State awards $2 million to Holley Place housing

SALISBURY — The Holley Place affordable housing development was awarded its first development funds at the Oct. 22 meeting of the Connecticut Bond Commission.

The project, which is operated by Salisbury Housing Committee Inc., has been awaiting construction funding since receiving a pre-development loan from the Department of Housing. The $2 million the housing committee received from the allocation was awarded through the state Department of Economic and Community Development’s Urban Act Grant Program, which was then distributed by the Bond Commission.

State Rep. Maria Horn (D-64), who is a sitting member of the Bond Commission, originally proposed the application to the Urban Act program and has supported it as it moved through the approval process. “Thanks to Maria Horn, we were able to secure $2 million for Holley Place,” said Jocelyn Ayer, director of the Litchfield County Center for Housing Opportunity and Salisbury Housing Committee vice president.

“Getting access to the to the Urban Act funding is a really key piece in getting the ball rolling,” Ayer explained, noting this injection of capital into the project will hopefully attract more funders. With a projected total cost of $8.1 million, the Salisbury Housing Committee must now source another $6 million to be put towards development expenses. The Salisbury Housing Committee currently has several funding applications pending, Ayer said.

The Salisbury Housing Committee will be ready when the money does come, Ayer affirmed. “It’s basically a shovel-ready project,” she said. “But we need more than $2 million to build it.”

“We need a little boost if we’re going to get it done out here,” said Horn, referencing higher development prices in the Northwest Corner due to elevated land costs and the fact that projects are smaller scale to fit in with the communities. She also mentioned development costs have increased due to delays in the project caused by lawsuits brought on by opponents.

Ayer explained it is precisely the high property prices of the region that necessitate affordable rental property. “People who are right now paying more than 50% of their income on housing costs could potentially live in one of these units and be able to afford their health insurance costs or their prescriptions or their heating bills,” she said.

“There’s no question that we need more rental homes that are affordable in the community and this would provide 14,” Ayer emphasized.

She anticipates these new units, alongside the recent expansion of the Sarum Village development and the proposed Dresser Woods project, will have a “big impact” on meeting the region’s need for affordable and workforce housing.

The Bond Commission also allocated $36 million to the state Department of Housing’s Affordable Housing Program, known as FLEX, at the October meeting. Horn said those funds have not been assigned to specific projects yet, but she “[looks] forward to conversations with the Department of Housing to ensure our communities participate in these programs.”

Ayer was hopeful some of those funds will be distributed to support further affordable housing projects in Salisbury, such as the construction of four new affordable homes for purchase on Perry Street and Undermountain Road.

“We’re just hopeful we can allow more folks who work in town to live here,” she said.