To the Editor:

Support Article 25 on the town meeting warrant to establish the Hull Community Housing Trust fund.

I have had the pleasure of working with the nine-member Hull Affordable Housing Committee during the past two years. Our efforts, accomplishments, and disappointments have convinced me of the critical importance and need to establish a municipal affordable housing trust fund this year at town meeting.
A “yes” vote on Article 25 will create the Hull Community Housing Trust fund. The purpose of the housing trust is to create and preserve housing for the benefit of low- and moderate-income households.
The trust will be comprised of Hull residents and town officials and will work with the Community Preservation Committee to leverage existing, unspent funds to create and preserve housing.
Unlike the Affordable Housing Committee, the trust will have the power to manage and raise funds to conduct predevelopment activities, the “due diligence” needed to propose the use of municipal land and buildings at future town meetings.

While these may seem like lofty goals, Hull has always been an economically diverse community. Yet the growing disparity between how much housing costs and what many residents have to live on is at an all-time crisis. More than 32% of homeowners and 47% of renters in Hull are cost-burdened (paying more than 30% of their income) or very cost-burdened (paying more than 50% of their income) for housing.

Support for affordable housing in Hull is widespread. Members of Hull’s Affordable Housing Committee have convened monthly, knocked on doors, talked to residents outside Village Market, held community education meetings, and made regular reports to the select board during the last two years. Yet, no new affordable housing units have been planned or produced in our town in decades.

The Affordable Housing Committee, select board and advisory board each have unanimously endorsed the creation of the Hull Community Housing Trust fund.

I am absolutely convinced that Hull needs to establish this housing trust fund. Visit the AHC page of the town website (www.town.hull.ma.us/affordable-housing-committee) for more information. Join us. Please attend town meeting. Vote “yes” to support Article 25 on May 5.

Cynthia Koebert, Chair
Hull Affordable Housing Committee

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