RTC celebrates affordable housing efforts in Salisbury

RTC celebrates affordable housing efforts in Salisbury

John Harney and Richard Tennyson of the Salisbury Housing Trust.

Ruth Epstein

SALISBURY — Several groups in town are focused on bringing more affordable housing into the community, hoping to ensure that a diverse population is present.

Those groups were honored on Sunday, Sept. 21. at the Town Grove by the Republican Town Committee, continuing its tradition of showcasing local nonprofits at its pre-election gatherings.

“We’re a strong supporter of these efforts,” committee Chairman Tom Morrison told the audience. “We’ve supported every project. It’s the right thing to do, so that the town is not just for the wealthy. There is a desperate need for townspeople, such as teachers and firefighters, to have a place to live. We strongly believe affordable housing should be left to the local towns. We don’t want Hartford telling us how to manage our town.”

Three guests involved in local housing initiatives were invited to speak. George Massey of the Salisbury Housing Committee explained that the all-volunteer group was formed in the 1970s and is committed to building and managing affordable rental housing. It owns and manages Faith House, Sarum Village and Lakeview Apartments.

Members are now concentrating on Holley Place, a 14-unit apartment building in Lakeville, where a groundbreaking is planned for this fall; Dresser Woods, a 20-unit complex in nine buildings off Railroad Street in Salisbury and the Pope property on Salmon Kill Road. Wood turtles found there will reduce the number of units on that site.

“We appreciate your emotional, financial and political support,” Massey told the Republicans.

Richard Tennyson, treasurer of the Salisbury Housing Trust, along with its president, John Harney, were there to talk about that entity. Tennyson said many people just cannot afford the price tag of $500,000 for homes in Salisbury. The trust secures land, which it maintains and leases to the owner. The homes are then purchased by the resident.

Jocelyn Ayer is director of the Litchfield County Center for Housing Opportunity, which provides support for all the affordable housing organizations in the county. She is also an active advocate for affordable housing in Salisbury, serving on the affordable housing committee. Ayer spoke of the Northwest Connecticut Affordable Housing and Conservation Collaboration that brings together conservation land trusts and affordable housing organizations.

Harney gave high praise to Ayer, saying the housing organizations wouldn’t have made such progress in town were it not for her. “She’s given us her exceptional expertise.”

The Salisbury Housing Commission is an official town board. Morrison said the selectmen thought it best that group not be at the event since it was politically sponsored.

During the program, Republican candidates for the upcoming municipal election were introduced: Donald Mayland for selectmen and Peter Becket for Board of Assessment Appeals. Free ice cream treats added to the festivities.

Latest News

Meet the Candidates: Salisbury

Get to know your candidates ahead of the 2025 municipal election. In Salisbury, Curtis Rand (D) is running unopposed for his 11th term as first selectman. There are three candidates for selectman. Below, each candidate offered information about themselves and their goals for the town.


Keep ReadingShow less
Fire claims old factory in Torrington
Stephanie Januszewski

Crews battled raging flames in the early hours of Sunday, Sept. 28, when an abandoned factory on High Street in Torrington caught fire. At 1 a.m. ladder trucks were deployed around the brick building to contain the fire, an effort which persisted well into daybreak. By 8 a.m., crews had still not entered the building due to unsafe conditions. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was unknown. Multiple departments responded from as far as Plainville and residents reported the smell of smoke from miles away. High Street remained closed on Monday with rubble in the road. The building once housed the Hendey Machine Company, which was among the largest employers in Torrington prior to the firm’s closure in the 1950s.

Horses heal: Time Out Foundation partners with Healing Hoofbeats in Lakeville

Corinne Kalser, MD, left, talks about the benefits of animals as therapy partners, as Renee Bouffard, LCSW, of Healing Hoofbeats of CT, on right, watches Harry Potter, a young horse at Time Out.In the background, Finnegan, lead horse at Time Out comes to see what’s going on.

L. Tomaino
“Horses and other livestock maintain their wild instincts. They sense what we are feeling and that makes them amazing therapy partners.”
— Renee Bouffard, LCSW

In 2008, Time Out Foundation became an official rescue and therapeutic riding facility, fulfilling a lifelong dream of founder, Corinne Kalser, M.D.With her husband, David McArthur, LCSW, and the rest of their staff, they offer a haven for children and adults through gentle, relaxed therapies centered around animals — rescued horses, dogs, cats, and goats — on their 35-acre farm in Lakeville.

To ensure the foundation continues, Kalser is partnering with Healing Hoofbeats of CT, an organization with a similar philosophy of care.

Keep ReadingShow less
A peaceful end at East Mountain House

The living room is light, airy, and quiet, with works from local artists on the walls...and no television.

Patrick L. Sullivan

Craig Davis and Keavy Bedell have opened East Mountain House in Lakeville. It is an end-of-life facility — a home, really — that can accomodate up to two guests at a time. The first guest arrived in mid-September.

The house, at 14 Bostwick St., is the one Davis shared with his wife Sandy Dennis, who died in 2020. Davis said her spirit lives on in the house itself and in the approach taken for the guests.

Keep ReadingShow less