It’s About Housing

Affordable housing is a persistent problem that is drawing more attention as it continues to impact daily life and work and our businesses. It’s not uncommon for workers to travel a half hour or more to the job, because there is nothing available closer to work.

Last month, Habitat for Humanity for Northwest Connecticut (HHNC) completed construction of a second affordable home in North Canaan. the donors included Herrington’s, the Torrington Savings Bank, the Anne and Rollin Bates Foundation, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, the Northwest Community Bank Foundation and other individuals and businesses. Next up for HHNC is a project in Torrington, and after than the work crew will return to build a third home in North Canaan.

At a special meeting on July 11, the Salisbury Planning and Zoning Commission approved an application to build two affordable homes on Undermountain Road near the White Hart Inn.

And last week at the White Hart, more than 150 neighbors and friends attended the Salisbury Housing Trust’s first-ever Let’s Dance for Housing event. It was a successul fundraiser.

This summer, Sharon residents voted to convert the Sharon Community Center into affordable housing. In May, Kent residents voted to transfer land adjacent to the South Commons affordable housing project for construction of 10 additional units. Every town in the Northwest Corner has addressed the issue, yet we all know the need remains.

The extreme cases surrounding affordable housing are those who have no housing. On July 30, the State of Connecticut issued its annual count of families and individuals experiencing homelessness. On some level, the report is technical. It is a mandate from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that requires all funding recipients to count the number of people experiencing homelessness in the last ten days of January of a current year.

Connecticut has been conducting this count since 2007. It includes “the number of people who were in emergency shelter, transitional housing and safe havens as well as those who were unsheltered, meaning living in places not meant for human habitation such as in cars, under bridges, or on the streets.”

The latest report revealed that on Jan. 23, 2023, there were 3,410 people experiencing homelessness statewide, an increase of 13% from the year before. The count of families with children also increased about 16%. On that date last year, there were 677 children without a place to call home.

In neighboring Dutchess County, last week marked an important milestone for the Town of North East. Habitat for Humanity in Dutchess County (HHDC) met with the owner of a future three-bedroom, two-bath home that will be built and completed by the end of the year on Rudd Pond Road. The family of four never has owned their own home. Anthony Macagnone, disabled as a result his work at the World Trade Center after 9/11, and his wife Vanessa currently spend more than 50% of their income on a rental in Amenia, and under the Habitat financing, they will pay no more than 30%.

The Macagnones are not alone in paying so much for housing. In Dutchess County, one in five residents pay half or more of their income on housing.

Down the road in Stanford, Wendy Burton, Supervisor of the Town of Stanford, last week reminded everyone that there will be a public hearing this week on a proposed local law that will allow for Accessory Dwelling Units in all zoning districts. The Stanford Town Board has determined that it’s in the best interest of the town to allow for one ADU in all districts “to increase the supply of housing in the town.”