BOSTON --- While Community Preservation Act (CPA) communities receive support from the Community Preservation Coalition, few targeted resources exist for Municipal Affordable Housing Trusts (MAHT).

Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) hopes to change this through direct support and trainings, the first of which will be held this fall.

In terms of direct support to MAHTs, our community assistance team can:

1. Support communities that want to create trusts with information and presentations.
2. Train trust board members to understand Chapter 44, Section 55c -- the MAHT statute.
3. Provide local and regional trainings in best practices for the creation of affordable housing, strategies to develop local support and ways that communities can proactively move housing forward.
4. Offer site-specific technical assistance for municipal land.

MHP is able to offer this additional support to communities thanks to a three-year grant from the Kuehn Charitable Foundation. Created by housing developer Bob Kuehn, the foundation supports affordable housing and historic and open space preservation.

Please contact MHP Program Manager Shelly Goehring at 857-317-8525 or sgoehring@mhp.net to discuss how MHP can assist your community.

Consultant Jennifer Goldson will help lead MHP's fall trust training.

Fall trust training set

Geared toward trust staff and anyone involved in trusts, this day long training will cover: 

• Eligible activities for trusts.
• Why Fair Housing is important to the work of trusts.
• Legal and operational considerations.
• Strategies for building support for affordable housing

Date: Friday, Sept. 16

Time: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location: Holiday Inn Taunton, 700 Myles Standish Blvd, Taunton

Cost: $25/person (includes coffee/tea and lunch)

Click here to register.

Trust news & resources

MHP adds Goehring to expand its trust support

Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Guidebook

Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Operations Manual

Create, Preserve Support: Using CPA for housing

Find more resources related to creating affordable housing in your community on the MHP website.