In 2008, the Board of Selectmen (BoS) created the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to study affordable housing needs in Salisbury. In June 2010, the committee published “Preserving Salisbury’s Vitality: Housing for Tomorrow” (see town website), which found that our town was becoming an upscale retirement community while losing its economic diversity. Among all CT towns, we then had the oldest median age and the 8th least affordable housing; young adults and families were exiting, and school enrollment was declining.
To forestall these disturbing trends, the report urged that the SAHC and the Salisbury Affordable Housing Fund (Fund) be created to promote the creation of affordable housing, and to provide concrete support for that mission. The BoS and the townspeople voted to implement both recommendations.
Because its members represent the entire town, the SAHC serves as the primary resource for all those considering building units of affordable housing here, or needing such housing. We have worked with citizens and housing entities on dozens of proposals, many of which are in the planning stage. Pursuant to the Fund’s Guidelines and Ordinance No. 112, the SAHC may recommend BoS approval of interest-free loans up to $20,000 for worthy affordable housing projects; over $20,000, the loans must also be approved by the Board of Finance and at a Town Meeting. Recently, the SAHC has endorsed loan requests by the Salisbury Housing Trust, the Salisbury Housing Committee, and a private citizen.
The SAHC facilitated the purchase of Lakeview Apartments by the Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development, which resulted in the creation of six affordable rental apartments.
Not long ago, the SAHC completed an inventory to determine the number of affordable rental housing units in town. (In Litchfield County, a young family—two parents and a child—earning nearly $65,000 requires affordable housing). The SAHC found that only 74 such units exist, and that nearly all of these are occupied or are not available for rental since family members or employees live there.
We encourage entities and persons considering building units of affordable housing, or needing such housing—and other interested parties--to attend our monthly meetings. Expertise is shared, and lively discussions may take place. The town website contains the agendas and minutes of our meetings, information on other housing entities (including mission statements and contact information), recent press releases, a confidential housing needs survey, and various relevant links.
This article was published in The Lakeville Journal on 6/2/16.