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Regional Community Housing Trust

There are 18 communities in the Berkshire region that do not have a single housing unit considered "affordable" for the purposes of the State's Chapter 40B housing inventory. Nearly all of these communities are small, rural towns facing increasing development pressures. Frequently these communities feel impotent in their ability to manage growth in a way that addresses housing needs while maintaining their unique rural character and sense of community. In many of these towns persons of modest means--persons with disabilities and young working families including farmers, teachers, firefighters, nurses and police officers--are "priced out" of the local housing market. Often young families cannot afford to buy or rent a home in the very town where they were born and raised. With funding from the Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), the Berkshire Community Housing Trust project will allow small, rural communities to explore and develop ways to take control of their own destiny with regard to local housing needs and decisions.

The first step of the project was to assemble a regional Community Housing Trust Steering Committee that will guide and direct BRPC's work in developing and implementing the organizational template for the Community Housing Trust. BRPC solicited representatives from a broad range of stakeholder groups including small, rural municipalities, community development/human service organizations, housing advocacy groups, land trusts and the regional planning agency.

2005 Regional Community Housing Trust Committee

Name Affilitation
Tad Ames Berkshire Natural Resources Council
Billie Best Town of Alford
Roger Bolton Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation
Fred Chapman Town of Monterey
Gail Charpentier Town of Tyringham
Cara Davis Construct, Inc.
Tim Geller Tri-Corner CDC
Brad Gordon Berkshire Regional Housing Authority
Sarah Hathaway Habitat for Humanity
Kathy Orlando Community Land Trust of Southern Berkshires & Sheffield Land Trust
Leslie Reed-Evans Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation
Michael Storch Town of Monterey, Selectman
Tom Unsworth Lee Bank , Vice President
Susan Witt E.F. Schumacher Society
Lisa Wright Berkshire Housing Development Corporation

The time commitment expected of the appointed committee representatives will be between 30-40 hours total from April 2005 to April 2006. It is anticipated that there will be at least six (6) required meetings hosted at venues throughout the region.

Other stakeholder organizations solicited to participate include Town of Sheffield, North Berkshire Community Coalition, the Technical Assistance Collaborative, and Habitat for Humanity.

Berkshire Regional Community Housing Trust Materials

Please click on a link below to open a new webpage or a document in PDF format (see BRPC homepage for an Adobe Acrobat download link).

Background Info

CHT Project Abstract
A project introduction and summary of need

Meeting Agendas & Materials

Meeting #1 Agenda
May 3, 2005, BRPC Offices, 9 AM


Meeting #2 Agenda
June 14, 2005, BRPC Offices, 9 AM

Meeting #3 Agenda
September 20, 2005, BRPC Offices, 9:30 AM

Meeting #4 Agenda
October 25, 2005, BRPC Offices, 9:30 AM

Meeting #5
November 22, 2005, BRPC Offices, 9:30 am

Meeting #6
December 13, 2005, BRPC Offices, 9:30 am

Meeting #7
January 24, 2006, BRPC Office, 9:30 am

Meeting Minutes

Missed a meeting? Find a record of the Committee proceedings here.