By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — Some inconvenient truths about the cost of housing in Westport were highlighted Wednesday evening at a community conversation and brainstorming session held by Planning and Zoning officials and hosted by Temple Israel.

The purpose of the session, which drew about 50 people, was to gather community comment on crafting an affordable housing plan for Westport. State law 8-30g requires that every Connecticut municipality have a five-year affordable housing plan in place by July.

Lack of affordable housing is a problem in Westport, in Fairfield County, and across the U.S., said Gus Christensen, who is renting a house in Westport.

Region Short on Housing

“People who can’t afford to live in Westport are still people,” he said. “This whole region is really short on housing.”

Throughout the evening, others echoed concerns on the topic.

“There are very few opportunities for teachers, nurses, police officers, and young people,” to live in Westport, said Danielle Dobin, P&Z chair.

“Skyrocketing property values,” although beneficial to some Westporters, she said, “can be devastating to renters,” or others who have lost income recently in a town where two-bedroom condominiums can cost $1-3 million, she said, and two-bedroom apartments rent for up to $10,000 per month.

Mary Young, P&Z director, pointed out that she and her deputy, Michelle Perillie, are unable to live in Westport due to high costs.

She said that more than one-third of Westport’s residents spend at least 30 percent of their income on rent or housing costs.

Progress Noted

The goal of the meeting, however, also centered on demonstrating that Westport has been making progress in augmenting affordable housing.

In the past 10 years, Perillie said, 157 affordable units were added in town, bringing the current total to 390 affordable units, representing 3.75 percent of the total housing stock.

Dobin said several projects that include affordable units have been created in tandem with the town’s character.

“We absolutely believe that we can maintain the small town, New England vibe and still create affordable housing,” she said.

Sheri Gordon, Board of Finance chair, spoke to caution that multiple-family housing projects will raise costs for the town in terms of human services needs and schools.

Considering Commercial Properties

Michelle Mechanic, newly elected vice chair of the Democratic Town Committee, suggested that some of the large commercial properties in town that currently stand vacant would be good sites for apartment-style affordable housing.

Richard Lowenstein, a Representative Town Meeting member, said successful affordable housing projects depend on a partnership between town officials and developers.

Having developers file “pre-aps” or pre-applications, he said, helps keep neighbors of those projects better informed, and gives the P&Z more time to ask questions and study the project.

“That is the key to success,” he said.

As the town puts together the plan in the next few months, the P&Z will be hosting more community meetings, including a second in-person meeting planned for mid-April, as well as two virtual meetings planned for April and May, respectively, and an email survey to residents.

The Affordable Housing Subcommittee of the P&Z is scheduled to review the draft five-year plan on May 11, and a final plan is scheduled to be adopted by the P&Z in late June.