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Faculty & Staff Housing Handbook

I. Introduction

II. Housing Policies

III. Housing Procedures Application

IV. Repairs and Maintenance Procedures

V. Housing Inventory and Location Map
VI. Neighborhood Meetings and Resident Surveys
VII. Contact Information

Appendices

Introduction

Williams owns and manages approximately 130 faculty/staff residential housing units in Williamstown, from single homes to multi-family apartments, to provide convenient, safe, and economical housing to attract and retain junior faculty and new administrative staff.

Residential housing is offered to eligible faculty and staff at market rates through a housing points and lottery process that occurs semi-annually. At other times, available housing is offered to new employees on a first come, first served basis. Those who select to live in College residential housing are required to fill out a short application/questionnaire, make their housing selection from the list of available units, sign a Housing License Agreement prior to moving in, and pay a security deposit equal to one month’s housing payment.

Together with the Housing License Agreement, this Handbook helps explain important information about the housing process, including the rights, responsibilities, and expectations of residents in College housing. The Housing License Agreement, setting out the terms and conditions for occupancy during College employment, is different from a lease and allows residents to cancel and move out with short notice, typically 30 days or less. In addition, signing a Housing License Agreement does not require a credit history or credit check. Furthermore, the terms and conditions in the Housing License Agreement conform to all applicable housing laws in Massachusetts including:

College’s Rights and Responsibilities:
      • Not to discriminate based on age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status including children, and disability
      • Maintain housing in accordance with all local and state building codes
      • Comply with all safety and fire regulations, including regarding lead paint
      • Respect residents’ privacy
Residents’ Rights and Responsibilities:
      • Comply with Housing License Agreement terms for payment, security deposit, and utility payments as well as any maintenance obligations
      • Promptly notify College if unit needs repair
      • Provide College with reasonable access to unit for required inspections, repairs, and maintenance
      • Be considerate of neighbors and College property

Housing Policies

Housing License Agreement:

Residents are required to sign a Housing License Agreement in advance of occupying a unit (refer to Appendix B- Sample Housing License Agreement).

Housing License Agreements for each type of unit—single family, multi-family, mixed-use, Co-Op housing, Pine Cobble, and Cable Mills—are the same, with the following exceptions:

Single Family — Residents are directly responsible for all utilities (including water/sewer) as well as exterior yard maintenance and snow and trash removal.

Multi-Family and Mixed-Use Housing — Resident may be directly responsible for some utilities, such as electricity, that are not included in the base payment to the College. Typically lawn care, snow removal, and trash removal are included in the base payment to the College for dwellings with two or more units.

Co-Op Housing – Gas heat, electricity, water/sewer, lawn care, snow removal, trash removal, common area cleaning included as well as whole house wifi.

Pine Cobble Houses— In addition to the base payment to the College, the resident is responsible for all utilities (including water/sewer) as well as exterior yard maintenance and snow and trash removal. Also, these homes are offered for sale as is described below and in the Housing License Agreement for Pine Cobble Houses.

Cable Mills Housing — Gas heat, electricity, and water/sewer are included in the base payment to the College.  The College is renting 4 apartments and 6 townhouses and offering them to College employees who are eligible for College rental housing.

Housing Lottery Process

The Real Estate Office offers all available housing through a lottery process that occurs semi­-annually and on a first come, first served basis during other times.

A Spring Lottery begins on the second Monday in April for Housing License Agreements that will commence in July or August. A Winter Lottery begins on the second Monday in November for Housing License Agreements that will commence in January or February.

All new and current employees who are eligible are permitted to join the lottery. Housing is selected in the lottery by eligibility group based on housing points, from highest to lowest, until all available housing units are selected. When a resident who is already in College housing and will continue to be employed at the College and eligible for housing decides not to select in the lottery, that unit will not be included in the lottery and the employee will remain in his or her current unit. When a current resident decides to join the lottery and selects another unit, his or her unit will be included in the selection list.

