The Affordable Housing Trust is considering soliciting for land it could purchase for housing. Chairman Stanley Parese, left, said the trust should put out a request for proposals.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Affordable Housing Trust on Wednesday started looking into how the town could acquire private land for the purpose of developing subsidized housing.

 

The trust, which was created two years ago at town meeting, has not publicly identified any parcels it might target for acquisition, and would not need to in order to begin the process outlined under the commonwealth's Uniform Procurement Act.

 

"If we wish to acquire privately held property, the town issues what is, in effect, an RFP," Trust Chairman Stanley Parese said, likening the process to the request for proposals municipalities use to purchase goods and services. "We solicit proposals from the public so that private property owners who own property and wish to make it available for affordable housing can respond."

 

Trustee Tom Sheldon noted that there is no such land deal imminent. But Parese countered that the trust should get its "proposal solicitation" in the market sooner rather than later.

 

"In any number of meetings or other settings, there has been the suggestion that one of the avenues that should be pursued [for affordable housing] is private property," Parese said. "I would like to have something out within a month or two at the outside. Frankly, if the suggestion is the Affordable Housing Commitee, lo these many years, has somehow missed something or that we are not doing all we can, I want to be ... proactive. If there is private property out there that can be in the mix, let's hear about it.

 

"If there isn't, let's move on."

 

The trust discussed some of the characteristics it would list on its solicitiation for an acceptable property, including proximity to services, dry land and access to town water and sewer.

 

Trustees Fred Puddester and Dick DeMayo volunteered to meet with the town's procurement officer, Town Manager Peter Fohlin, to develop a draft for a solicitation that the full trust can review.

 

The trustees agreed that the town should not limit itself to undeveloped parcels; brownfield sites would be considered as well.

 

Parese said he hopes the solicitation "casts a wide net."

 

"If this yields a big piece of property, great," he said. "If someone has a small piece of property that yields a couple of cottages, OK.

 

"There certainly is a high degree of consciousness in town right now. I don't know if there is a better time. With the high degree of visibility, it would be the appropriate time to solicit proposals."