CITY OF DANBURY
Financial Resources and Fundraising Committee
Danbury
Housing Partnership
155 Deer Hill Avenue
Danbury, Connecticut 06810
Minutes of the October 3, 2007 Meeting
Attendance: McLachlan, Schierloh
Absent: Sistrunk
A meeting of the Financial Resources and Fundraising Committee of the Danbury Housing Partnership was held in Danbury City Hall on October 3, 2007. The meeting was called to order by Chair Michael McLachlan at 2:25 pm.
A motion to approve the minutes of the previous meeting was made by Paul Schierloh, seconded by Mr. McLachlan and passed unanimously.
Mr. McLachlan initiated discussion of Project Homeless Connect, which will be held in Danbury for the first time on December 5, 2007. Project Homeless Connect is a one-day community event designed to bring together in one place an array of services to assist people experiencing homelessness. It is based on the Stand Down program for veterans and is endorsed by the Interagency Council on Homelessness as an excellent follow up activity for Ten-Year Plan communities.
Since Danbury had limited preparation time this year, the event will likely depend on in-kind services and donated items, such as gift packs and food. Mr. McLachlan noted the importance of outreach to get the intended beneficiaries to attend and agreed that gift packs or prizes might serve as an incentive for people to attend as well as providing needed items to guests. The committee agreed that it was too late to consider City or CDBG funding for this year, but that the committee should consider this for next year. Mr. McLachlan indicated that he would be returning a call to Kathleen Deschenes regarding this matter and would consider what might be available in terms of in-kind assistance or additional help with publicity and marketing.
The committee proceeded to discussion of compilation of a Housing Resource Inventory.
The inventory is intended to be shared with other committees as well as prospective affordable housing providers. Links to available housing and services programs will be provided on the Partnership webpage that is currently under development. The committee reviewed programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. The committee expressed concerns over the complexity of the application process and implementation requirements of CHFA’s development programs. Such complex programs are hard for non-profit developers and small for-profit developers to deal with.
Mr. McLachlan suggested that the committee give priority to exploring funding programs and encouraging partnerships that would result in good, neighborhood based projects being developed in a timely manner. Some possible contacts for follow up with people or groups who had expressed interest in affordable housing were discussed; including JAM Associates (with its non-profit neighborhood-based division), Victorian Associates (interested in providing rental units for partnerships with supportive services providers), the Jericho Project, and the Christian Community Outreach Ministries (interested in developing transitional housing). Mr. Schierloh noted that Todd Cramer of Connecticut Outreach West reported at the last Continuum meeting that they were going to be developing 28 rental units on Scuppo Road, eleven of which would be supportive housing under Connecticut’s PILOTS program.
The committee discussed the Partnership’s commitment to providing senior housing and housing for veterans. Mr. Schierloh noted that John Sullivan of the Veterans Administration had introduced a new colleague, Preston Maynard, and indicated that the development of transitional and permanent housing opportunities was a priority for the VA. While the VA’s programs are limited to funding for services and transitional housing, they are interested in forming partnerships that will also lead to the development of affordable permanent housing for veterans. Mr. McLachlan recommended including Danbury’s Director of Veterans Affairs in this effort as well.
The committee agreed to invite John Sullivan and Preston Maynard of the Veterans Administration to the next meeting to discuss opportunities for the development of transitional and permanent housing for veterans.
A motion to adjourn was made by Mr. Schierloh, seconded by Mr. McLachlan and passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 3:00 pm.