Please note, because of swings in availability, employees are not guaranteed housing at the time of employment and not all lottery participants are guaranteed a unit.

Eligibility and Points

The Dean of the Faculty’s Office or the Human Resources Office confirms employment/re­appointments and housing eligibility and provides this information to the Real Estate Office. The Real Estate Office determines housing points and priority groups based on the criteria outlined in the Williams College Faculty and Administrative Staff Handbooks. See Appendix A.

Subleasing and Sabbaticals

A resident with an approved leave of absence or sabbatical may (a) sublet the unit directly to another faculty or staff member at the College, (b) sublet the unit through the College, or (c) move out returning the unit to the list of available rental housing.  If a resident wishes to make arrangements to sublet their unit through the College, the resident must provide written notice to the Real Estate Office by April 1 for the fall semester, or November 1 for the spring semester.  All units returned to the College will be offered as sublets in the Spring and Winter Lotteries.  We will not accept requests for subletting after the deadline.

See Appendix A- Williams College Faculty and Administrative Staff Handbooks.

Commuter Housing

Tenured faculty and administrative staff, who have exhausted their eligibility for the regular rental housing program, with a primary residence beyond a 60-mile radius from campus, are eligible for the commuter housing lottery. See Appendix C- Faculty Handbook, College Housing for Commuting Faculty.

Relocations

On occasion, a housing unit might be taken out of service. If involuntarily displaced by this action, a resident may choose to either relocate to another currently available unit or enter the next lottery. If a resident chooses to enter the next lottery, a one-time bonus of 30 relocation points will be added to the resident’s point total.

Pine Cobble residents whose house is sold during their occupancy are eligible to receive additional relocation points in the lottery.

Pets and Smoking

Pets are permitted at single family homes with advance written notice to the College. A required pet deposit fee of $200 is added to the security deposit for each pet in the household.

For Multi-Family and Mixed-Use Apartments, the College reserves the right to prohibit pets. If a pet request is approved, the pet deposit fee is required.

Pets are not allowed in Co-Op housing.

Smoking is prohibited inside and within 25 feet of College buildings.

Pine Cobble Houses “For Sale”

Residents who are considering a Pine Cobble home should note that these houses are offered for sale to eligible College buyers before each Spring Lottery. Residents will have at least one year of occupancy before a house is offered for sale. Residents will be notified in advance of the housing lottery if their home is under contract to be sold. Residents who are required to relocate for this reason, continue to be eligible for College housing, and wish to remain in College housing will need to enter the next lottery, and will be awarded relocation points.

Eligible employees interested in buying a Pine Cobble house should refer to the Faculty and Administrative Staff Handbooks, Pine Cobble Development Program. The College sets sale prices based on current market appraisals that are updated each year.

III. Housing Procedures

Step 1- Application

All new and existing employees who are eligible for college housing and interested in participating in the lottery are required to complete a housing application/questionnaire with the Real Estate Office.

Step 2- Housing Lottery Timing and Process

The housing lotteries operate as follows:

Spring
      • Annual Notices: Second/Third week in February
      • Lottery Commences: Second Monday in April
      • Lottery Closes: May 31st
      • Existing Resident Move-out: June 15th to June 30th (See Appendix A)
      • New Resident Move-in: July 15th to September 1st
Winter
      • Annual Notices:  Second/Third week in October
      • Lottery Commences: Second Monday in November
      • Lottery Closes: December 31st
      • Existing Resident Move-out: December 15th to December 30th (See Appendix A)
      • New Resident Move-in: January 15th to February 1st
For New Employees in Lottery:

If a new employee is hired and begins employment after the completion of the Spring lottery but before November 1, he or she may select from what is available at the time.  If an employee is hired and begins employment after the completion of the Winter lottery but before April 1, he or she may select from what is available at the time.  New employees selecting between lotteries may elect  to enter the next lottery to relocate.  An employee hired while a lottery is in progress may join that lottery and select from the available units at that time based on their housing points.   Please note, because of swings in availability, employees are not guaranteed housing at the time of employment and not all lottery participants are guaranteed a unit.

