Committee Report CR-1
The Housing Committee held a public meeting on August 22, 2007, beginning at three o’clock and fourteen minutes P.M. in the Ackerman Room. The meeting was held for the purpose of discussing the recent tour and conditions of the building at
Present at the meeting were Councillor Anthony D. Galluccio, Chair of the Committee, Vice Mayor Timothy J. Toomey, Jr., and City Clerk Margaret Drury. Also present were Beth Rubenstein, Assistant City Manager for Community Development, Christopher Cotter, Housing Director, Community Development Department (CDD), Cassandra Arnaud, Housing Planner, CDD, Greg Russ, Executive Director, Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA), Terry Dumas, Director of Planning and Development, CHA, Margaret Donnelly Moran, CHA, Rick Henken, President of Rindge Associates, General Partner for Fresh Pond Apartments, Schochet Associates, Scott Cole, Resident Services Coordinator, Fresh Pond Apartments, Patricia Casola, President of the Fresh Pond Tenants Association, 364 Rindge Avenue, Cheryl Pizza-Zeoli, Cambridge, Anna Dolmath, CDD, and Laura Booth, Tenant Services Coordinator, CEOC.
Councillor Galluccio convened the meeting and explained the purpose. He began with the issue of conditions at Fresh Pond Apartments.
, said that in 2000, the owners signed an agreement to keep the building affordable through 2020. At that time they agreed that there would be an upgrade of this property. They have made substantial reinvestment in rehab and will continue until all 504 units have been renovated, and then they will start over.
He said that more recently there have been some management changes. Ken Sullivan is the new Senior Property Manager and Scott Cole is the Resident Services Coordinator. Mr. Cole’s job is to link residents to services in the larger community. This has made a big difference for the residents. He said that there is a new computer lab, and a new security system, with security cameras and a key fob system.
Councillor Galluccio said that Scott Cole has done a great job and invited him to make a brief summary. Mr. Cole described progress in the computer center and described the health fair that took place the previous weekend. He said that since they installed the new security system, there have been very few problems with drinking and loitering.
Beth Rubenstein asked about the plans for operation of the computer system. Mr. Cole said the plan is to have it operating from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. MIT graduate students will teach classes. It will be for kids and adults, including elderly and disabled persons. There have also been ESL conversational classes in the building. They stopped for July and August and will start again this fall.
Councillor Galluccio urged Mr. Cole to survey the tenants as to their needs. He also noted that Mr. Cole really needs and assistant, a “baby Scott Cole.”
Laura Booth, Tenant Services Coordinator, CEOC, submitted a memo on follow up issues from the recent inspection of conditions. She said that recently she has seen big improvements over the years and conditions that had existed over the past 12 years she has seen worked with these tenants. CEOC and the Tenants Association continue to have a list of action items. Ms. Booth submitted a memo of these items
Patricia Casola, President of the Fresh Pond Tenants Association, stated that in the past year in a half, Federal Management has made incredible improvements. She will be working closely with Scott. She would like to do a tenant survey. She noted that many organizations were involved in bringing about the final use agreement in 2000.
Ms. Casola said that one of the Tenant Association’s main concerns relates to the asbestos. At the time of the tour it was said that the asbestos was to be left alone and that holes and cracks were not to be fixed. She cited 105 CMR Department of Public Health 410.353 requiring that holes be fixed. Mr. Henken said that he would look into it further. He will re-look at the property survey.
Ms. Casola said that the renovations that are being done in the occupied units are not being done to the same standards as the vacant units. Mr. Henken said that he will also look into that matter. Councillor Galluccio expressed appreciation for the improvements in the quality of the materials being used in the renovations.
Councillor Galluccio then moved to a discussion of the state-owned CHA units. Councillor Galluccio said he knows there has been brainstorming on this issue and invited an update.
Gregg Russ, Executive Director of t he CHA, first reviewed past history including the decision by three local housing authorities,
to file a lawsuit to compel the state to rehabilitate these units. Recently the three authorities decided to withdraw the lawsuit without prejudice to their right to re-file because they have seen progress by the state. The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has reimbursed $758, 000 owed from prior fiscal years and has committed to a new formula that has increased the statewide subsidy from $45 million to $60 million. However, the amount needed is $110 million for the operating subsidy. At the current level the CHA cannot make capital investment plans because the funds are not sufficient to cover the debt that they would have to incur. Cambridge CHA officials have had two meetings on the operating study with state officials.
Mr. Russ said that one effect of the new administration at DHCD is that the backlogged approval requests have been processed and CHA has received $2.65 million from this process. Also the state has approved $100, 000 for a master plan study for
Vice Mayor Toomey said that at Willow Street Homes, the tenants have a big problem with the dumpster. At a recent community meeting there was a great deal of resident concern expressed. Mr. Russ explained that smaller amounts of the $2.65 million will go for rehab projects at
The CHA will be undertaking a comprehensive master plan process for rehabilitation of the state and federal CHA units. Their estimate of the financial need for the state portfolio overall, including reasonable soft costs, is $106 million for 747 units, for example Manning $112,000/unit,
$315,000/unit. Mr. Russ said that the CHA hopes to begin the community planning process next month. They will probably look at project-basing vouchers into the developments. They have some money to work with, there is some subsidy money left. There is proposed federal legislature to extend this money for 10 years, but they do not know what will happen with the legislation. Mr. Russ said that CHA wants to establish a 10-year plan and use a planning process to look at what options there are for different sites.
Terry Dumas, Director of Planning and Development, CHA distributed a summary diagram of the 10-year capital planning process
. She noted that policy discussions would be needed as part of the planning process. For example, the issue of developing large units. The current
demand is for 1-2 bedroom units. Should the CHA build for that demand or bring in non-residents to keep large families in
Councillor Galluccio emphasized the need to keep the philosophy on the table and also noted that there is no definite money available. Ms. Dumas said that there is tax credit money available; and on the federal side, there is some availability.
Mr. Russ said that it is very important to define the extent of the money problem and to emphasize that this money is not on the table and not guaranteed. This process is designed to sharpen the figures and put the CHA in shape to seek additional funding. Although there is a night and day difference now at DHCD, they are living in the same world we are, with much less federal funding available.
Councillor Galluccio said that he wants the City to be involved in the demographics as well. Mr. Russ said he and Mr. Cotter have talked. They intend to send waiting list updates to CDD monthly and to have working meetings with CDD. The CHA waiting lists are certainly not the only source for this demographic information.
Mr. Cotter, Director of Housing, CDD, said he will be happy to work with the CHA and other private affordable housing development owners to put all the information together.
is an affordable housing cooperative for seniors. We need to think about what would attract seniors. Mr. Russ said that he would like to confer with people who understand the regional markets about what
would be like in the future. Ms. Rubenstein said that MAPC has done projections for 2025 and 2030 that CDD would be happy to share with the CHA.
Ms. Dumas said that she assumes that the CHA plan will change after the first few community meetings in response to feedback.
He noted the problem with the Miller’s River units. No one wants these units because they are extremely small. They cannot break through the walls to make larger units because of the way the tension rods are constructed.
Councillor Galluccio emphasized the importance of leadership in this discussion. When the staff knows where the realities are leading, they must make sure that the public knows what limitations are inevitable and what the real options are.
Councillor Galluccio thanked all those present for their participation. The meeting was adjourned at four o’clock and thirty five p.m.