Housing Authority June 17, 2026

everybody. Um, I haven't seen the final product. I don't know what it I don't know what it looks like, but I'm assuming it's going to be nice and I know everybody nicer than what's already out there.

I know everybody deserves to to have something that recognizes this place more quality than what's up there. Um as far as the budget's concerned um you know I I'm a commissioner in one of the other state agencies as well and we are totally double funded. Uh in fact we are actually cut a bit from uh some of our some of our appropriations are going to have to eat some things that we would

have expected. So, it's it's a tight year and I'm not expect I'm not surprised that um that that that it's it's it's a little tight, but it's good to see that at least the operating budget cut roughly roughly meeting inflation.

It was a 2% increase and uh the the dollar amount like I said was 117 million.

Yeah. our [clears throat] um our professional organization uh Mass Narrow, we we asked for 133 million.

Yeah.

Um we ended up getting 117 million which is a 2% increase. I think we you did well.

Yeah. And the budgets for the actual housing authority budget um our guidelines should be released right around Labor Day. So we'll have an idea.

It's it's kind of a funky setup. We um you know, for those of you that have been on the board for a while, you already know this, but our our fiscal year starts July 1st, but our guidelines uh don't come out until later. So, the first 3 or 4 months or so, um we don't have a budget. We're just sort of operating under last year's numbers. Uh that's good and bad. It's good because,

you know, if if there's any unexpected expenses in that time frame, you know, you can incorporate that into a budget that that you will construct later in the year. Um, it's not so good because you don't really have a guideline to go by. But, um, you know, the so the timeline is the guidelines will be released right around Labor Day. We'll put the budget together in October around that time frame and then at the

November meeting um is typically when the fee accountant will be here to to explain the budget and then if there's any questions that anybody has pertaining to it will entertain those at that time. So the budget will be approved in November but all the numbers will be retroactive to July one. the the um uh the there there and there is one more step in the process. Uh the governor gets to review the final gross

budget and and she she has the authority to line item out things and send it back. So uh you know but hopefully this is not going to be something that's controversial.

I don't believe it is. Uh, you know, public housing has had a lot of support in the legislature for the most part.

Well, housing is a big priority for every politician from the right side to the left side these days. So, you're right.

I think we're good.

That's my report, Mr. Chairman.

Okay. Is there anything under old business hearing? Not new business.

I just have the next meet the next formal meeting is going to be on the 16th of of September. Uh I I may need um we have our annual plan uh that that is being considered. We have a public hearing scheduled in July. Um uh what I'll do is I will notify the board when that public hearing is going to be. If you wish to uh uh if you know if you

wish to attend that that's fine.

Otherwise, I'll report to you if there was any uh if there was any public comment on the annual plan.

Okay.

And then we can take an email vote on that.

Okay. Great. All right. Is um commissioner's comments?

I I have one question. I I we have um we sort of have full occupancy and that that's great, but I also understand there's a waiting there's a significant waiting list as well. Is that right?

Yes.

And have we ever, you know, is there a reason we don't we don't do do any voucher program here, do we?

We don't we don't have any any rental voucher program here at the Westport Housing.

Is there a reason for that?

Um, probably because we're we're too small to, you know, to even have one. Um I know smaller agencies such as SECONK and um and Plainville um you know Plainville's 40 units, SECON is 80 units here is 48 units. Uh none of those smaller agencies have a housing choice voucher program probably due to the size. what what why why is the size a limitation to providing you know additional resources for people who need

need public housing?

That's a good question. Um you know I could we've we've never been allocated vouchers here in Westport to my knowledge. Um and you know like I said I I think it's due to the the you know budgetary capability of the agency.

That's something that I can follow up on though. But it it it I mean it it seems to me that that if we have a lot of people asking for support and assistance that we should look into every opportunity to provide that. If it's if it's if it's if it's prohibitive at least if it's prohibitive either administratively or uh financially uh then maybe we should look at whether there's a solution to that.

I will look into it and I'll have a report for you at the next meeting.

Great. Okay. Any other commissioner comments?

The only comment I have I I just may better understand. I know I've asked this before.

What is what is the criteria on on somebody coming into the housing?

Is it is it based on [cough and clears throat] um is there a financial status? Also, is it based on a um um like if you're in the military, do they get a leg up? Uh do you have to be a resident of Westport? I don't think you do, but you do not have to be a resident of Westport. If you are, if you happen to be a resident of Westport, you you know,

you get a you get a local preference, which means that you're you know, you're f you're you're higher you're placed higher on the list than somebody who is not a resident. If you are a veteran, you you also get a preference. If you're homeless, you get a preference. So, you know, there's there's, you know, there's uh uh there's different preferences. Um primarily it's it's, you know, based

upon application date usually. Um, now if somebody, you know, if somebody applies, like if somebody applied back in January and they were and they were a standard applicant, let's say they lived in Somerset, so that they're not a Westport resident, so they don't get the local preference. Let's say they were not a veteran and they weren't homeless, so you're, you know, you're a standard

applicant. And let's say you're you're number, you know, you know, you're number 700 on the list.

Somebody else applies and you know, they happen to be a veteran. They, you know, they live in Somerset. They're not homeless, but they're a veteran. So, but they want to live in Westport. So, they will get the veteran's preference. So, they will be placed higher up on the list than the standard applicant would be. When we have a vacancy here, we normally pull we pull a list of 25 names. Okay? And we pull 25

because we have to qualify them obviously before they move in. So when we qualify them, we have to make sure that they they meet the income guidelines. If you if you know if you're making six figures, you you know you you're not allowed to live in public housing. So we have to verify income. We have to verify assets and we have to do a landlord reference check. Obviously, if and that's usually it's the landlord

checks that either hold us up or you know give us pause. Um if we if somebody says that they've um and we usually what they used to do was was we had a 5-year landlord history. So it's 2026, we would go back to 2021.

