Ordinance to Establish a Housing Commission

The Washington Housing Commission was established at a Town Meeting on May 19, 2005 as follows:

Section I. Commission established; purpose

A Housing Commission is hereby established to promote and encourage the development and continued availability of affordable housing for the people of Washington by bringing together public and private resources, developing recommendations for comprehensive housing policies and goals, and facilitating the accomplishment of those goals.

Section II. Duties

The duties of the Commission shall be:

  • To study and analyze the housing needs of the Town.
  • To recommend to the Board of Selectmen and the Planning and Zoning Commissions housing policies and practices calculated to encourage the development and continued availability of affordable housing for the people of Washington.
  • To establish housing priorities and recommend immediate and long-range housing goals to the Board of Selectmen.
  • To act as a clearinghouse for information concerning federal, state, municipal and private sources of funding and programs for housing and make such information available to the Board of Selectmen, and to potential developers (profit making and nonprofit) of new, converted or rehabilitated housing..
  • To make recommendations to the Board of Selectmen expenditures from the Affordable Housing Fund
  • To provide a forum for housing issues.

Section III. Membership; terms; vacancies

The Commission shall consist of five (5) regular members and three alternate members who shall be electors of the Town of Washington, and shall serve without pay, to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen.

The initial appointees of the Commission shall be one (1) member who shall serve for a term of one (1) year; two (2) members who shall serve for a term of two (2) years; two (2) members who shall serve for a term of three (3) years; all such members to hold office to the first day of July in the year of the expiration of their term and thereafter, all appointments shall be for a term of three (3) years expiring on the 30th day of June.

Any vacancies shall be filled by the Board of Selectmen for the unexpired term.

Section IV. Organization

The Commission shall elect a Chairperson from its members and may organize itself in such manner as its members may determine is best suited to carry out the Commission's duties.

This ordinance shall become effective July 1, 2005.

Ordinance to Establish an Affordable Housing Fund