about affordable housing and the affordable housing plan. ‘Affordable Housing Options in Norfolk’, provides a brief description of Norfolk’s current affordable housing stock and the ‘Internet Resources for Affordable Housing’ page provides an extensive list of informative links related to affordable housing. Coming soon will be pages on Norfolk’s Down Payment Assistance Program, Mass Housing Partnership’s SoftSecond mortgage program, inclusionary zoning and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
The Affordable Housing Committee encourages public involvement at its open meetings, which are typically held on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Meetings are posted at the Town Clerk's Office, on the Town Meeting Calendar and on the Affordable Housing Committee webpage. The next meeting of the Affordable Housing Study Committee will be: 11th April 2007, 7:30pm, at Town Hall, Room 214
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