The Affordable Housing Trust for the Town of Southborough met to review two consultant proposals for a town housing production plan, discuss potential parcels for affordable housing, and consider next steps on funding and technical assistance.

Trust members were told the trust now has about "$998,000 plus a little" available for housing work. "I contacted the treasurer today, and the total sum available to us now is $998,000 plus a little," said Al (Affordable Housing Trust member). Trustees said the money is available now but that a staff member’s return from vacation is delaying administrative processing.

Why it matters: the housing production plan will establish the town’s eligibility and strategy for state programs, is tied to a late summer deadline, and could guide use of the trust’s available funds and partnerships with nonprofit or for‑profit developers.

The Trust discussed two proposals that came in response to an RFQ: one from a firm identified in materials as Barrett and one from a firm described as Community Scale. "The prices came in almost identical. The difference of a few hundred dollars," said Ellen (Affordable Housing Trust member). Trust members said both firms showed relevant experience; Barrett included prior housing production plans the group found especially applicable, and Community Scale proposed plain‑English presentation materials and a public website to present findings. One trustee said Barrett described the schedule as "a daunting task to finish" on the timeline they proposed.

Trustees noted the state deadline for submitting a housing production plan is the end of July and debated the feasibility of completing the work on the firms' proposed schedules. The group agreed to hold a short follow‑up meeting to finalize selection and confirm consultant availability. Members proposed a focused meeting for May 1 at 9 a.m. to make a decision and to have staff (including Jesse, town staff) review procurement authority and whether Select Board sign‑off is required. "I will ping the chair and town council just confirming that we have the authority to enter into an agreement to do the housing production plan," said Alan (Affordable Housing Trust member).

Trustees also discussed technical assistance options if the two proposals or their schedules do not fit the town’s needs: the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) were mentioned as possible sources of support, and the idea of asking the Select Board for at least limited staff or consultant assistance to manage grant applications was raised.

Funding and grants: the Trust was told Southborough has achieved MBTA Communities compliance. That status opens eligibility for state programs including the Community Catalyst Fund, which the Trust described as grants ranging from $250,000 to $1 million. "Now that we're compliant with the MBTA communities, there's potential to apply for additional grant funds," said a trust member. Members said the Community Catalyst Fund typically requires a project concept and that this round’s timeline makes it unlikely the town could field a competitive application immediately, but the Trust should begin forming partnerships and project bones for future rounds.

Parcels and acquisition: trustees reviewed two potential sites. A privately listed building at 66 Breakneck Hill Road—"a cinder block building...a little over 10,000 square feet" on about 1.1 acres—was described as listed at $850,000 and long on the market. A trust member said the building "could conceivably be converted into 4 or 5, maybe 6 units" and volunteers would tour the property with Habitat for Humanity to assess feasibility. Trustees agreed an initial site visit and a realtor contact were warranted, but they noted potential permitting paths (a 40B or special permit) and that such a conversion would likely be limited in unit count given available funds.

A town‑owned parcel (name not specified during the meeting) was also discussed; trustees said portions of the lot were not percolation‑tested and that a nearby storm drain and reservoir proximity impose a 100‑foot setback constraint that previously limited septic feasibility. Members suggested limited site testing and early neighbor outreach before any formal action.

Other strategy topics: trustees discussed lifting a local cap on senior housing units as a potential low‑impact measure to expand housing options for older residents, and explored borrowing against future Community Preservation Act (CPA) receipts as a way to increase capital for projects. A trust member noted the CPA housing allocation historically generates roughly $50,000 per year for the town, and used a borrowing example: at 4.5% over 15 years, borrowing $1 million would cost about $80,000 a year.

The meeting concluded with a motion to enter executive session under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 30A, Section 21, to discuss potential property acquisition; the trust voted in favor and did not return to open session. The chair read a statement that an open meeting could have a detrimental effect on the town's bargaining position.

Votes at a glance:
- Approval of minutes (regular meeting minutes from March 25, 2025): motion moved and seconded; recorded verbal yeas from Al (Aye), Paul (Aye) and Doug (Aye). Mover/second not specified in the transcript.
- Motion to enter executive session under MGL c.30A §21 (exemption 6) to discuss potential property acquisition: motion moved, seconded and voted in favor (recorded yeas: Al, Paul, Doug; individual confirmations noted; the chair stated the board had "voted in favor individually").

Next steps: trustees set a follow‑up meeting to finalize consultant selection (May 1 at 9 a.m. was proposed), asked staff to confirm authority and Select Board involvement if any, planned site visits to 66 Breakneck Hill Road, and discussed pursuing technical assistance or grant partnerships now that the town is MBTA‑compliant.