Housing Trust, Habitat join forces to make young family’s dream a reality

SALISBURY — One neighbor brought a cinnamon swirl bundt cake from Sweet William’s to welcome the Sayler family to the Selleck Hill neighborhood.

Another brought her recently born fawn.

The latter, a white-tailed deer that lives in the surrounding woodlands, had been a frequent visitor since Bridget and Dom Sayler purchased their 1,348-square-foot, single-family home on 2.6 acres for $195,000 from the Salisbury Housing Trust (SHT) on April 30.

But on this brisk, spring morning, the doe did not come alone. She made a surprise visit with her spindly legged fawn, eliciting glee from the small group that had gathered to talk about the SHT’s 17th sale of an affordable home in town.

The transaction marked the first collaboration between the Housing Trust and Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Connecticut. The deal made home ownership a reality for the Sayler family: Bridget, Dom and their three children, Zoe, 14, Owen, 12, and Lewis, 11.

Prior to the purchase, the Saylers had rented a house in Lakeville for 13 years.

“We were waiting in the wings,” explained Bridget, whose family has deep roots in the Northwest Corner. Her parents own and operate the family-run Clarke Outdoors in West Cornwall.

“When this house came up, Judy [Gafney] knew how much we love the woods and the creatures,” she said of the Housing Trust’s board member.

Housing Trust President John Harney said the deal was even sweeter because Bridget’s late grandfather, Vic Clarke, “was one of our childhood heroes who taught us all how to cross-country ski, hike, rock climb, paddle and love the outdoors…so supporting his granddaughter was of the highest importance to accomplish in memory of Vic. He would have loved this home.”

Ellsworth family’s legacy

In 2000, the 2.6-acre property at 30 Selleck Hill was donated to Habitat for Humanity by Sally Ellsworth to ensure that the property would be forever affordable.

Harney credited the Ellsworth family for leading the way in supporting the building of affordable homes before it became popular.

The original occupants of the five-room home, Terre and Hal Lefferts, lived there for more than two decades before relocating to Maine where Hal’s music career and Terre’s art and massage career are keeping them busy.

“We put in 600 hours of work building the house with Habitat for Humanity’s help, 22 years ago. This is not including the hours of labor Hal spent creating and cultivating the beautiful gardens and flowering trees,” recalled Terre Lefferts. “These he labeled, hoping that the next residents would care for them as he had all those years.”

Lefferts said she misses not only her friends, home and gardens, but also her daily walks up Selleck Hill with her dog, Luna. “It was very bittersweet to leave what we had worked on and lived in for over 22 years.”

Happenstance connected the Lefferts with the Housing Trust.

Gafney, a member of the Housing Trust, recalled a conversation with Lefferts last July at a silent auction to benefit SHT at The White Hart.

“Terre said, ‘We’re moving to Maine,’ and I said, ‘We have people!’”

Five months later, in December of 2024, the Housing Trust purchased the house from the Lefferts, and Habitat gifted the two-plus acres to the Housing Trust to help keep the house affordable and to honor Ellsworth’s legacy.

On April 30, SHT sold the house to the Saylers and retained the land, which is governed by the trust’s ground lease.

“We cannot say enough about the heroic work that the Housing Trust is doing, and we’re happy that they could place a deserving family in the wonderful home that once was ours,” said Lefferts.

‘A meaningful first step’

David Sellery, executive director of Habitat for Humanity’s Northwest region, described his organization’s collaboration with SHT as a “meaningful first step toward building a broader coalition for affordable housing in our region.”

The Selleck Hill deal, he noted, is a great example of how collaboration can move the needle on affordable housing.

“By working together, we can do more for our neighbors than any one organization can do alone. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to creative solutions that honor both the character of our community and the urgent need for accessible housing.”

Habitat’s board President, Bob Whelan, noted that Habitat and the Housing Trust employ the same model, “in that we continue to own the land and we sell the improvements. It gives the families the ability to build wealth, as we allow for appreciation on the home.”

The beauty of the concept, he said, is the ability to put the home back into an affordable housing situation down the road.

One door closes, another opens

On June 1, Gafney, Sellery and Whelan gathered in the cozy living room with the Sayler family when suddenly, a white-tailed deer approached the front porch. The group scrambled to the window to take a peek at the delicate doe, which had become a frequent visitor.

But on this day, she brought a surprise along: her recently born fawn, which remained along the wooded edge of the backyard until the duo dashed off into the shadows.

Dom Sayler, a teacher at the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass., noted that the property affords the natural setting the family had long been seeking, yet is convenient to town.

“The kids walk to the library, and Zoe enjoys the teen programs at Scoville. The fact that this area of land is available to our income level I find astounding. It would go for way more for just the land alone,” on the open market, he noted.

Another selling point of the home was its spacious basement, a popular hangout for the youngsters.

“There’s a woodstove down there and it’s very dry,” perfect for music practice, said Dom, who noted, “Our kids have a band…The Saylers,” with Zoe on bass, Lewis on drums and Owen on guitar.

All three children attend Salisbury Central School, and Zoe plans to attend Berkshire School next year.

Bridget, who works at the Hotchkiss School library, hugged Gafney as they parted ways and thanked her for helping to make the family’s dream of homeownership come true.

“I can’t imagine having someone else in our corner.”

Sellery reflected on meeting the Sayler family at their new home.

“And what a special moment with the doe and her fawn,” he noted “Truly a reminder of the beauty of life this land holds, and why it’s so worth preserving and sharing responsibly.”