Hayes tours new affordable home in recent visit to Salisbury

SALISBURY — Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (D-5) admired the kitchen cabinets, the sunlight streaming through the large windows and an airy room well suited for flexible living space.

She toured the new affordable home at 17 Perry St. on Thursday, Jan. 29. The house, recently completed by the Salisbury Housing Trust, is awaiting a family to call it home. The modular home is one of four erected in Salisbury through the Litchfield County Center for Housing Opportunity’s Affordable Homeownership Program for scattered sites. Houses were also built in Norfolk, Cornwall and Washington.

Jocelyn Ayer, director of the center, joined members of the housing trust and First Selectman Curtis Rand in welcoming Hayes and explaining how the project came together. Rand said the property was the site of a dry-cleaning establishment located in the center of a residential area. “It was owned by two people who walked away from it. It took 15 years before we took the initiative to do something. We didn’t want to foreclose until we were sure we had someone to share in the cleanup.”

That partner was the state Department of Economic and Community Development, which provided a grant. Once the contamination was abated, a process that took five years, the town gave the property to the trust.

Hayes commended the town, saying, “I’m surprised you took the risk.”

Ayer said the critical pieces in making the project happen were the town donating the land and the Planning and Zoning Commission approving two homes on the Perry Street lot. She also thanked Hayes for her support in securing some federal funding toward the project.

“Other towns are jealous of the support we have here,” Ayer told Hayes, which includes help from the town, state and federal government.

Jennifer Kronholm Clark, vice president of the Salisbury Housing Trust, shows Congresswoman Jahana Hayes the kitchen in the trust’s newly built affordable house on Perry Street during Hayes’s visit Thursday.Ruth Epstein

Each of the houses costs $250,000. The trust retains the land on which they sit. The cost to build each house was $500,000, said Ayer. So far, two of the four Salisbury homes are occupied. Those eligible must be first-time homeowners.

Heat is provided by mini-split units in each room. The houses run on electricity and Ayer said the trust is exploring solar options. “We have $40,000 for each house, but we’re having a hard time getting bids near that.”

Jennifer Kronholm Clark, vice president of the trust, described the families who are already occupying the two houses. Just next door at 19 Perry St. is a young family with two children, one born recently. The mother grew up in Salisbury and “this is a wonderful opportunity for her to raise her children where she was raised. It’s a beautiful story.”

The family in one of the Undermountain Road houses has three boys who are thrilled to have a playground practically in their front yard, said John Harney, president of the trust. When the town conveyed that parcel, it stipulated that the existing playground remain.

Even with the $250,000 price tag, which is considered affordable in today’s housing market, Ayer said there has been a lot of interest expressed, but many just cannot afford to buy because they are unable to secure a mortgage. Hayes noted the guidelines have to be adjusted, adding that while affordable housing has always been an issue, “it’s getting to the top of the priority list.”

She lauded Ayer for all the work she does to promote affordable housing, telling her “You have a great vision. I’ll keep going to bat for you. I’ll keep trying to get federal money.”

As she was about to leave, Hayes was presented by Harney with what he called “liquid gold” — maple syrup made by Dolores and Champ Perotti of East Canaan. He also had a bottle for Ayer.

Those who may be interested in applying for the homeownership program should contact Ayer at 203-579-3180.