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About the Affordable Housing Trust Fund

The Somerville Affordable Housing Trust Fund (SAHTF) was created in 1989 by a City ordinance to preserve and create affordable rental and homeownership units in Somerville, and to carry out programs to directly assist homeowners and renters. All of its activities must benefit low-to-moderate-income households (with incomes at or below 110% of area median income).

SAHTF Guidelines

Linkage Fees and Revenue All linkage fees from commercial development in Somerville go to the Trust, as do fractional payments made pursuant to the City's Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance. The Trust also receives revenues from the repayment of Trust-funded loans to affordable housing developers, first-time homebuyers, or other loans.

Contact Information
Paul Goldstein
Housing Programs Coordinator

Monday - Wednesday
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Thursday
8:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Friday
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Phone Number
x
2587
Fax Number
Address

50 Evergreen Ave.
Somerville, MA 02143
United States

Employee Directory

Funding & Opportunities

 

Request for Proposals for Tenancy Stabilization Programs

The Somerville Affordable Housing Trust Fund has allocated up to $500,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) and non-CPA Trust funds for agencies to operate a Tenancy Stabilization Program (TSP). Additional details, including instructions on how to apply for this funding opportunity, are included in the downloadable Request for Proposals document. Any questions about this funding opportunity can be directed to Housing Programs Coordinator Paul Goldstein (pgoldstein@somervillema.gov). Applications are due by November 2nd, 2023 at 12:00 pm.  


 

Somerville Affordable Housing Trust Seeks One New Member

 



Early Action Funding Guidelines
The Early Action Acquisition Fund (the Fund) is a newly established funding source for the Trust. The Fund will provide loans for the acquisition of properties and sites for the purpose of developing affordable housing. For additional information, please contact staff liaison Paul Goldstein (pgoldstein@somervillema.gov
 


Past Funding Decisions

The SAHTF issues CPA funding RFPs annually. All past funding decisions are documented in the SAHTF's CPA Progress Reports which can be found on the forms and information tab.

For more information about the Community Preservation Act, visit www.somervillema.gov/CPA.
 

Members

  • Mary Cassesso, Managing Trustee
  • Michael Feloney
  • Kathryn Gallant
  • Donna Haynes
  • Andrea Shapiro, Assistant Managing Trustee
  • Brielle Short
  • Kristen Strezo, City Councilor
  • Jessica Turner

Mary Cassesso

A Trustee since 1989, Mary serves as Managing Trustee and as a Somerville resident representative.

Mary Cassesso is the Chief Community Officer and President of the CHA (Cambridge Health Alliance) Foundation, which works to address the critical social determinants of health, including housing. She previously served as an Assistant Secretary of Administration and Finance in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Other roles in which Mary has served include working in senior roles in the Commonwealth’s Housing division and for the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership and as Dean of Administration and Finance at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. She has an M.A. in Public Administration and a B.A. from Northeastern University, and is a lifelong Somerville resident.

Michael Feloney

A Trustee since 2014, Mike serves as the Mayor’s designee.

Mike Feloney is the Housing Director of the City of Somerville’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development. As Director of the Housing Division, Mike works with city departments and community, state and federal agencies to implement local housing policies and programs that increase production and support of affordable housing in Somerville. Mike has over 25 years’ experience managing housing and community development initiatives that include complex residential projects in the nonprofit, private and public sectors. He grew up in the Cambridge-Somerville area, and has a B.A. from Harvard College and a Master’s degree in City Planning from MIT.

Kathryn Gallant

A Trustee since 2018, Katie serves as designee of the Director of the Somerville Housing Authority.

Katie is Senior Housing Manager at the Somerville Housing Authority (SHA) where she oversees management of SHA’s multiple housing complexes encompassing all SHA units, including SHA’s tax-credit funded developments. Her role at SHA includes financial reporting, housing regulatory compliance, tenancy administration, employee management and partnerships with community organizations. Her previous professional experience comprises grants management, housing counseling, community relations and other housing-related responsibilities. She studied public administration and housing management at the University of Massachusetts and Gibbs College.

Donna Haynes

A Trustee since 2002, Donna serves as a representative from the banking and finance industry.

