By Sarah Opdahl

On Tuesday, September 2, New Fairfield’s Housing Opportunities Committee (HOC) met to discuss plans for their upcoming Open House on Wednesday, September 17, 7:30 p.m. in the Senior Center Community Room. The Open House will feature comments from this committee, as well as the Board of Selectmen and the Zoning and Planning Commissions. There will be chances throughout for the public to ask questions about affordable housing, new zoning regulations, and more. In addition, guest speakers will include Ms. Jocelyn Ayer, a director at The Housing Collective, who was also in attendance at this meeting, and Mr. Justin Potter, President of the Board of Directors for Kent Affordable Housing.

HOC Chair Ms. Anita Brown shared that her main goals for the Open House are to raise awareness about what the committee and the New Fairfield Housing Trust (Trust) are trying to accomplish, in addition to what all involved have done to move the effort forward.  The meeting will help to foster collaborative relationships among town officials, which will ideally aid in furthering programs. There is also hope that more residents will want to get involved with ongoing efforts.

There was a lengthy discussion about how best to spread the word about the meeting, including plans for social media, the Town Tribune, and flyers to hang around town. After much debate about the best incentives, it was agreed that there will be “Door Prizes & Donuts” featured on the flyer to possibly help with drawing attendees.

Ms. Kathleen DiTullio, who serves on both the HOC and the Trust, said that she is working to reinvigorate the Trust membership and “maybe find some property that we can start working on.” There was a strained conversation about the Trust’s forward movement and how it might move to a new, quicker level. With the summer off from meetings and their September meeting canceled, the Trust is moving slower than some anticipated. In most affordable housing scenarios, a Trust serves as the engine driving actual projects forward. There were varying opinions about opening up Trust membership, with some, who fear alignment missteps, suggesting a formal process to interview and vet candidates, and others fearing unnecessary roadblocks and saying “the more, the merrier.”

Ayer encouraged members to think broadly about ways residents, who may not be ready to commit to Commission or Trust membership, can participate. She suggested that perhaps some would be interested in volunteering to join a small group of property opportunity researchers by keeping an eye out on Zillow and maybe sending out letters to people who own parcels that are of a certain size, who might donate a portion of their land to the Trust.

A brief discussion was had about the 8-30g project on Hoover/Coolidge off of Saw Mill Road. All HOC members agreed that they need to study that project and be aware of where it is in the process. Though it has progressed through Conservation Inlands/Wetlands, Mr. Tomas Kavaliauskas noted that it has not moved into the Zoning Commission yet. Ayer confirmed that she is happy to describe 8-30g in her Open House comments.

In other news, HOC members are preparing for a booth at New Fairfield Day on September 27. Brown shared that there has traditionally been a large crowd for the day, which is helpful for sharing news about affordable housing.

On September 29, some HOC members will attend the CT Annual Housing Summit in Sharon. Ayer said, “it’s an opportunity to learn about what all the local housing groups are doing and get inspired by all the different kinds of projects going on.”

The Housing Opportunities Committee’s Open House will be held on Wednesday, September 17, 7:30 p.m. New Fairfield’s Community Room.