Equitable Home Ownership Opportunities, Postponed?
The Chairman of our Finance committee said at the Town Meeting, they received the information from the Town Administrator, article 24, last minute.
Article 24 was the same article as 26 Citizens Petition to adopt a Municipal Housing Trust, per chapter 44 section 55C.
The TA’s article, 24 added a wrench of confusing, provisions, and bylaws.
All those things could’ve been worked out after the adoption of that chapter, and before going to the Attorney General for final approval.
The TA added bylaws and provisions without the Finance dept., Select Board and the Public’s knowledge. So it took everybody by surprise, including me.
The reason for the Citizens Petition article 26 to just adopt the municipal housing trust fund C.44 s.55c was because of receiving pushback from the CPC Chairman, and not being allowed to speak at the CPC meeting.
I tried to convey to the Chairman of the CPC committee back in September 2025, that we had intelligent citizens of Fairhaven who wanted to make sure that our CPA funds were not continuing to go towards lesser needs, especially when facing a deficit.
People this is not a time to be frivolous.
I received no return calls from CPC to discuss the financial benefits of having a Municipal Housing Trust fund, to help CREATE Equitable Home Ownership opportunities, for our Educated Middle Income Residents.
CPA funding, by law is a public process. Mmm?
I was advised to present a Citizens Petition. Which was stamped on February 5 of 2026 by the town clerk, asking to allocate 50% of the CPA funds, for the next several years to go towards equitable homeownership opportunities.
This would’ve greatly contributed to curing our yearly predicted deficits.
I would like the people of Fairhaven to understand that the CPC committee can work like hand in glove with C44 s.55C Trust fund.
The funds for the Trust, would’ve initially come from the CPA funds- Housing category, as the initial kickstart for the housing trust fund.
It’s unfortunate that no one realized that we could have started reserving CPA funds 8 YEARS ago, when our 2040 Master Plan was recognizing by our residents, that we were in great need of equitable homeownership opportunities.
This # 1 CPA funding category of the 4 categories, namely, Recreation, Open Space, Historic and Housing, is where we would have been able to create a healthy financial return back into the community. And received more State funding.
Both petitioners and teachers who spoke to me after the town meeting, once having heard me speak, were outraged that town meeting members would distribute $95,000 to making a firetruck pretty, instead of holding those funds in reserve, to address the critical needs, for Equitable Home Ownership Opportunities.
CPA article 19- was cleverly placed on the Warrant before a debate to reserve CPA funds could have even taken place.
Michelle Costen, Fairhaven
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