For Current Employees in Lottery:

Current employees who are eligible may enter the lottery as they desire. However, those with a term or annual appointment must be re-appointed before the lottery begins in order to either remain in the existing unit or participate in the lottery. Those who are re-appointed during the lottery, wish to remain in College housing, and are eligible may join the lottery in progress and select from the available units at that time based on their housing points. The units of those who are not re-appointed by the date the lottery begins will be included in the list of available housing units in the lottery.

Step 3- Housing Selection

When an employee completes a housing application and enters the lottery, the Real Estate Office can provide the employee’s housing points and can provide specifics on properties that may be available. During the lottery, the Real Estate Office can arrange property tours of vacant units and assist with coordinating property tours of occupied units. Each employee will be given approximately one week to select up to three housing choices. Once the Real Estate Office awards a unit, the employee will have one day to confirm that selection.

Step 4- Housing License Agreement

Once a unit is selected by either means, the Real Estate Office will confirm with the employee the selection and move-in date. A Housing License Agreement will be provided to the resident for review and signature. When it is signed, an arrangement will be made to acquire the key. The resident is responsible to transfer the applicable utilities to their names upon the signing of the Housing License Agreement or assume the risk of possible interruption of service.

Step 5- Monthly Housing Payments and Security Deposits

Payroll deduction is the most efficient, convenient and reliable method to make housing payments to the College. This can be arranged by completing the payroll deduction form attached to the Housing License Agreement. The College prefers the payroll deduction method of payment.

The other option for monthly housing payments is to authorize the College to electronically deduct funds directly from the resident’s bank account through the ACH process. The resident must initiate and manage this option. Funds would be deducted from resident’s account(s) twice per month. The resident must furnish the College with an authorization form containing the name of the bank, routing number, account number, type of account (savings or checking) and the amount to be deducted. The resident is responsible for notifying the College to change or discontinue the deduction.

Security Deposits are paid by either check or payroll deduction. If payroll deduction is selected, the security deposit can be paid over four consecutive pay periods.

Step 6- Move-in

Once keys are provided, a resident may move in. Within two weeks of move-in, the Real Estate Office will follow up with the resident to arrange a mutually convenient time to conduct a move­ in inspection to insure everything is in good working order and to answer any additional questions the resident may have. The completed and signed move-in inspection form will become a part of the Housing License Agreement.

Step 7 – Move-out

When a resident provides written notice to the Real Estate Office of intent to move out or if a resident’s employment at the College is terminated for any reason, the Real Estate Office will follow up with the resident to complete the necessary paperwork to cancel the Housing License Agreement and to conduct a final move-out inspection. Once a move-out inspection form is completed and signed, the security deposit refund will be processed.

To assist with your move out, we provide a Vacate Checklist.

IV. Housing Repairs and Maintenance (See Appendix D-Facilities Web Request)

All College units are maintained and repaired by the Facilities Department- either directly by College personnel or through a third-party service provider. All maintenance personnel carry either a College ID card or a College-issued contractor badge. Residents are encouraged to properly identify anyone arriving to perform work and to report immediately to Facilities anyone who is not authorized.

Repairs and maintenance fall into three broad categories- Emergency/Non-Discretionary, Routine, and Discretionary.

      • Emergency/non-discretionary repairs include life safety, plumbing, heating, appliance issues requiring immediate attention, pest infestation. These items will be addressed ASAP and best efforts will be made to notify residents in advance of this work taking place.
      • Routine repairs and maintenance, such as annual furnace and chimney checks, routine pest control, life safety inspections, gutter cleaning, will be scheduled in advance and adequate advanced notice will be provided to residents. Typically these items occur around the same time each year, though some are subject to change due to inclement weather.
      • Discretionary repairs, such as painting, insulation, and other repair work will be scheduled in advance with the resident with at least 24 hours notice. Residents have the right to be present or can allow the work to proceed in their absence.

