Creating a mix of rental units to grow the community

by Allysia Ruggiero

On Monday Feb. 3 at 6 p.m., over 30 people weathered the cold evening air so that they could be in attendance at the Norfolk Hub to hear Jocelyn Ayer, community and economic development director of the Northwest Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG), give a talk about Norfolk’s housing needs. Introducing Ayer was Kate Johnson, president of the Foundation for Norfolk Living, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing more affordable housing in town.

Like many of the small towns in the Northwest Corner, Norfolk needs a greater variety of housing options to help grow and support the community. As Ayer outlined the areas of Norfolk’s housing that need improvement, one of the main  points was that affordable housing is a necessity for attracting young families to town. Currently, 83 percent of homes in Norfolk are older, single-family and detached. There are people who would love to live in Norfolk but simply cannot afford to, which is where affordable housing comes into play. 

Different types of people and families have different housing needs. Single adults, young adults still living with their parents, single-parent families and older people are some of the major populations to think about when it comes to providing adequate housing in Norfolk. Also, the demographics in small towns in our area are changing, and more senior housing is needed. Ayer said that 40 percent of households in Norfolk have someone over the age of 65.

According to Ayer, developing a town housing plan, changing zoning to allow for attached or smaller units and partnering with local housing nonprofits are all crucial first steps to increasing the range of affordable housing options.  She briefly described several regional housing projects already in the works. For example, Salisbury has adopted an ambitious housing plan and rezoned part of the town to allow multifamily dwellings. In Kent, an old farmhouse is being converted into housing, with additional units attached. These accommodations made to the existing housing stock have provided the change needed for many to afford residence in these areas, and putting multiple-unit housing where there is infrastructure–water and sewer–already in place is a an efficient and cost-effective approach.

The Northwest Hills Council of Governments has a housing group, the Regional Housing Council, that meets four times a year. Ayer and the council are making strides in connecting the 21 small towns in our area. If local groups work together, she says, they will have a stronger voice with the state. Ayer admits that getting state funding is a challenge, but she says there are also backup plans if funding does not come through. For additional information about these regional efforts, visit nwcthousing.org.

Ayer praised the work that has already been going on in Norfolk, largely thanks to the efforts of the Foundation for Norfolk Living. The foundation’s first project, Town Center Rentals, created 12 rental apartments, a mix of affordable and market-rate units, in buildings in downtown Norfolk. They are currently planning a new development, Haystack Woods, of energy-efficient, durable and moderately priced homes on Old Colony Road.

Ayer is confident that by planning carefully and working together, the small towns in the Northwest Corner together have the power to make change and see growth.

Allysia Ruggiero, a student at Northwestern Connecticut Community College, is a winter intern at Norfolk Now.