The opening of 122 Wilton Road — Westport’s new 19-unit affordable housing building across the Saugatuck River from downtown — shined a new spotlight on an issue the town (and county, state and nation) are addressing with ever-increasing urgency.
Westport has done a better job than many similar communities. We supported one of the first homeless shelters in any suburb anywhere. Homes with Hope — which operates 122 Wilton Road — has evolved with the times and needs, and today is stronger and more efficient than ever.
Still, their mission — to end homelessness in Fairfield County — is enormous, and seemingly impossible to achieve.
The Westport Housing Authority, formed just after World War II to help returning veterans, oversees 4 residential communities — Canal Park, Hales Court, Hidden Brook and Sasco Creek Village — with professional management, resident services, and outreach and support.
But their wait lists are closed.
Among Westport’s affordable housing options: Sasco Creek Village.
Still, Westport continues to seek solutions. The need for affordable housing is not just a moral issue; it involves the economy and jobs; education and the next generation, and much more.
Last winter, the Representative Town Meeting created an Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Money from land purchases, house construction and market rate housing sales will be used to build affordable housing. It could generate up to $1 million annually.
Fairfield and New Canaan have similar funds.
Last month, the RTM appointed 5 members to the Affordable Housing Fund Committee to will oversee the money.
They are former Board of Finance member James Foster, former assistant town attorney Gail Kelly, former Planning & Zoning Commission member Jon Olefson, investment banker Kate Weber, and retired institutional asset manager Ralph Yearwood.
Ralph Yearwood
The other day, Yearwood — a Harvard College and Business School graduate; Westporter since 1984; father of 3 children who went through the local school system; volunteer with a food pantry and after-school learning program, and a Norwalk Public School mentor, as well as treasurer of Homes with Hope — chatted with “06880” about the new committee.
“Everyone should have sufficient food, housing, education, healthcare and security,” he said, describing his volunteer efforts in general, and his motivation to serve on the Affordable Housing Fund Committee.
Members have not yet held their first meeting. They’ll meet individually with 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, before convening as a group.
When they get together, they’ll assess their tasks: to study the town’s existing plan for affordable housing; inventory the sites that may be suitable for affordable housing; track the availability of those properties, and determine how to purchase and fund those sites.
Yearwood is proud that there is a consensus in Westport around the need for affordable housing. The state mandates that 10% of units built since 1990 be deemed “affordable,” according to an income formula.
19 apartments at 122 Wilton Road are Westport’s newest affordable housing units.
But, Yearwood says, the interest of residents goes beyond state requirements.
“Having affordable housing enables you to attract better employees,” he says.
“There’s a direct benefit to teachers, first responders, retail workers and others.”
Affordable housing is also a means of reducing homelessness. And yes, there are homeless people in Westport, he notes.
In addition, the opportunity for children to get a good education helps end inter-generational poverty, whose effects are borne by all taxpayers.
The details and timeline of the Affordable Housing Fund Committee are still to come.
But Ralph Yearwood and his fellow members feel right at home in their work.
(“06880” is Westport’s hyper-local source for real estate, education and political news — and much more. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Where does 122 Wilton Road take us, on meeting the affordable requirements per 8-30g?
I’m certainly not saying we shouldn’t aim for more affordable housing once we meet those goals, but once we do meet those goals, we can address affordable housing issues with what is best for Town, rather than playing on the defensive, dealing with developers who would otherwise have state law in their corner.
As an aside, Newtown is in the planning stage of redeveloping the Fairfield Hills (185 acres, former location of state mental hospital) and the plan is for multi-use including housing. But the recent recognition of it as a historic site has opened up access to federal dollars for restoration/conversion, so it seems as if that might jump-start the project.
Two thoughts for the committee:
1) Cut a “122 Wilton Road” deal with the developer of the Hiawatha Lane project and turn it into 100% affordable housing
2) Use half of Winslow Park for 100% town owned affordable housing. Still would leave plenty of room for the dog toilet.
Bill! Harsh words about Winslow Park, a treasure and among the few public open spaces in town. Instead, why not repurpose some brownfield areas for affordable housing, or entice developers to redevelop existing multiacre residential properties as 100% affordable instead of another $10+ million single family home.
Thank you for this post and thank you to Ralph Yearwood and all the other members serving on the Affordable Housing Fund Committee. I am so proud of the RTM and Westport for these concrete, productive efforts to address our town’s affordable housing issue! Nancy Kail, RTM D9
that is exactly what we’re thinking. Biggest challenge is to get developer to agree even though the IRS tax write off could work…
Hiawatha lane is perfect