Housing Summit January 8, 2024

Housing Summit January 8, 2024 Housing Summit Members of the Town Council, Planning Board, Affordable Housing Committee, and the co-chairs of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee met jointly. The Housing Summit is anticipated to be two workshops. The first, scheduled for January 8, will help the group find common ground on defining the problem and getting the universe of possible solutions on the table. The second would help the group get focused on priorities and define specific actions with assigned responsibilities. Kristina Egan, Executive Director of the Greater Portland Council of Goverments, facilitated the workshop. The agenda is as follows: Introductions Please share your name, your role, and why the issue of housing in Yarmouth is important to you. The group will answer the question: How do the roles and the housing work of the Town Council, Planning Board, Affordable Housing Committee and Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee relate to one another? Meeting Purpose To develop a shared action plan for Yarmouth to create an environment that encourages more housing in the right places, for all the people who need it, in ways that each community wants. The group will answer the question: What are the key outcomes you want from these two workshops? What Kind of Housing Do We Want? In a round robin, each person will share information or thoughts about the type of housing Yarmouth needs and wants. What's the Problem? The group will define the barriers to welcoming more housing in Yarmouth, focusing on what’s within the Town’s control. Brainstorm Strategies to Expand Housing Choices in Yarmouth The group will develop the universe of small, large, short-term, and longer-term strategies that can encourage the type of housing development that Yarmouth wants to welcome. Set Next Workshop The group will discuss the purpose of the next workshop, which is proposed as “refining strategies, prioritizing actions, and assigning responsibilities”.