SHA looks forward to new era

By Silene Gordon/ sgordon@cnc.com
Thursday, June 1, 2006

Thanks to an influx of funding from the Community Preservation Act, the Sandwich Housing Authority will increase its efforts to provide more housing for low and moderate income people.
 

    "This is new ground for us," said Tom Lynch, executive director of the Barnstable Housing Authority, which provides day-to-day administrative services to the SHA. "This is an exciting time for the board and the town."
 

    At the May Town Meeting, voters approved funds for affordable housing initiatives, authorizing $110,000 to provide funds for rental assistance programs in town, as well as $40,000 in funding for a feasibility study for development on George Fernandes Way.
 

    According to Lynch, the funding will allow the SHA to create up to 25 new units of affordable housing.
 

    "The board has been very aggressive about trying to tackle development issues," said Lynch, who noted that the number of rentals continues to decline each year. "We want to do everything we can to help provide opportunities for people in Sandwich. There is a waiting list right now."
 

    Currently, the SHA provides housing for low-income families on George Fernandes Way, which is a 12-unit complex of two- and three-bedroom family homes off Quaker Meetinghouse Road. Hansen Village, off Cotuit Road, provides apartments for seniors and the disabled within a complex of 36 units of housing for seniors.
 

   The SHA also offers rental vouchers to be used in privately owned units in town. With state funding all but dried up, finding alternative funding sources is critical, said Lynch.
 

    "When Hansen Village was built 10 years ago, everything was done through the state," said Lynch, "but a lot of the money the state used to provide has gone away."
 

    New regulations allow housing authorities to develop land giving the SHA the ability to find other partners.
 

    "Development is not easy, especially in the public sector. But there are pockets of money out there and the funding sources are very good about putting together the numbers based on the needs and what the land will allow for building," Lynch said.
 

    Of the $40,000 set aside for feasibility purposes, approximately $10,000 to $15,000 will be used for consulting on development issues, while the remaining funding will likely be broken down for architectural services, engineering costs, and utilities.
 

    "It's been my experience that if you can get the utilities in, if you can get the roads built, the developers will follow," said Lynch.
 

    While the CPA funding has provided the SHA with a jumpstart into the new fiscal year, Lynch said the board will provide the authority with the experience necessary to move projects forward.
 

    Attorney Kevin Flannigan is chairman of the SHA, Bob Simmons (property management) is vice chairman, civil engineer Earl Lantery is treasurer and the board's liaison with the CPC. Newly elected member Richard Johnson is the former mayor of Taunton and Dan DiGiandomenico is a retired accountant with the Internal Revenue Service.
 

    "Boards are generally responsible for policy-making," said Lynch, "but this board will be a working board. I want to tap into their enthusiasm and their experience. They are the closest members to the community and their input is invaluable."