Board of Commissioners Meeting November 13, 2025
MINUTES OF A MEETING
The Regular Meeting of the Norwalk Housing Authority Board of Commissioners was convened at 5:356 pm November 13 , 2025.
Location: Zoom Video Conference
Present:
Brenda Penn-Williams, Chair
John Church, Treasurer
Isaac Walcott, Commissioner
Teneshia Jacobs, Commissioner
Absent:
Liza Bermudez-Montgomery, Vice Chair
Staff Attending:
Adam Bovilsky, Executive Director
Alison Mukhtar, Director of Operation
Anna Keegan, Director of Policy, and MTW
Charmaine Davis-Ford, Director of Finance
Greg Lickwola, Director of Modernization
Connie Hewitt, Director of Personnel Labor Relations
Kras Carlucci, Deputy Director
Linda Rolle, Director of Grants & Development
Lisa Endo, Director of Development
Leala Marlin, Development Project Manager
Leroy Fender, Director of Maintenance
Wendy Gerbier, Director of Learning Centers
Sherreida Reid, Envision Center Partnership Manager
Jeff Oduro, Director of IT
Donna Lattarulo, Outside General Council, Lattarulo Law Firm, LLC
Roll Call:
At 5:35pm, Chair Penn-Williams opened the meeting. Chair Penn-Williams recognized, Treasurer John Church, Commissioner Isaac Walcott, and Commissioner Teneshia Jacobs as present and acknowledged the presence of a quorum.
Report of the Secretary:
- Mr. Bovilsky reported he has been active in representing Norwalk Housing through recent public engagement activities in the past month and listed four speaking engagements and attendance at several public events on behalf of the Norwalk Housing Authority.
- Last night the Government Shutdown ended, and Norwalk Housing austerity measures officially ended. HUD's budget is now funded through January 30, 2026. The Norwalk Housing Authority will receive partial November and December HUD funding. Due to the shutdown, we have not received a response regarding approval of the 2026 Annual Plan and MTW Supplement.
- As part of the Annual Plan, the Board approves the payment standards. To address concerns regarding lower 2026 payment standards, the Norwalk Housing Authority submitted a public comment to HUD opposing the decision to merge greater Stamford-Norwalk with greater Danbury and greater Bridgeport. No response has been received. Through our MTW Supplement, NHA has requested a waiver - modeled by other MTW agencies -that would allow us to set payment standards up to 150% of the Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFMR). If approved, this would enable us to set higher payment standards for both lower and higher opportunity census tracts. Approval of the increased payment standard would not translate to a higher budget allocation than we would have received with the regular FMR, so a balance needs to be found between our budget authority and our goal of giving our Section 8 families a high enough cap to find apartments in our rather expensive jurisdiction. Currently HUD staff are not available to review the waiver. If the waiver is not approved, the default will remain the 2026 payment standards.
- Based on proposals the search for Strategic Planning consultant was narrowed down from 3 to 2 agencies and finalists were interviewed on November 7. The staff's recommendation will be presented in December.
- Upcoming events / Board meeting
Office Closed:
11/27-28/2025 - Thanksgiving
12/25/2025 - Christmas
1/1/2026 - New Years Day
1/19/2026 - MLK Day
12/11/2025 - Regular Board Meeting
12/17/ 2025 - Chamber Holiday Dinner
Commissioner then set the Board Meeting dates for 2026 - Meetings are usually scheduled on the second Thursday of the month - but due to conflicts, Commissioners decided on the following dates:
January 22, 2026
February 19, 2026
March 19, 2026
April 9, 2026
May 14, 2026
June 18, 2026
July 9, 2026
August 13, 2026
September 10, 2026
October 8, 2026
November 12, 2026
December 10, 2026
Public Hearing / Public Comment Period:
Chair Penn-Williams opened the Public Hearing for Public Comment regarding:
- Norwalk Housing 2026 Annual Plan, including Admissions and Occupancy Plan (ACOP) and Administrative Plan.
- Moving to Work (MTW) Supplement
- Moving to Work (MTW) Amendment
Mr. Bovilsky acknowledged one member of the Public, Ashley Mejia, as present. Ms. Mejia stated she had no comments. During the Public Comment period Anna Keegan presented feedback received at the most recent Resident Advisory Board (RAB) meeting.
At 5:58, receiving no further comments written of verbal, Chair Penn-Williams closed the Public Hearing and Public Comment period.
New Business:
40-83 Treasurer Church made a motion to adopt:
- Norwalk Housing 2026 Annual Plan
Commissioner Walcott seconded the motion.
Ayes
Chair Penn-Williams
Treasurer Church
Commissioner Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
All if Favor. Motion carried.
40-84 Commissioner Walcott moved to approve:
- Moving to Work (MTW) 2026 Supplement
Treasurer Church seconded the motion.