Emergency Repairs

IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY, CALL 413-597-2486 IMMEDIATELY Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  After 4:30 or on weekends and holidays, call Campus Safety and Security at 597-4444. An emergency is a problem that would result in harm to you or others or cause damage to the building and must be resolved that day.

Discretionary Repairs

All non-emergency repairs or service requests are submitted through a centralized work order system at:  https://real-estate.williams.edu/submitting-an-online-work-order/.

NOTE: Be sure to be very specific when filling in the description of work required. For example:

My window is broken.

Is the glass broken? Is the glass cracked? Is there glass on the floor?
Does the window not open or close?
Is the frame damaged?

We have made every effort to make these instructions as user-friendly as possible, but if you need assistance, please contact the Kim Racine, Service Desk, at 597-2486.

      • Routine work request: Facilities Web Request or Service Desk at 413-597-2486.
      • Emergency work: Call Facilities Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 413-597-2486.
      • After hours and on weekends/holidays, call: Campus Safety and Security at 413-597-4444.

Capital Repairs

Periodically, the College invests in unit improvements. When possible, this work occurs when the unit is vacant, but on rare occasions it takes place while a unit is occupied. In those cases, Facilities will provide a high level of communication with the resident regarding the scope and schedule for the work and a minimum 48 hours notice for permission to enter the space. In some cases, residents may be required to temporarily relocate due to the nature of the work. If so, the Real Estate Office will work with the resident to find temporary housing to minimize the disruption.

V. Housing Inventory and Location Map

See Appendix E.

VI. Housing Survey and Neighborhood Resident Meetings

The Real Estate Office and Facilities Department conduct annual neighborhood meetings with residents. These provide opportunities to address common concerns and issues related to housing and upcoming projects or events affecting the neighborhood. These meetings occur in the early Fall and Spring.

The neighborhood meetings are grouped as follows:

      • Southworth Schoolhouse / School Street
      • Main Street / Southworth Street / Lynde Lane / Mission Park Drive
      • Latham Street / Meacham Street
      • Spring Street / Hoxsey Street / The Knolls
      • Green River Road / Water Street
      • Chapin Court / South Street / Stetson Court / Sabin Drive
      • Jerome Drive / Lee Terrace / Park Street / Whitman Street
      • Pine Cobble Road

In advance of each meeting, the Real Estate Office will send residents notices and will solicit input for topics to discuss. In addition, annual neighborhood resident surveys solicit feedback on a range of topics. All residents are encouraged to complete the New Resident Housing Survey (See Appendix F) or submit comments and questions to: Matt Sheehy at [email protected].

Contact Information

Real Estate Office

Facilities Building
60 Latham Street

Bobbi Senecal – Real Estate and Housing Coordinator
Contact for: Housing Eligibility, Housing Application, Lottery, Resident Follow-Up and Questions, Move-in/out Inspections, Housing Points, Housing Agreement, Payroll Deductions, Housing Payments, Security Deposits, Utility Payments, and Water/Sewer Deductions
Telephone (413) 597-2195
Email: [email protected]

Matt Sheehy – Associate Vice President for Finance
Contact for: Housing Program, Mortgage Program, Policies and Procedures, “For Sale” Housing, and New Housing Purchases
Telephone (413) 597-4775
Email: [email protected]

Campus Safety and Security

Hopkins Hall
Telephone: (413) 597-4444
Contact for: Emergency and after hour/weekend/holiday repairs

Williams College Facilities

60 Latham Street

Kim Racine – Service Desk
Contact for: Work Requests and Property Repairs
Telephone: (413) 597-2486
Email: [email protected]

Christina Sanborn – Executive Director for Facilities Operations
Contact for: Property Maintenance and Repair Concerns
Telephone: (413) 597-2303
Email: [email protected]