Council on Aging Board

SALEM COUNCIL ON AGING Minutes of Regular Meeting Date and Time: February 21, 2018 at 5:10 P.M. Meeting Location: Dining Room, 5 Broad St. Roll Call: Members Present: Lynda Coffill (LC, Chairperson), Julie Carver (JC, Secretary), Abigail Butt (AB), Elaine Heredeen (EH, Vice Chair), George Barbuzzi (GB), Elaine Milo (EM, City Councilor liaison to the COA), Donna Clifford (DC), John Russell (JR), Alice Williams (AW, Treasurer) by telephone. Members Absent: Alison Thibodeau (AT) Also Present: Teresa Arnold, (TA, Director of the COA), Carol MacGown, Executive Director, Salem Housing Authority and John Boris Clerk: Kathleen Fitzgerald Meeting Called to Order LC calls the meeting to order at 5:10 P.M. Motion made by John Russell to approve the January minutes and seconded by EH and passes unanimously. New Business: LC inquired of Carol MacGown what was out there for housing for seniors, what is on the horizon and whether there is any emergency (transitional) housing. Carol stated that the Salem Housing Authority has 495 units. The waiting list years ago was 3-6 months. Now with almost 1,200 applications on file, the list is much larger and, therefore, the waiting list is upwards of two years for elderly housing. She advised that there is public housing in every ward of the City. There is congregate housing when seniors cannot stay in elderly housing alone. This is funded from North Shore Elder Services and meals are provided. The congregate housing is single room occupancy with a common bathroom, but in each unit, there is a sink and a microwave can be brought in. -1- The other type of housing is at 27 Charter Street where there are 110 units of housing funded and staffed by North Shore Elder Services. These are staffed twenty-four hours a day, and residents are checked on. Meals are provided. AB asked Carol to describe the meal service. Carol advised that one meal is provided, but Meals on Wheels can be requested and some of the residents come to the COA for a meal. Carol stated that the balance of the housing units is one bedroom, one bath with laundry facilities and residents pay thirty percent (30%) of their income to live there. There is no charge for utilities, but residents pay for their phone and cable if they want it. She further went on to advise that the Salem Housing Authority owns and maintains 715 units of public housing and has 1,300 Section 8 vouchers which can be used anywhere in the United States. She was excited to advise that the Salem Housing Authority has an extremely high rating – the highest score is 5 and they received a score of 12. AB asked how long the waiting list was for Section 8 vouchers. Carol stated it was about 8 years. She advised that Section 8 vouchers were mobile vouchers and that enhanced vouchers were issued through HUD. JR asked if there were 490 units specifically available for seniors. Carol stated that 13.5% can be used for non-elderly and disabled. LC asked about the housing on Essex Street (Old Philips School). Carol explained that it was family/handicap housing. JR asked how many units there are and Carol advised 16 units. LC asked about the capacity for transitional housing for elderly housing and Carol stated that there was none. AB stated that what we are looking for, if possible, was brain storming on how to get some type of transitional unit. DC asked if there could be a voucher to a hotel. Carol advised that NSCAP does this. AB suggested that someone from NSCAP come and talk about this. John Boris advised that he worked with 4-5 affordable housing programs and could arrange to have some people come and explain their programs. AB said that would be fine as long as they know they are talking about working with seniors. -2- LC said they could be invited to the March meeting and that maybe some other agencies could be invited too. EM asked if anyone worked with Community Action Programs and LC stated they would try to help but it probably would be best to call NSCAP. JC asked what age seniors could apply for housing and Carol stated that it was 60 for State, 62 for Federal, and any age for Section 8. Old Business: LC asked TA if MCOA had gotten back to her. TA advised that they had not. AB suggested that TA contact Lynn at MCOA. TA’s next gave her report as follows: • Update on the SSU intern. She advised that the intern has been working on Macro project reaching out to 85+ living in housing and to let them know about offerings at the COA. • She advised that the tax aid program was going well and that there are many people calling in regarding this. • The need to justify another social worker. • Transportation – Scanners are in use and helping to track rides, and after-hours transportation is increasing. • Programming Survey – sent to Mayor’s office. Mayor made some suggestions, and this will be going out shortly. • Update on new COA building which is slated to open this summer. • Salem for All Ages – went the prior week to the shuttle meeting and advised it was good but that we really wanted findings to date. • Community external relationships. There are monthly networking meetings and TA said that she is sending staff, or she attends for Salem COA presence and learning opportunities. • Car/house sharing – Mayor sent some information. • Aging in Place – met last week with some people from the McIntyre District who wanted to know about the new Center. • Recycling – Susan Linder-Bean has been encouraging more recycling and has been offered space in the newsletter to share tips. • Budget – submitted about ten days ago and put in request for a new position, hopefully a third social worker or social worker/volunteer coordinator and also put in a request for a pay increase of five percent (5%) for Lynn and Sharon, the two existing social workers. GB asked if one of the social workers was also an outreach person. AB stated that it is the person who sees senior struggling in a number of areas and helps them. -3- LC asked where we were on the in-law apartment issue and AB advised that it passed. She advised that we now talk with the Housing Sub-committee regarding a press release. JR gave a Friends update and advised that the annual appeal would go out the following week on Facebook and that the annual appeal letter went out to people who had donated in the past. He stated that they were looking for quarterly fundraising – i.e. dinner theatre at the Y, Bar-B-Q for senior week and also looking to the Y to work with them regarding memberships. LC suggested contacting Salem High School about the dinner theatre. JR stated that they were making some progress, a couple of new people are on board and that they are getting more active. LC asked that he give the COA more criteria to go about gaining sponsorships for various fundraising events. EM advised that there is a resolution recognizing the Friends and that they were going to give them a City seal and going to be on SATV. LC stated that when the meeting with the Mayor is over that we could set the stage to talk about the budget. EM asked what we could do to support, prepare and implement information so we can keep people coming to the Center. AB advised that she wanted to go to a meeting with the Mayor with numbers and what is anticipated with the new Center in terms of Social Services. TA was approached by SSU to host another student intern. Next Board Meeting: March 21, 2018. A motion to adjourn is made by AB, seconded by JR, and passes unanimously. The meeting adjourns at 6:20 P.M. Respectfully Submitted, Kathleen Fitzgerald, Clerk -4-