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Cogitator March 21, 2012
East Greenwich Affordable Housing Commission
VISITING ROTARIANS
Eric Creamer, District Director of Narragansett Council, Boy Scouts of American, joined us for Rotary lunch.
GUESTS
Bill Winter, from Diversified Financial Group, was a guest of Steve Lombardi and Mike Balsamo. Meghan Kruger and Mykahla Gardiner joined us as well. Mykahla is Laura Krohn's paralegal, and Meghan, invited by President Mike Gemma, is a paralegal at Martineau, Davis and Associates. Sue Dorne visited again, preparing to transfer into our club from her former Connecticut club. Bob Sloan invited friend and financial planner, Mike Senno.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
President Mike asked us to keep Chuck Sauer in our thoughts. Chuck has been under the weather since returning from his United Methodist Church mission trip.
Bonnie Sauer will again lead the club in the annual Feinstein Challenge to alleviate hunger in Rhode Island. She handed out bags for Rotarians to 'go shopping' at home for canned and dry goods. But...please check those expirations dates! If the tuna can has a little rust on the lid and is dated September 2007, please discard and replace with the newer B&M Baked Beans, some delicious Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Skippy peanut butter, or whatever else. Cash donations are welcome as well. Bonnie will analyze what we have in a few weeks, and we will forward our food and cash to the East Greenwich Ecumenical Food Cupboard located at St. Luke's on Peirce Street.
Jodi Gladstone reminded everyone that the East Greenwich Track Club is hosting its first 'Bunny Hop' 5K run/walk at Goddard Park on Saturday, April 14th. Jodi invited all to attend 'a tune-up' for the Scott Carlson ALS 5K which will be held exactly one week after on April 21st, also at Goddard Park. Please see Jodi for more details if you'd like to participate.
Lou Lepry thanked the club for helping him raise nearly $1800 this year for the American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days. Our club's contributions made up $800 of the total. Nice work, Lou!
Also in the works...stay tuned for more details about our club's participation in putting on a dinner at the RI Family Shelter in Warwick. The next Rotary After Dark (in April) will include some fundraising for the Family Shelter dinner event.
Bill TenEyck gave thanks for all of the wonderful volunteerism and generosity of fellow East Greenwich Rotarians recently as the club kicked off its first ever sponsorship of a Rotaract Club at the New England Tech campus on Division Road.
Pat Lenihan is on track with Wine Tasting/Taste of the Town, now that St. Francis de Sales in North Kingstown has been secured as the site for this year's event. Please see Pat with your silent auction items, which are needed to help us have another record year.
Scott Carlson Memorial ALS 5K flyers and posters are available for you to put up in your place of work. They will be at the sign-in desk next week.
SPEAKER/PROGRAM
Bill Daly and the East Greenwich Affordable Housing Commission
http://www.eastgreenwichri.com/matriarch/documents/EGHA_brochure.pdf
The East Greenwich Affordable Housing Commission creates, sponsors, funds, and promotes the following to develop and preserve at least 10% affordable housing in East Greenwich:
*Conduct ongoing studies of the status and quality of affordable housing in town.
*Recommend ways to improve affordable housing quantity and quality.
*Provide education, consulting and technical support to further affordable housing development.
*Seek funding to acquire property to construct or convert into affordable units.
(Note: A home is considered 'affordable' when the rent or total of mortgage payments, insurance, and taxes does not exceed one third of the household income of its residents.)
Bill Daly and his volunteer staff are 'planting seeds' in the community about the Commission and its mission. The median price of a home in East Greenwich last year was $433,000. That means a majority of employees who work in the town--including teachers, firefighters, police officers, administrative and support personnel--cannot afford to live here.
If cities and towns across the state would commit to affordable housing, they would maintain more control of their development. Why is affordable housing important to Bill Daly and the Commission? 'Because there is a real social benefit' to keeping working families living in town. There is a sense of true community, as well as diversity. 'The real world doesn't mirror affluent East Greenwich,' said Bill. Affordable housing would let a more diversified population live and thrive in East Greenwich.
Currently, there are approximately 229 total 'affordable' housing units in East Greenwich, of which 130 are at Shoreside Apartments. The town has a ways to go to get to its 10% goal, but earnest efforts have been made by the town and its Planning Department over the past years.
Along with developers' commitment to affordable units, they must also now commit to high standards and modern efficiencies when building in East Greenwich. This can only be a good thing for surrounding neighborhoods. Also, deed restrictions on affordable units make it possible for these units to remain in the 'affordable' category for 30 years (or more). The 'Cottages on Greene' development has four affordable units, and Bill said 'you couldn't tell which are the affordable units.'
In 2011, an individual or family needed approximately $131,000 of income to purchase a home in East Greenwich. Renting demanded an income of only $47,000 on average. The average private sector job in East Greenwich paid $38,000 last year. In the past ten years, the average rent for a 2-bedroom home or apartment rose from $817 to $1165. During those same ten years, the median cost of a home rose from $325,000 to $434,000.
Also presenting with Bill Daly were Sue Aitcheson, Marie Hennedy, Lea Hitchen, and Nellie Gorbea.
http://www.ricentral.com/content/ri-facing-affordable-housing-shortage