Affordable housing is crucial.
It’s a way for town employees — police officers, firefighters, teachers — to live in the town where they work.
It’s how longtime older residents can remain here, and striving young people can come.
But it’s not cheap to buy the land for affordable housing, then build it.
In other words: How can Westport afford affordable housing?
Earlier this month, we took a big step forward.
The Planning & Zoning Commission established an “Inclusionary Zoning Fee,” and recommended a fee: 0.5% of construction costs of all projects for which zoning permit applications are filed. That’s $5 for every $1,000.
The fee will be paid by anyone filing for a zoning permit — for instance, builders of new construction, and homeowners making major renovations.
The Representative Town meeting then unanimously passed the motion to create the fund, and voted 30-1 to ratify the fee. The ordinance becomes effective February 23.
What does it all mean?
Here’s one example. The 1 Glendinning Place project — a plan to build 10 homes near the office complex off Weston Road, 2 of them reserved for people with special needs — has an estimated construction cost of $10 million.
That would generate $50,000 for the new Affordable Housing Trust Fund. More would be added from other related zoning permit transactions.
The Glendinning Place proposal could add over $50,000 to Westport’s new Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
The Fund would be used to purchase land, and for the subsequent construction, of affordable housing.
Though the ordinance is not yet effective, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund is already at $10,000. It was jump-started by an anonymous donation, from a resident who believes in its mission.
Besides the 0.5% zoning permit fee and donations, the fund will include investment income, as well as possible state and federal grants.
Planning began almost 2 years, with discussions by then-P&Z chair Danielle Dobin about Westport’s Affordable Housing Plan.
RTM members Matthew Mandell and Seth Braunstein helped shepherd it through many legislative steps. It had strong support from town officials (including 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker), town attorneys, and RTM members.
The fund will be administered by an oversight committee. They’ll advise the Boards of Selectwomen and Finance, and the RTM, on how and where to spend the funds. Those bodies must then approve the recommendations.
Tooker will appoint the 5 members of the committee.
“This is a high priority for me,” Tooker tells “06880.”
She has already explored opportunities on town-owned land. The Linxweiler property on the Post Road (between Fresh Market and McDonald’s) could be used for cluster housing, for example.
The Linxweiler property, on Post Road East.
The 5 existing structures on Baron’s South could also be renovated and repurposed, through the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
The committee will add “a whole other perspective, and another strategic viewpoint and layer of focus” to the work Tooker has already done, she says.
“It’s incredibly important to have diverse housing in Westport,” the 1st Selectwoman adds.
“It’s an issue we take very seriously. The committee and fund will be a big help as we proceed strategically.”
Westport is not the first Fairfield County community to embrace the idea of an affordable housing fund. Fairfield, New Canaan, Darien, Stamford and Greenwich have similar ordinances.
Fairfield — which has the same 0.5% construction cost fee as Westport — has raised $2.25 million since 2018. They’ve allocated nearly $1.5 million so far, mainly to acquire property.
New Canaan collects 1% of construction costs for new construction and additions. They have raised $1.1 million since 2020.
Mandell hopes Westport’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund will receive $750,000 to $1 million a year. The first results could be seen in 2026.
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