Ayes
Chair Penn-Williams
Treasurer Church
Commissioner Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
All in favor. Motion carried.
40-85 Commissioner Walcott moved to approve:
- Moving to Work (MTW) 2026 Supplement Amendment
Treasurer Church seconded the motion.
Ayes
Chair Penn-Williams
Treasurer Church
Commissioner Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
All in favor. Motion carried.
As the details of the proposal relating to PurePoint and SNEW have not been finalized Mr. Bovilsky suggested that this item be tabled.
40-86 Commissioner Walcott move to table:
- PurePoint design and installation of Meadow Garden solar panels
Treasurer Church seconded the motion.
Ayes
Chair Penn-Williams
Treasurer Church
Commissioner Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
Motion carried.
Leala Marlin introduced the next agenda item: selecting a Relocation Consultant for the 79 South Main project. She explained that Sound Communities is advancing through predevelopment milestones for the Board-approved project at 79 S. Main Street (November 2024). The site will be demolished and redeveloped into senior affordable housing, which requires relocation services for thirteen affected households. Ms. Marlin noted that the sole proposal, submitted by Housing To Home (HTH), meets all qualifications, and Sound is confident in HTH's ability to support the impacted households.
She further stated that HTH's fees are reasonable-$4,000 per household (covering replacement housing sourcing, case management, and one-on-one meetings) plus $1,000 per tenant meeting-bringing the total contract award to approximately $60,000. Moving services and security deposits are not included.
40-87 Treasurer Church moved to approve:
- Selection of Housing To Home (HTH) relocation consultants in assisting with senior relocation during the 79 South Main Street Development at a contract cost of $60,000.
Commissioner Walcott seconded the motion.
In response to Chair Penn-Willaims's inquiry Lisa Endo confirmed that this contract would be funded through the Sound Communities budget. Additionally, Charmaine Davis-Ford noted that the $500,00 bridge loan from NHA to Sound Communities had been repaid in the second quarter of 2025.
Ayes
Chair Penn-Williams
Treasurer Church
Commissioner Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
Motion carried.
40-88 Commissioner Walcott moved to approve:
- Minutes - October 9, 2025
Commissioner Jacobs seconded the motion.
Ayes Abstentions
Chair Penn-Williams Treasurer Church
Commissioner Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
The minutes were approved without any edits.
Motion carried.
Charmaine Davis-Ford took the floor to present the finance report of August 2025.
- Tenant accounts receivable collection rates
- Tenant vacated balances
- Tenant collection rates - reflecting a reduction in outstanding balances
- Operating statements - noting to better track many expenses such as NHA salaries and benefits, the operating expenses that are allocated to the Capital Fund will be reflected in the Operating Statement each month as opposed to reallocating at year-end.
- Consolidated Federal Project Income
- Section 8 operating statements
- August 2025 monthly bills
Ms. Davis-Ford reported that the Finance Department is in the process of re-establishing and reallocating all HUD funding resources that were impacted by the recent government shutdown and funding shortfall.
Mr. Bovilsky invited Kras Carlucci to make an announcement. Ms. Carlucci was pleased to share that Commissioner Teneshia Jacobs successfully graduated from the NHA Family Self-Sufficiency Program. She commended Commissioner Jacobs's dedication in meeting all program requirements and noted that, upon completion, she will receive an escrow check.
Mr. Bovilsky then turned the meeting over to Alison Mukhtar, Director of Housing Operations.
Ms. Mukhtar presented her Operations Departmental Report. She commented on the status the Section 8 and of Special Purpose Vouchers. She also noted Public Housing and Colonial Village vacancies:
- Section 8 - 680 Vouchers - (636) being utilized, six searching, thirty-eight available
- VASH Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Vouchers - (23) nineteen being utilized.
- FUP Family Unifications Vouchers - (7) six are being utilized
- FYI Foster Youth Independence - (4) three being utilized
- Mainstream - 110 (104) utilized, one looking and two available
- Public Housing - 4 vacancies, three assigned
- Senior Housing - 8 vacancies, five are available
- Colonial Village - 1 vacancy
Ms. Mukhtar also provided a comprehensive update on the waiting list and the status of recertifications. She also shared a detailed update on the EnVision Center, covering grant receipts, new hires, programs offerings and Family Self Sufficiency FSS participation.
40-89 Treasurer Church moved to approve the department reports.
Chair Penn-Willaims seconded the motion.
Ayes
Chair Penn-Williams
Treasurer Church
Commissioner Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
The motion was carried.
40-90 Treasurer Church moved to adjourn the meeting.
Commissioner Jacobs seconded the motion.
All if favor. Motion carried.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:57pm.
Respectfully submitted,
_______________________
Adam Bovilsky, Executive Director