The New Haven skyline. (Courtesy Photo / Public Domain / Charles Barneby)
Sparks flew when New Canaan’s Greg Schwartz, founder and CEO of the Tomo Network mortgage company, and New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker debated the role rich suburbs play in Connecticut’s housing problems at a Yale-sponsored forum this week.
According to The New Haven Independent, the duo were part of a forum that drew a range of local luminaries and even Gov. Ned Lamont for a frank discussion of economic development issues.
Schwartz, the news site reported, defended his fellow New Canaanites for raising $84,000 to fight a small, proposed affordable housing development in town, calling it a natural response to feeling “bullied” with regards to the town’s restrictive zoning.
In his speech, Elicker countered that cities like New Haven can’t solve the state’s housing shortage alone, and questioned whether towns like New Canaan would be willing to meet poorer communities halfway without being pushed.
