Town works to improve its affordable housing stock
GREENWICH — Even as affordable housing has become a contentious topic in Greenwich, Hartford and across Connecticut, the town celebrated 18 new townhouses at Armstrong Court and funding to push forward with further rehabilitation of the 70-year-old site.
Greenwich Communities, which was formerly known as the Greenwich Housing Authority, formally dedicated a plaque Saturday morning to mark the completion of the 18 townhouses. And it has closed financially on the second phase of the project, redeveloping 42 existing units allowing the construction to move forward later this year on what is expected to be a $27 million project.
“The financial close of Phase II is an extraordinary accomplishment for our organization and will contribute greatly to furthering our commitment to provide quality, safe and affordable housing now and well into the future in the town of Greenwich,” Anthony Johnson, Greenwich Communities’ CEO and executive director, said on Friday.
Johnson noted that major improvements at Armstrong Court have not occurred since the 144 units were constructed in 1951. According to the current schedule, the construction is slated to begin later this month. Johnson said on Friday that construction is expected to take about 12 months to complete.
No residents will have to be relocated outside of Armstrong Court during the construction. Johnson said they purposely held open 42 units in the complex where residents have been moved to during the redevelopment work on their apartments.
This all comes at a time when there has been increased focus on the availability of affordable housing in the state thanks to the Desegregate CT movement and new bills before the state legislature that advocates say will create more affordable housing. There has been significant pushback to those bills from Greenwich’s municipal leaders, who have said it would impose mandates on the town and that it ignores work being done by Greenwich Communities to try and address the need for more affordable housing units in town.
“These buildings further our vision for quality, affordable housing in Greenwich,” Johnson said. “We are not just talking the talk. We are walking the walk. We are the solution.”
Sam Romeo, chair of Greenwich Communities’ Board of Commissioners, was among those who have testified against the new bills during recent public hearings and he blasted the critics of Greenwich’s policies while adding that plans were being developed to add in 300 more units of affordable housing in town.
“It seems to me they don’t know anything about how housing is created,” Romeo said during his testimony last month. “They don’t know anything about a lot of the towns they’re supposed to be representing. I know Greenwich is totally misunderstood throughout the state. I’m willing to bet that people don’t know we have 1,250 units of affordable housing that we manage here in the town of Greenwich. We are a very diverse community.”
The town’s Planning and Zoning Commission is putting together the final details on a housing trust fund that could provide more opportunities for Greenwich Communities, as well as other developers, to access private money for affordable housing.
As for the next phase of work at Armstrong Court, current one- and two-bedroom units will be combined to create three-bedroom and two-bathroom apartments. Greenwich Communities said these larger units have been in high demand for families and “will provide a higher standard of living.”
There will be also be expanded living space, new kitchens with dishwashers and stainless steel appliances, air conditioning units, upgrades to the electrical and insulation, improved rooflines and the creation of new and renovated meeting and laundry facilities.
Last April, Greenwich Communities was awarded $10.5 million in tax credits from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority through its Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, which provides tax credits to developers in the state who best meet the criteria of being able to provide affordable housing to residents.
Now those tax credits have been purchased by a capital investor called Enterprise and along with loans Greenwich Communities received from the state’s Department of Housing, the money has been secured to go forward with the project.
Additionally the federal department of Housing and Urban Development is providing 14 Section 8 vouchers to provide housing to low-income residents.
“Greenwich Communities is exceptionally versed at directing and controlling these building projects without the need for a private development partner, which sets us apart from other housing authorities,” Johnson said.
The Armstrong Court redevelopment project is being done over the course of four phases.
The first phase was for the new townhouses, which came in at a cost of $15 million. Phase two construction is the 42 units in Armstrong Court’s buildings 1, 3 and 6 and phase three — with a projected price of $25 million — will see a new building of 42 units that is slated for construction in late 2021 or early 2022.
Phase four is rehabilitation of the two remaining buildings in Armstrong Court. Johnson said they will be seeking financing in the future for that.