Note: The June 17 event has been postponed and will be rescheduled for the fall.
WESTPORT–”How Hartford can best help Westport improve housing options” will be the focus of a roundtable discussion on June 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Saugatuck Congregational Church. The event is free but registration is required here.
Across much of the country, housing has become increasingly expensive over the last few decades.
A New York Times opinion piece, “America Needs to Build More Housing,” points out that, in 1950, an average home cost 2.5 times the average household income. That inched up to 3.1x in 1980, and has since grown to 4.9x. Housing in some parts of the country is quite a bit higher; New York City housing costs 9.5x household income.
The demand for housing in Westport–and other amenity-rich towns nearby–is very high. Mandated by state law, efforts to build more below-market housing in Westport have produced a small but growing number of affordable units.
With the goal of making it easier to build more housing in the state, Connecticut passed a new law last year, House Bill 8002 (also referred to as Public Act 25-49). The ramification of this law–and others–will be discussed by three people with deep knowledge of particulars:
Matthew Mandell RTM member and co-sponsor of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund
Seila Mosquera-Bruno Commissioner of Housing for the State of Connecticut
John Bolton Ex-member, Planning & Zoning Commission, candidate for Connecticut Attorney General
The roundtable will be moderated by experienced television anchor, Dave Briggs.
The roundtable will take place on June 17 at 6:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m., at the Saugatuck Congregational Church, 245 Post Road East, Westport.
The event is free to attend but attendees must register beforehand here.
Westport Journal LIVE is underwritten by the KMS Team at Compass.
The first thing all Westport residents need to understand is when using the word “Hartford” or “The State” when it comes to these crazy, one size fits all housing bills like HB8002 and 8-30g is somewhat deceptive.
These “unattainable” housing mandates like 8-30g and HB8002 are the result of Democratic Party control leadership running “Hartford.” Our three Democratic Representatives, Jonathan Steinberg, CeCe Mahar, and Dominique Johnson all voted YES to less local control of zoning, higher density projects, less parking requirements, and safety standards.
This legislation OVERRIDES your town regulations – it all now “as of right” state law development in our town. One would think even the “affordable formula” used would be one that is truly based on “affordability” not a “percentage” of “market rate” which we all know for many is “unaffordable.”
Yes, we need affordable housing, we also need state participation in helping us produce it. State land would be a great start, as would the addition of funding programs that incentivizes private public partnerships to build housing within local town zoning regulations.
The “affordable housing trust fund” is nothing more than an added tax to the residents of Westport. It does absolutely nothing to curtail the mountain of 8-30g’s coming our way through our Planning and Zoning Commission. We can never catch up to any housing “moratorium” as once we reach 4 years, the clock starts ticking on the next cycle of 8-30g’s.
The local voice through all these “alliances” and “save this and that” are wonderful, and show great community spirit, but will never win in the court of law. The more we litigate, the more 8-30g’s enter the pipeline.
The Representatives we send to Hartford in November, should be one that sends a message to those who control Hartford and NOW control our local zoning laws.
He Jimmy. How’s the town’s record on housing after multiple terms of Republican control here? I just saw a home sale for more that $7 million this week.
Hi Toni, I hope you and your family are well. I was pointing out how state democratic control, and partisan “one size fits all” housing laws are killing our infrastructure. These laws are taking away our local control of our zoning laws and regulations. Important safety concerns that we have in our local zoning laws will no longer exist when it comes to 8-30g projects.
As for local Democratic and Republican control of town, I am a bit confused, as the Board of Ed, Board of Finance, and PZ have been controlled by Registered Democrats in Westport for years.
We all once elected do our best, and take an oath to do what we feel is always in the best interest of Westport, as we all part of the same community and have the same invested interest in our schools, property, and safety.
The state of CT Democratic leadership, in my opinion operates in a one size fits all progressive platform that excludes minority party (Republican) input and ideas when it comes to proposed Bills and Laws.
Locally we are all in favor of affordable housing, and would hope the Democratic Leadership would help us, by providing us with state land, and financing to meet affordable housing goals.