Residents form new housing trust

BARKHAMSTED — First Selectman Don Stein announced this week the establishment of a nonprofit Barkhamsted Housing Trust LLC.

The objective, he said, is to develop housing suitable for people “just just starting out in the workforce, as well as those seniors interested in downsizing or moving to a home that requires littletono outside maintenance.”

According to Stein, in early 2015, the Planning & Zoning Commission designated property in the west end of town, near the Winsted line, as an Incentive Housing Zone or District. An IH is an overlay zone over existing zoning, and allows for more flexibility in housing density and the types of housing that can be built, compared to normal residential zoning, he said in a statement.

“The IH was adopted pursuant to the authority of Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 124b. Its purpose is to encourage affordable housing in both residential and business districts that have transportation connections, nearby access to amenities and services, and infrastructure necessary to support concentrations of development,” Stein wrote. “The IH seeks to provide a variety of housing types and opportunities, which are intended to help a range of people, from young families and new folks entering the workforce to retirees or senior citizens. At the same time, it is critical to retain the rural character of the community, and the IH is designed to preserve environmentally sensitive areas. Both of these goals are consistent with the Town Plan of Conservation and Development. A key goal of this initiative is that the IH help moderate the cost of housing and, at the same time, improve housing options.”

Affordable housing is defined by the median household income in Barkhamsted, which is in excess of $100,000, Stein said. “Therefore, the income in town to qualify for affordable housing is 80 percent of that figure, or around $80,000 per state statutes. This is not the same as low income housing, which is sometimes called Section 8 Low Income Housing. This latter type of housing falls under a totally different federal housing category, and is not being considered by the Housing Trust,” Stein said.

Barkhamsted received grants for a feasibility study of the need for affordable housing. The first was used for engineering and research to find a site, and the second for creating the new zone. Both were provided by the state Department of Housing. “This latter funding, with approval by the Board of Selectmen, is being used by the housing trust to start the process of producing a modest size housing complex in the IH,” Stein said.

Membership of the Barkhamsted Housing Trust includes Cynthia Eastman Williams, Debbie Brydon, Julia Pattison, Karen Brett, Sharon NeumannLynes and Walt Nicksa. Its chairperson is Christina Lavieri, who is also chairperson of the Planning and Zoning Commission. Stein and Selectman Ray Pech attend the meetings of the organization and work with the board, but are not voting members.

The Trust is working with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, known as LISC, one of the country's largest organizations supporting projects to revitalize communities and bring greater economic opportunity to residents, Stein said.

“LISC invests in affordable housing, better schools, safer streets, growing businesses and programs that connect people with financial opportunity,” he said. “They provide the capital, strategy, and knowhow to local partners to get this done. LISC will be instrumental in providing funding for early phases, and then will help obtain the significant funding needed for the final project.

The housing trust has also contracted with the Women's Institute for Housing and Economic Development, another nonprofit, whose mission is “to promote economic resilience and stable homes by developing and preserving high quality affordable housing.” WIHED is based in Hartford, and has partnered with over 70 local organizations, public agencies and community groups to create housing throughout our region.

Anyone with questions can contact Stein at dstein@barkhamsted.us or Debbie Brydon at dbrydon@barkhamsted.us.