Connecticut communities have begun submitting to state officials their homegrown strategies for creating more affordable housing. Pictured is the Westbrook Village Phase II project in Hartford, which includes 60 mixed-income apartments being developed in a partnership between the Hartford Housing Authority and developers Pennrose and The Cloud Co. Image courtesy of Pennrose
In Stamford, where the availability rate at office buildings is close to 30 percent, local officials are studying whether conversions to apartments and condos can solve a pair of mismatches in real estate demand.
In Westport, where median single-family home prices topped $1.8 million in April, town officials identified a group of publicly-owned parcels for potential income-restricted housing developments.
Avon is considering whether to allow accessory dwelling units in all residential zones. The category comprises less than 1 percent of the town’s housing stock.
The three communities are among 81 that submitted reports on how to increase affordable housing within their borders to the state Office of Policy and Management in time for a June 1 deadline. Another 88 communities have yet to file their reports, as required under the state’s new Section 8-30j affordable housing plan law, according to an inventory posted on the state Department of Housing web site.
But Peter Harrison, director of the Desegregate CT advocacy group, is encouraged by what he’s seen so far from communities that have put their strategies on the record.
“It’s fair to say that cities and towns took this seriously, which is really encouraging,” Harrison said. “A lot of credit goes to the people at the local level who care about the pro-homes agenda.”
Desegregate CT plans to grade every community’s submission based upon factors such as specificity and promoting equity, Harrison said.
The group, formed two years ago amid the Black Lives Matter movement, has spotlighted the role of municipal zoning in contributing to racial and economic disparities. It has focused on land-use reform as the most direct path toward housing creation, through zoning changes making it easier for developers to obtain approvals for multifamily and higher-density projects. More than 90 percent of Connecticut’s land area is zoned for single-family residences, according to a zoning atlas compiled by Desegregate CT and its former director, Sara Bronin.
“The biggest solution is really reducing minimum lot sizes, allowing accessory dwelling units and multifamily as-of-right,” Harrison said.
Stamford’s report also recommends rezoning some single-family zones for two- to four-unit buildings and allowing multifamily development by-right, specifically within a half-mile of train stations.
Communities also should take advantage of publicly-owned parcels as sites for deeply-affordable housing creation, Harrison said.
Westport’s report singles out a state-owned parcel spanning two acres in the Greens Farms neighborhood as an appropriate site for a housing development. It also lists town-owned properties at 260 Compo Road South, 655 Post Road East, 15 Morningside Drive North, 60 Compo Road South and a vacant lot at 0 Bridge St. as suitable for affordable developments in partnerships with nonprofits.
Thinking Hard About Local Control
The state Department of Housing, in partnership with the tri-state civic group Regional Plan Association, issued a how-to guide for communities in December 2020.
Melissa Kaplan-Macy, Connecticut director of the Regional Plan Association, said the new law is significant because it allows communities to come up with their own strategies rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all statewide policy.
“These affordable housing plans are creating opportunities for towns to think hard about what local control means and being sincere about identifying housing creation opportunities,” Kaplan-Macy said.
The Regional Plan Association guide included descriptions of required elements of the plan, its relationship to other land-use documents and strategies for inclusive outreach to balance local opposition.
Stamford is an example of a community that sought comments from a broad range of socioeconomic levels, Harrison said.
“They spent a lot of time on outreach,” he said. “Who are you talking to? Is it just homeowners and the typical folks showing up at a planning and zoning meeting, or is it younger renters or people with English as a second language? You get a better sense of how bad the housing crisis is.”
A report by consultants HR&A estimates that Stamford had 6,000 cost-burdened homeowners in 2019, meaning they spent 30 percent or more of the income on housing costs. Another 12,000 apartment-dwellers fall into the cost-burdened category, based upon rent as a percentage of income.
At the same time, Stamford’s office availability rate is 28 percent in the central business district and 32 percent in its other submarkets, according to a report issued in April by CBRE. The city has nearly 17 million square feet of office space, and the potential for housing conversions “is just such a no-brainer,” as hybrid and work-from-home arrangements have weakened demand for office space in the COVID era, Harrison said.
In Avon, Boston-based developer Beacon Communities is proposing to convert a former office building at 20 Security Drive into 176 apartments.
“Cities that have a lot of commercial real estate have to be smart and proactive about the opportunities to convert,” Harrison said.
Pro-housing advocates came up short in another key initiative during the most recent legislative session. House Bill 5429 would have allowed as-of-right multifamily zoning within a half-mile of train stations. State and local officials including those in Greenwich and Westport testified against the bill, citing environmental concerns and potential negative effects on commercial development.
Kaplan-Macy said housing advocates will revisit the transit-oriented development bill in future sessions.
“It’s an important way to maximize the infrastructure and right-size the zoning,” she said.
