SOUTHAMPTON — A shortage of affordable housing in town is leading the Select Board and housing advocates to ask residents at a special Town Meeting on Tuesday to create a municipal affordable housing trust that they say is critical to get properties developed.
Currently, about 2% of the homes in Southampton are considered affordable, far below the state requirement of 10%.
“We don’t meet the state requirements for the amount of affordable housing in Southampton and I think that’s important for people to know that because if we don’t meet those requirements, we’re kind of boxing ourselves out of any state funding for this town,” Select Board member Joy Piper, who also serves on the town’s Housing Authority. “If we did meet those requirements, I believe that would open doors to provide more housing options to the people in this town. … There needs to be more variety, and diversity of housing in this community in order for everyone to stay here and live here.”
Additionally, almost half of renters in town spend more than 50% of their income on housing and the average home sales have risen by 29% since 2010, according to Sierra Simmons, a member of Southampton Housing Authority.
“With property prices skyrocketing, it’s really hard for people who aren’t wealthy to purchase housing,” Simmons said.
As a way to respond to these challenges, the Housing Authority, with support from the Select Board, wants voters to OK formation of an affordable housing trust at the special Town Meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at William E. Norris School, 34 Pomeroy Meadow Road.
Such trusts help municipalities create and preserve affordable housing for low- to moderate-income households. There are at least 135 communities in the state that have established a trust fund.
If Town Meeting approves the measure, the Select Board would appoint a board of five trustees.
Funding for the potential entity can come from a number of sources, including Community Preservation Act funds. Simmons said that the entity could request a transfer of CPA funds, which will give the trust the ability to be more “nimble” with property purchases. In order for the Authority to purchase properties now, approval of the transfer of funds must be OK’d at town meeting.
“For years and years, (the lack of a housing trust) has really sort of crippled us in our ability to actually make moves with this money,” Simmons said. “Once that money is in there, they can move on properties quickly and buy them and then they can work on developing the property.”
In addition to forming a housing trust, Tuesday’s Town Meeting warrant features 14 other articles, according to Town Administrator Ed Gibson.
Among those articles is a request to transfer $100,000 from the town’s community preservation surcharges account to the Southampton Greenway for the town’s local matching share of a Mass Trails grant. Approval of this article will allow the next step in the rail trail project, which the town has been pursuing for more than a decade and discussing its possibility for more than two decades.
“This will allow us to start the design process of the Greenway bicycle and pedestrian path,” said Gibson. “We’re getting closer.”
Another article looks to create a new bylaw marking town-owned vehicles with either the town seal or in the case of emergency vehicles, a police badge or fire Maltese Cross, and contrasting lettering that is visible and identifiable as town-owned.
The warrant also proposes adopting a new bylaw which establishes standards guidelines for the protection of animals. Gibson said that the Bylaw Review Committee had received a number of questions about humane care and treatment of domesticated animals.
“The committee listened to resident concerns and put forth this bylaw as a way to stay ahead of the curve,” he said.
Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.