Where have you lived between 2021 and now? Um, let's say you've had you've had three landlords in that time. We would we would do a mailing out to the three landlords that you indicate on your application.

Unfortunately, what sometimes happens is people sell their buildings there. So, the landlords change. Um, sometimes if they're a big big operator, um, if if they have hundreds of units, the our landlord check will will wind up in a pile some place and it will not be responded to. So, so, you know, sometimes we have a hard time getting landlord, you know, reference checks back. Um, other times we get landlord

reference checks back that, you know, they, you know, um, they were horrible residents. They never paid their rent, they uh, uh, whatever. Yeah.

You know, whatever it is. So, obviously, if if it's a very, very poor landlord check, um, you know, it gives us pause whether or not we want to move them in here. Now, we're all about second chances. Obviously, we also do a background check. [clears throat] Now, uh and and a background check will typically also go back 5 years. So, if somebody had a DUI back in 1994, we're not going to hold that against

somebody. Um if somebody, you know, had a breaking and entering charge in 2023, we're probably not going to move them in here. Um, if someone if someone did did times of something, if someone was incarcerated for a period of time, it would give us pause. It would it would make us do a little bit of further, you know, investigatory work. Sure. We don't want to a we want to house people, yes,

but b, you know, we don't we don't want to upset the existing residents that are here with somebody that that may be, you know, rather, you know, disruptive. So that's not great.

Any other questions from the No. Okay. I think it's tenants comments.

I just want to say one thing before the tent be before anybody comments. I think Dawn had a question at the last meeting about um um about possibly cleaning the vents in the in the apartment.

Yeah, the duck work should be like going from the seller. If the structure of the house is if you have the duct work could start in the cellar and go off. You don't have to really go in the attic.

It starts in the attic.

Sucks it up.

Yeah.

I did I I did ask the other cleaning company um if if they if they if they were willing to do that.

Yeah.

And they they said they don't they don't do duck work. they they are able to clean the, you know, the fans, but not everybody needs that. So, the next time they're out here, they they did tell me that a they were going to give me a price.

Uh but b um just to try to get an idea of maybe how many residents would need that.

Well, the thing that that's the whole point of my saying that they don't have to go in the unit. they can go through with the attic or wherever other source that they can just clean it right through. They just send a wand down there and they just they just clean it right up. They don't or a vacuum or something. They don't have to go into everybody's unit, but it doesn't need to be cleaned. It

hasn't been cleaned in like years.

Okay.

You know, so All right. So, so, so if I'm hearing you, you're saying they just got to clean it from the basement, basement or wherever the entrance is. Uh uh Colleen was saying yeah where okay um that and I also have a question about your comment about vouchers.

What do you mean vouchers on public housing? Usually a voucher program is like either section 8 or private.

Well that's that's what that is. That's that's what that is. The housing choice voucher program is a federal program.

Right.

Okay. We we are state public housing here. So well I was on section 8. I was on section 8 when my kids were small and that was a that was state run. But that usually that was a a state b um certificate that I had section 8 certificate that I had.

Well that changes when you come here though right?

Yeah. Well, yes, because you if you're living here, you wouldn't be able to use a to use a voucher here. usually places like um up the road here. There's an apartment building up the road for the name of them, but they they'll take voucher second voucher programs, but you got to already have them, right?

You know, um Yeah. [clears throat] So, and that's hard to get. That's really hard.

Yeah. The waiting list for that are are a lot a lot longer than just the public housing waiting list. You're right.

That's a good point. And another thing I wanted to say about Tim, uh, your questions that you've been asking in the past and today, if you go on the BHC database, um, information, even the the training manual or the training um, a lot of your questions, they'll they'll answer your questions.

I I'm 100% sure that they will, and I'm aware of that, but I'd like to hear it from the director.

Okay. But I'm saying that information that you want, usually you can get it, you can obtain it from that.

Sure. Okay.

Yeah.

Thanks, John.

Yeah.

Anyone else?

You know.

No.

Yeah.

Go ahead. Go ahead. I I just want to know if that's going to be a um uh like a a rule book like for the housing.

Oh yeah.

New policy book question.

Yeah. Uh that that is a good question and u we we do have one but it it does and again I know this uh this has been a frequent comment. Um I know um a couple of residents looked through it already um and had some updates uh that they wanted to see and I'll be incorporating uh those updates in a new version. So, what I'll I'll do, uh, Lori, is, um, I

can probably get that done over the next couple of weeks.

Oh, okay.

Approval of the board, though, before you line it.

I can I can certain I can certainly bring it to the board's attention if they if they if they wish to look at it and approve it, that's certainly fine with me. Yeah, that's fine.

Anyone else?

Oh, I just want to that I looked on the Adel Burough site.

And the tenants or whoever can go because I did they show the handbook and all the rules and regulations right on the website.

Yeah.

Right.

It'd be nice to see that too.

Okay.

On our website if we have, you know.

Okay. I think the website that we use here at the housing authority is tied into the town.

Yes. Um, so that would have to that would have to be worked out with the town, but I don't think that's you're going to ask the town manager his office because for his approval, right? Other stuff other committees that I sit on, we try to tie it in and depending on what it is, you know, he they said no, but we do have a new town manager though, so we'll see.

Yeah, cuz I have the old handbook when I moved in and I mean I have a lot of things highlighted that are going on.

that nobody's doing anything about. So, I was just wondering if we get a new one, maybe those things will be gone.

It might be. Okay.

Okay.

Anybody else?

All right. Hearing none.

Is there a motion to adjourn?

Motion to adjurnn.

Is there a second?

Second.

All in favor? I.

Any opposed? Hearing none. So move.

Thank you very much.