MHP News

BOSTON, December 17, 2007 --- MHP recently wrapped up its fall workshop series on the Community Preservation Act with a second workshop in Westford.

Over 40 community leaders attended the December 13 half-day session on how to use CPA funds for affordable housing. Last month, a similar workshop in Northampton attracted 50 community leaders. The workshops were co-sponsored by the Citizens' Housing and Planning Association.

The Westford workshop featured a presentation by MHP's Connie Kruger and Viviana Lopez, and Karen Sunnarborg on ways in which communities have used CPA funds for affordable housing. The presentation featured a power point. To see the power point and other resource materials about CPA and affordable housing, click here.

Topics of discussion 

One of the topics of audience discussion at Westford was how to get town meeting to approve CPA funds for housing activities.

Questions at the November workshop in Northampton centered on how CPA funds could be used to support homebuyer assistance programs. Presenters at the Northampton workshop included MHP’s Connie Kruger,  Sunnarborg; Peter Jessop, chair of the Amherst CPA; Barbara Gardner of the Holliston Housing Committee and Valerie Foster, director of the Chatham Housing Authority.

Guidebook planned 

MHP has focused this fall on how CPA funds can be used for housing. In addition to the workshops, MHP, in collaboration with CHAPA,  Sunnarborg and a steering group of housing professionals, is publishing a guidebook explaining the various ways in which CPA funds can be used for housing. The guidebook is expected to be out in early 2008.

Since the CPA was created in 2000, 127 communities have adopted the measure, which allows communities to assess a real estate tax surcharge of up to three percent in order to fund three key community purposes: open space, historic preservation and community housing. For more information, go to the CPA web site.

A flexible resource

CPA funds have proven to be a flexible source of revenue for locally-supported affordable housing activities in many communities. This publication will provide instruction on the various ways in which the fund can be used. The guidebook will include sections on the various ways CPA funds can be used for housing, including:

•    Completing a housing plan
•    Paying for pre-development tasks to determine a site’s feasibility
•    Buying land for affordable housing
•    Leveraging other public and private resources to construct new housing
•    Funding a Municipal Affordable Housing Trust
•    Funding down payment assistance to first time homebuyers
•    Combining historic preservation or open space with affordable housing

The publication will also include profiles of communities that have completed or moved projects forward with CPA funds.

For more information, please email MHP's Connie Kruger.