By Sarah Opdahl

At their regular meeting on Tuesday, February 6, New Fairfield’s Housing Opportunities Committee was focused on their upcoming presentation of the draft Affordable Housing Plan t o the Town’s Board of Selectmen on Thursday, March 14. In planning, Chair Ms. Anita Brown agreed to work with consultant Ms. Jocelyn Ayer to create an outline for the presentation and suggestions for a number of member speaking parts.

In a last-minute addition to the plan, the group agreed to add a referral for a special Housatonic Habitat for Humanity program to the home repairs section, which includes making it affordable for elderly people to stay in their home. Items such as grab bars, lifts, and toilet risers are all eligible for those who meet the eligibility requirements, which include being over sixty years old with a total household income of less than $6,000 per month. Items that are not possible to repair through Habitat for Humanity, such as ramps, are often eligible through their partners. See https://housatonichabitat.org/aging-in-place/ for more information.

Committee members reviewed a Housing Playbook that was supplied by Ayer, which can serve as a reference in building community support. Ayer explained that the guide is “really meant to help local housing groups have conversations in their community about affordable housing, to really build a better understanding in the general public about what affordable housing is or what the needs are in your community and what the solutions are that are achievable.” Specific recommendations about how to talk about affordable housing in communities are included. Ayer described the language as approachable “in ways that we feel like will have the most impact and will actually help people want to join us in supporting the solutions.” There is also a toolkit to help put the recommendations into action.

The playbook includes many photos of completed affordable housing in Litchfield County to help the public understand what the current/modern versions look like. Playbook recommendations focus on building optimism in communities by focusing on success stories and specific solutions. It also highlights the benefit of local control. There is a section on how to navigate disruptive comments and dispelling the myths, including how to respond in public forums when members get tough questions.

Toolkit content include s examples of letters to the editor, social media posts, newsletters, best practices for public hearings or town meetings, and frequently asked questions. Ayer pointed out that there “is a very detailed section about newsletters and how you can come up with a year’s worth of content in advance that helps deploy the recommendations in an ongoing way in your community.”

There was a brief discussion about inviting local representatives to join one of the Housing Opportunities Committee’s Zoom meetings. It was noted that there is a lot of movement on affordable housing at the state level and interest at the local level.

Mr. Tomas Kavaliauskas reported that a recent Zoning Commission special meeting opened up the possibility of senior housing being built at the intersection of Route 37 and Saw Mill Road. He said that there would be a long process before any building occurred. He also explained that of twenty-four units, just two would likely be deemed “affordable.” Ayer pointed out that if there was a local nonprofit housing organization, they could create twenty-four affordable units, bec ause they would qualify for the state and federal funding that could make it happen.

The next regular Housing Opportunities Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, 7:30 p.m.