Our vitality as a community and our quality of life are at stake if affordable housing continues to remain beyond the reach of everyday workers. In this issue we take a look at steps taken across the towns in the Northwest Corner to address the need, and revisit the underlying factors that define that need.

In story after story about the shortage of affordable housing in our communities, we have cited the long waiting lists that families and individuals face for a home they could afford. In a Page One story, Sadie Leite, a former Lakeville Journal intern who will pursue graduate study in journalism this fall at Northwestern University, provides a town-by-town status report of completed projects, ongoing efforts and the remaining need for affordable housing.

There are tens of thousands of positions across our county in small businesses, volunteer emergency services, healthcare facilities and in other fields — like daycare and banks and schools— that are essential to our way of life yet pay under $50,000 a year. At that pay scale, those families and individuals would qualify for affordable housing if it was attainable.
In the Northwest Corner, many households spend more than half their income on housing. Many workers commute more than 45 minutes because they can’t afford to live closer to work.

The problem is exacerbated by an aging populace. Nearly half the population of Litchfield County is 55 and older. And for the past quarter century, the trend has shown an increase in the number of households with people over 65 and a decline of those with members under 18 years old.

The housing stock in our communities and its price point no longer meets the needs of a diversified community. Almost two-thirds of households in Litchfield County have one or two members, but only about one-third of housing stock is suited for such a household.

As the older population ages, a three- or four-bedroom home no longer makes sense for aging-in-place, while downsizing with less upkeep appeals to many. Yet, absent those options in many communities, older residents often stay in their multi-bedroom homes.

The supply of homes for sale remains somewhat limited, yet prices have been rising beyond the reach of many of our most in-demand jobs. Second homes can comprise up to a third of the housing stock in some of our communities, impacting availability.

We applaud the work of housing advocates, planners, housing trusts and committees and citizens in Salisbury, Cornwall, Sharon, Kent, Falls Village, North Canaan and Norfolk to address affordable housing needs. That praise also goes for the Litchfield County Center for Housing Development that supports housing nonprofits in the county.

Affordable housing is a national problem that we face in our own back yard and our future depends on what we do as a community to address the problem.

Latest News

Swift House committee learns of potential buyer at first meeting

Swift House in Kent.

By Ruth Epstein

KENT — The fate of the Swift House is once again front and center after the newly formed Swift House Investigation Committee held its first meeting Tuesday, Feb. 24 — and learned that a local attorney is interested in buying the historic property.

At the meeting’s outset, committee member Marge Smith said local attorney Anthony Palumbo has expressed interest in purchasing the building. “He loves it and said he’d be honored to buy it and maybe lease part of it back to the town. He would be OK with a conservation easement.” She said he supports several previously proposed uses, including a welcome center and exhibition space.

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119 Amenia Union Road — A four-bedroom, 2.5-bath home built in 1872 on 4.42 acres recently sold for $522,500.

Photo by Christine Bates

SHARON — The 12-month trailing median price for a single-family home in Sharon increased to $710,000 for the period ending Jan. 31, 2026 — its highest point since September 2024 as home values across much of Connecticut continued to edge higher.

The figure marks an increase from the $560,000 median recorded for the 12 months ending Jan. 31, 2025, and from $645,000 for the comparable period ending Jan. 31, 2024. While January and February are typically slow months, the 12-month rolling figure reflects a broader reset.

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Kent's towering snowman honors Robbie Kennedy

Jeff Kennedy visits the 20-foot-high snowman located in the Golden Falcon lot in Kent that was created in honor of his late brother Robbie Kennedy.

Photo by Ruth Epstein

KENT – Snowman Robbie stands prominently in the center of town, just as its namesake — longtime Kent resident Robbie Kennedy — did for so many years.

The 20-foot-high frozen sculpture pays tribute to Kennedy, who died Feb. 9, at the age of 71. A beloved member of the community, he was a familiar sight riding his bicycle along town roads waving to all he passed. Many people knew him from his days working at Davis IGA, the local supermarket. He was embraced by the Kent Fire Department, where he was named an active emergency member and whose members chipped in to buy him a new bike, and by the Kent School football team where coach Ben Martin made him his assistant. At Templeton Farms senior apartments, he was the helpful tenant, always eager to assist his neighbors.

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Classifieds - February 26, 2026

Classifieds - February 26, 2026

Help Wanted

PART-TIME CARE-GIVER NEEDED: possibly LIVE-IN. Bright private STUDIO on 10 acres. Queen Bed, En-Suite Bathroom, Kitchenette & Garage. SHARON 407-620-7777.

The Salisbury Association’s Land Trust seeks part-time Land Steward: Responsibilities include monitoring easements and preserves, filing monitoring reports, documenting and reporting violations or encroachments, and recruiting and supervising volunteer monitors. The Steward will also execute preserve and trail stewardship according to Management Plans and manage contractor activity. Up to 10 hours per week, compensation commensurate with experience. Further details and requirements are available on request. To apply: Send cover letter, resume, and references to info@salisburyassociation.org. The Salisbury Association is an equal opportunity employer.

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To save birds, plant for caterpillars

Fireweed attracts the fabulous hummingbird sphinx moth.

Photo provided by Wild Seed Project

You must figure that, as rough as the cold weather has been for us, it’s worse for wildlife. Here, by the banks of the Housatonic, flocks of dark-eyed juncos, song sparrows, tufted titmice and black-capped chickadees have taken up residence in the boxwood — presumably because of its proximity to the breakfast bar. I no longer have a bird feeder after bears destroyed two versions and simply throw chili-flavored birdseed onto the snow twice a day. The tiny creatures from the boxwood are joined by blue jays, cardinals and a solitary flicker.

These birds will soon enough be nesting, and their babies will require a nonstop diet of caterpillars. This source of soft-bodied protein makes up more than 90 percent of native bird chicks’ diets, with each clutch consuming between 6,000 and 9,000 caterpillars before they fledge. That means we need a lot of caterpillars if we want our bird population to survive.

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Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and the home for American illustration

Stephanie Haboush Plunkett

L. Tomaino
"The field of illustration is very close to my heart"
— Stephanie Plunkett

For more than three decades, Stephanie Haboush Plunkett has worked to elevate illustration as a serious art form. As chief curator and Rockwell Center director at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, she has helped bring national and international attention to an art form long dismissed as merely commercial.

Her commitment to illustration is deeply personal. Plunkett grew up watching her father, Joseph Haboush, an illustrator and graphic designer, work late into the night in his home studio creating art and hand-lettered logos for package designs, toys and licensed-character products for the Walt Disney Co. and other clients.

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