Donna Haynes has worked in financial services as a banker for almost 30 years, working for over 20 years in Somerville. She most recently worked as the Vice President and Community Reinvestment Officer for Central Cooperative Bank in Davis Square. She currently serves as Treasurer for the Massachusetts Community and Banking Council, as Treasurer for the YWCA Malden, and as a Board Director for the Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston.

Andrea Shapiro

A Trustee since 2004, Andrea serves as the Assistant Managing Trustee and housing and real estate specialist.

As founder and principal of Andrea Shapiro Consulting, Andrea consults with nonprofit and government clients on management and operational issues as well as affordable housing and community development strategies. Prior to founding Andrea Shapiro Consulting, Andrea served in senior level housing positions in both city and state government, following seven years at Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association. Andrea has an MBA from Boston University with a finance and real estate focus and an AB cum laude from Smith College. Andrea is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Second Chances, a nonprofit organization that provides free clothing to homeless and very low-income people in Cambridge and Somerville. She has lived in Somerville since 1994 and the Boston area her entire life.

Brielle Short

A Trustee since 2019, Brielle serves as a representative of a Somerville non-profit organization whose primary mission is affordable housing.

Brielle Short is the Supportive Housing Program Manager at the Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC). Brielle supervises daily operations of housing programs that provide supportive case management services to formerly homeless, disabled individuals and families. SHC's housing programs strive to provide the assistance and resources necessary to stabilize tenancy of clients and prevent them from returning to homelessness. Brielle actively engages with Somerville landlords in order to maintain and acquire units at an affordable rate, resulting in homeless individuals and families being able to be housed in their community.

Kristen Strezo

A Trustee since May, 2020, Kristen serves as the designee of the President of the City Council.

As the chair of the Council’s Housing and Community Development Committee, Kristen serves as the City Council’s representative on the Affordable Housing Trust. Kristen has a B.A. in Communications and Women’s Studies from DePaul University and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from Harvard Extension School. She previously served as Co-Chair of the Somerville Commission for Women. Kristen attributes her strong commitment to working for the expansion of affordable housing and housing support programs in Somerville to her lived experience as a mother and caretaker of her children and her grandmother.

Jessica Turner

A Trustee since 2019, Jessica serves as a low-income tenant representative who lives in Somerville.

Jessica Turner is a student Quincy College working towards a degree in disciplines related to Criminal Justice, Law and Sociology. She is Co-President of Clarendon Residents United, serves on the board of the Massachusetts Alliance of HUD Tenants (MAHT) and is a member of the SomerVision2040 Committee. Her advocacy work for affordable housing, fair policy and the rights of those who are poor includes activities at the local, state and national level, from hearings and campaigns for Somerville-based issues to lobbying federal representatives in Washington D.C. 

Meetings, Agendas, and Minutes

 

The Affordable Housing Trust Fund generally meets the second Thursday of each month at 6:15 p.m. in the 3rd floor conference room of Somerville City Hall (93 Highland Ave.). Please check the City Calendar for changes in regular meeting time or location.

Agendas & Minutes

 

Forms & Information

Forms & Information

Project Mitigation Payments (Housing Linkage)

Somerville established and codified a housing linkage policy in 1990, amended it in 2013, 2017, 2019 and 2023. Linkage payments are made to the Somerville Affordable Housing Trust Fund for the purpose of the creation of affordable rental and homeownership units in the City. As of May 10, 2023 linkage payments are generally applicable to all non-residential development in excess of 15,000 sq. ft. Projects with square footage between 15,000 sq. ft. and 30,000 sq. ft. pay half the rate listed below, any square footage in excess of 30,000 sq. ft. pays the full amount.

Date Range

Rate Per Square Foot

1990-11/25/2013$3.91
11/26/2013-12/11/2017$5.15
12/12/2017-2/28/2019$10.00
3/1/2019-2/28/2020$10.31
3/1/2020-2/28/2021$10.53
3/1/2021-2/28/2022$10.57
3/1/2022-2/28/2023$11.23
3/1/2023-5/9/2023$11.95
5/10/2023-2/29/2024$22.46
3/1/2024- 2/28/2025$22.91


If you have questions about this policy, please contact:

Paul Goldstein 
Housing Programs Coordinator 
617-625-6600 ext. 2587
pgoldstein@somervillema.gov 

 

Click here to learn about the Jobs Linkage fee.

 

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