Dance party raises money for housing at White Hart

SALISBURY — Friends and supporters of the Salisbury Housing Trust filled the dance floor and bid on silent-auction items Thursday evening, July 23, during the organization’s third annual “Let’s Dance For Housing” fundraiser at the White Hart Inn. Proceeds will support the nonprofit’s efforts to expand affordable housing in the Northwest Corner.

DJ Dave Leonard, founder of WKZE, an independent radio station serving the area, kept the dance floor busy with classic hits from the 1960s through the 1990s. More than 60 people attended the fundraiser.

Silent-auction ranging from gift cards to Broadway, baseball and Bronx Zoo tickets. Guests also bid on overnight stays and restaurant credits at The White Hart Inn and Prospect Berkshires, along with a day at Lime Rock Park Drivers Club.

The Housing Trust is preparing to purchase and renovate a house at 51 Bostwick St. before selling it to a local family. The project follows the more recent completion of four affordable homes – two on Perry Street and two on Undermountain Road– that were built with the help of state and federal funding. Families have moved into all four houses, according to Housing Trust president John Harney.

Harney said that affordable housing has become increasingly important in Salisbury due to the changes in the town’s economic makeup. During the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, he said, there was a broader mix of working-, middle- and upper-income residents. Housing prices, however, increased during the 1980s and 1990s, he added, with many families priced out of the community.

As a result, some people who grew up in the community can no longer afford to return. The Salisbury Housing Trust aims to restore some of the economic diversity the town has lost.

“Salisbury has turned into a financially gated community, and our job is to open the gate,” Harney said.

The Housing Trust was formed after a series of community meetings in 2000 identified affordable housing as one of Salisbury’s greatest needs. It now acquires, builds, and renovates homes for qualifying low- and moderate- income residents.

Harney said affordable homeownership can make “a world of difference” for families that might otherwise be unable to buy, or even rent, in Salisbury. The growth of short-term rentals and Airbnbs has further reduced the town’s available housing, he said, making it difficult for younger families to establish themselves and benefit from Salisbury’s schools and other resources.

To help fund that work, Judy Gafney, the organization’s former fundraising chair and a current member of the fundraising committee, proposed “Let’s Dance for Housing” three years ago as a way to support the mission while bringing the community together.

After years of community involvement, Gafney said the Housing Trust’s work remains deeply meaningful to her, particularly when she meets the families moving into its homes.

“Personally, it is such a joy, and it is so meaningful to me to see and to meet these families moving in,” Gafney said. “I get such happiness out of this job. It’s giving to people and seeing their growth, strength, and contentment. It’s just marvelous. This community is so generous in their support of what we’re doing. Wonderful, wonderful supporters and individuals.”

Throughout the evening, as music continued and guests moved between the dance floor and silent auction tables, the celebratory atmosphere reflected the community support Gafney described.

Salisbury resident and novelist Helen Klein Ross said she enjoyed spending the evening supporting the Housing Trust. “I loved the event, being able to amble through those beautiful rooms, meeting and greeting and bidding on such fun things. And the food was fantastic!” Ross said.