CITY OF DANBURY
 Danbury Housing Partnership
 155 Deer Hill Avenue
 Danbury , Connecticut 06810

Minutes of February 7, 2008

Attendance: Barrows, Elpern, Lemme, Lima, Nolan, Radano, Sangut, Scalzo, Schierloh, Shepperd, Sullivan, Valeri, Zaborowski

Absent: Coelho, McLachlan, Payton, Pitts, Sistrunk, Yamin

The meeting of the Danbury Housing Partnership was held in City Hall, conference room #3c, on February 7, 2008. Chairman M. Nolan called the meeting to order at 3:10pm. The minutes of January 10, 2008 was reviewed by all present members. A motion to accept the minutes of January 10, 2008 was made by D. Valeri, seconded by W. Shepperd, passed unanimously and placed on file.

There was no public comment.

Report from the Chairman, Mr. Nolan indicated that the Housing Partnership received an award of scattered site last month from the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Social Services. This is the second round of the Next Step Supportive Housing Initiatives that will provide support services in Danbury to approximately 10 units. This is all part of the Governor’s Next Step Program.

Mr. Nolan spoke with the Planning Department regarding the needs assessment for the 120 Main Street project. Mr. Nolan is working with Planning in trying to come up with a conceptual idea of what the Housing Partnership is looking for so that we can define our needs a little bit greater on unit sizes, what the site can or cannot support, etc.. The Chairman will work with both the Planning Department and the Mayor’s Office on further discussion of this project.

Mr. Sullivan is welcomed as an official member of the Housing Partnership. Our guest speaker is Mr. Wade Anderson, Director of the City’s Information Technology Department. Mr. Anderson presented the new proposed Housing Partnership website design, accessing the website, how to add information, updates, pictures, placing surveys on housing issues, etc. A motion to accept the website design was made by P. Schierloh, seconded by E. Lima. Discussion followed. Motion passed unanimously.

Ms. Lima presented several designs of the proposed Housing Partnership logo. Ms. Lima indicated that the Housing logo was blue in color, with the website having the complimentary color of orange, indicating the Danbury colors. Ms. Valeri provided information from the Social Service Committee to add a line underneath the letters to emulate a foundation, which is basis premise to housing. This all ties into what housing are all about, a roof and a foundation equals a home. Nothing major, just a line to make it also looks encapsulated to look like a house. Mr. Nolan suggested verbiage placed underneath the house. Mr. Schierloh indicated that the original design had wording Danbury Housing Partnership, but decided to place it on the website. Discussion was opened to all members on what other wording could be placed under the logo. “Housing is our Foundation” was suggested as the appropriate wording. A motion to approve the Partnership logo designed as modified was made by D. Valeri, seconded by C. Barrows, passed unanimously.

Committee reports were provided to Partnership members:

  1. Housing and Community Development Committee report was given by P. Scalzo. Members met today, before the Partnership meeting. Two guest speakers provided information to the committee: Joan Carty, Executive Director of the Housing Development Fund who presented information and opportunities available on financing and grants. Our committee will refer Ms. Carty to the Financial Resources and Fundraising Committee. Our second speaker was Maribeth Amyot, Vice-President for Finance and Administration for Western Connecticut State University. Ms. Amyot provided a needs assessment that student enrollment has grown more than housing availability. Westcon is the only state university that has a tremendous increase in enrollment. Presently, the university is projecting a need of 750 beds within the next 10 years. Westconn would prefer that campus expansion would be completed by local developers especially Westside campus and downtown. Westconn would like to support a developer creating beds, but the committee would like to know when those bed numbers are actually needed over a time period of ten years. Mr. Schierloh would like clarification from the Mayor’s office to discuss if student housing falls within the 10 year plan.

  1. Social and Supportive Services Committee report was given by D. Valeri. The committee met yesterday with Catholic Charities reviewing the 10 year plan. Discussion entailed the homeless count and the situation and sites of where the homeless are staying. Ms. Sangut provided information on the homeless count, how it is conducted, where sites and people are staying in the Danbury area, including business owners who knew of where the homeless are located, etc.

  1. Financial Resources and Fundraising Committee has not met, but will reschedule their meeting next week. There was a productive conversation regarding the VA initiative, a competitive and comprehensive package will be sent to the Veteran’s Administration for subsidy funding. There will be a 3 step process, with Mr. Paul Valeri assisting in the project:

1st step: setting aside 5 beds in the shelter as transitional beds to get the homeless vets off the street.

2nd step: the Non-Profit Development Corporation of Danbury is committed to purchasing two(2) properties that would be converted into 4-5 units of transitional housing with the assistance of on-site staff to provide support services.

3rd step: a permanent/separate housing(4-6 units).

On March 11th there will be a training session on grant writing in preparing the per diem grant application.

Regarding the VA assessment and need, the Non-Profit Development Corporation of Danbury realizes that there is an opportunity to partner with the community in helping to provide something that is needed. Though the Non-Profit states that it may not be a major project, the Corporation wants it to entail something small and valuable. The Non-Profit will partner parcels of the Housing Authority properties in which one is in close proximity to the shelter on New Street. The Corporation envisioned hope in which the next step from the shelter to permanent housing is a step up, a vision of progression. The Non-Profit will be meeting this week with their attorney to review some items to be presented to the rest of their board. Discussion involved vouchers provided to veterans for permanent housing and landlord’s being aware of the voucher availability in utilizing for rental purposes.

Regarding the Senior Housing feasibility study, Mr. Nolan indicated that the Housing Partnership is working with the Planning Department and the Mayor’s Office on discussing what the feasibility study will entail.

Updating the 10 year plan, each committee needs to submit an update for the Annual Report for the April Common Council meeting. The reports will need to be finished by the last two weeks of March. Mr. Schierloh has done some preliminary draft language for some committee’s. The 10 year goal has requested the creation of 275 units. Presently, counting the number of unit’s already in production or completed within the City of Danbury, there are approximately 106 units. This has all been accomplished within the first two years of the 10 Year Plan.

Under membership update, Mr. Sullivan has been formally appointed. The Mayor still has the recommendation list provided by the Partnership.

There was no other business to report. A motion to adjourn was made by P. Scalzo, seconded by W. Sheppard, passed unanimously.