Area towns working on affordable housing plans

KENT —Representatives of boards and commissions have been meeting regularly in area towns to draft state-mandated plans for affordable housing and gain approval of those plans before a June 30 deadline.

A state law requiring all towns to submit a plan to increase availability of affordable housing was passed in 2017. Salisbury became the first town in the area to adopt and submit its completed plan, in May 2018.

Recently, the towns of Kent, Sharon and North Canaan each held information sessions led by planning consultant Jocelyn Ayer, director of the Litchfield County Center for Housing Opportunities.  She is providing technical assistance to guide each town’s process. The information sessions were held on Wednesday, Feb. 23, Thursday, Feb. 24, and Monday, Feb. 28, respectively, each following a similar format and presented on Zoom.

Reviewing requirements, Ayer explained why the towns must adopt a five-year plan for affordable housing to meet local needs, working within their own local Plan of Conservation and Development that presents a 10-year view of each town’s goals.

Ayer is presently consulting for nine area towns, she said, having assisted six others during the past year.

The affordable housing plans will have no regulatory authority, Ayer explained. Local boards and commissions have the authority, but it presents town-approved guidance toward considering future adjustments to local regulations.

As a first step in the planning process, each town’s housing task force distributed a resident input survey to each household to gather information on existing housing stock and residents’ opinions on the present and future housing needs (and solutions) for their towns.

The next steps in the process will be to specify action steps and strategies for meeting those housing solutions, Ayer said. Included in those steps are such topics as site identification, zoning, volunteer resources and funding sources.

The process anticipates that a draft of an affordable housing plan will be ready in April or May, with a community-wide forum to be held in June.

Following public hearings and resulting amendments to the plan, the board of selectmen will vote to adopt the final plan, Ayer said.

The affordable housing landscape among all three towns is similar. There is scarcity of rentals and finding an affordable home for first-time homebuyers is difficult. Young people who want to live in the area and seniors who want to remain in their towns as they age have difficulty doing so. The high costs of housing are stressing many family budgets. There is a pent-up demand for affordable housing alternatives. Affordable solutions among the towns may vary.

Kent

“This has been a long time coming,” First Selectman Jean Speck commented on the process of creating a plan. Participants viewing the Zoom meeting numbered 27.

Kent Housing Committee representative David Birnbaum reported that 260 residents completed the survey. Some 74% were concerned that housing costs adversely affected affordability; 60% favored more senior housing; 50% saw need for smaller units for down-sizers, and 44% saw advantages in centrally located housing options. Half of the respondents did not know that accessory apartments were an allowable option.

Ayer indicated that 78% of existing housing in Kent is single-family homes. Only 15% of those residences have children and yet 60% of those homes have 3 or more bedrooms. She felt it likely that many of those homeowners might prefer smaller homes.

A shortage of rentals is an existing problem with only three current vacancies in the rental market, with monthly rental cost ranging between $2,200 for a 2-bedroom, $3,500 for a 3-bedroom and $24,500 for a 5-bedroom.

Many young adults are living with their parents, Ayer said, and 199 households are paying more than half of their income on housing costs. The recommended percentage of income to be budgeted for housing is 30%.

Sharon

There were 37 people viewing the online Sharon meeting. The housing survey was completed by 222 residents, according to Housing Plan Steering Committee representative Dale Jones, who also serves the town as a selectman.

A substantial majority (82%) of residents recognized that high housing costs affect affordability for many; 79% agreed that housing costs affect affordability for young families; 76% favored more rental options; 67% felt that the town needs more options for down-sizers and 57% agreed that the town needs more options for renters to be able to go on to purchase their first home.

Ayer reported that Sharon has 465 families who earn less than 80% of the area’s median income and would therefore qualify for affordable housing options. Sharon presently offers 36 total units of housing, mostly at Sharon Ridge, where 80 households are on the waiting list.

Some 90% of Sharon’s housing is single-family detached homes, and 16% of those households have children. But 75% of those homes have three or more bedrooms. Only 17% of the housing is classed as rental property, with only five homes listed as being available to rent.

There are 205 households paying more than half of their income on their housing costs, indicating a severe housing cost burden for those families.

Comments offered by meeting participants sought clarification, and supported locating housing within easy walking distance of the town center. Others supported providing broadband coverage. The need for providing housing opportunity for employees of local businesses, local school personnel and younger families was discussed, along with a question about whether the town should include support for affordable housing in its annual budget.

“We’re going to need residents’ input to find ways to move forward,” Jones said. “Please stay interested as we move into the idea phase.”  Speaking for the housing committee, Jones said that each committee member “will welcome input with open arms.”

North Canaan

Participating in the Zoom session were 24 residents, considering information provided by the 96 residents who have completed the input survey so far.

Ayer reported that 595 North Canaan households would qualify to reside in affordable units, although the town presently offers 162 such units, 68 of which are found at Wangum Village. The waiting list there stands at 21.

Kevin O’Connell, Geer Village CEO, spoke of the difficulties of recruiting staff to fill openings, given the lack of affordable housing.

“There is a real deficit in housing,” O’Connell said, adding that professional staff are not so much seeking affordable housing to purchase, but would want to find reasonably priced rental properties. He said that 10 such rental units would be a help.

“I could hire 20 people tomorrow if I could find them, and housing is a huge component of that,” O’Connell said.

Throughout the town, 438 households are cost-burdened, paying more than 30% of income on housing, and 229 of those are paying more than 50%.

In the town, 15% of single-family homes have children living at home, but 53% have three or more bedrooms, Ayer noted.

Only two homes in town are listed for rent, with the lower rent being $1,900 per month.

Two surveys measured housing interests, one for people who live in the town and the other for people who work in North Canaan.

A majority (74%) of respondents who live in North Canaan believe that the cost of housing  is a problem; 62% need affordable rentals; and 60% favor options where renters can purchase. One respondent asked for rental apartments in the town center so that younger employees could walk to work.

Of the respondents who work in North Canaan, 67 did not live in the town, 38 might want to purchase an affordable home and 17 would want to rent.

Residents offered favorable comments about the town and its propensity to step up and help local residents when the need arises. A few spoke of attracting more young people to live in North Canaan, perhaps by expanding the rental market.

Selectman Craig Whiting said that the town has very limited listings for sale.

“We need to add buildings,” Whiting said, “keeping things central to the business district.” He pointed out that North Canaan does not have much land area available for development.

“It’s a big undertaking,” First Selectman Charles Perotti said of the affordable housing plan to be developed. “We don’t have that much land in town, and what we do have is wetlands,” he said, adding however, “I think we can do it.”