About Affordable Housing in CT, Falls Village (also known at Town of Canaan) Sept 2020

Researching the issue of Affordable Housing in Falls Village or Town of Canaan 06031 in CT will bring up about a dozen Letters to the Editor in the Lakeville Journal.

I am summarizing some main points to help people 'get up to speed' on this issue. I am not sharing my personal opinion at this time.

Fifty people have written in support of the project to the FVHT. The FVHT would like to hear from people particularly in support of the project and has said they have listened to concerns in the past as well.

Many people would like to feel there is more public and civil discussion, a consensus about the direction and pace to proceed. FVHT said some of the work would be offered to local people which is part of the terms of the grant.

A number of people, although it's not clear how many exactly, are opposed to this site for the project, feeling something closer to Main Street even without immediate funding would be more suitable for the town. 

I happened to speak with someone today to get input about issues raised in the Sept. 3rd, 2020 issue of the Journal regarding the history of the project and whether there would be taxes paid on a proposed development which would qualify for $3 million in grant money.

CT asks town to update their town plans every ten years and meet basic guidelines for affordable housing.  That would not be for the lower incomes below 40K but rather for households earning between 40-70K annually. The mill rate in Falls Village is 27.5 which is higher than other towns in the same school district. The local high school and grade school are about a mile from the housing site.

Although a concern raised by some, the FVHT has not asked to avoid paying property taxes as some non-profits have as either part of their initial dealings or as have come up due to COVID concerns. The FVHT may ask for paying partial taxes during development. There are requests for more clarification about plans in general and discussions. The FVHT spent 100K possibly (of the 250K or possibly in addition to that amount ..something I am not clear on..) to reduce the initial number of duplex units from 24 to 16.

Each would look like a house, with a single level next to a double level to accommodate various needs. The building site was moved back 90 feet rather than 40 from one boundary concerns were raised about. In those regards, the person said FVHT had sought to compromise. 

Other main points of concern in letters are that it is close to the Mohawk Trail and also by the Housatonic River. The concerns for appropriate septic system parameters are being addressed and may help with run off that affects lower areas.

 A quick summary and more info on the  non-profit Falls Village Housing Trust (FVHT) website can help set the stage for the current project about to be possibly officially debated or approved.

Basically to qualify for Incentive Grant money to secure land and plans for a development two things had to happen in Falls Village. The FVHT had to be established to then seek the funds as a non-profit.

There is disagreement among citizens as to whether the FVHT was established in an open and fair manner with public input or appropriate notification as may have been ideal or legally required to be valid. The relationship between the town and FVHT has been a topic of concern and could be further clarified by parties in the know and by concerned citizens.

Some have expressed concerns about a lack of transparency and open dialogue and information, or not being allowed to have meaningful input over the course of the project from FVHT, Habitat for Humanity and possibly the town. Requests are being made along these lines by an ad hoc group of citizens, with a petition circulating to put the matter to a referendum.

The town would not qualify to apply as a municipality. Also the town of Falls Village had to modify the zoning laws of the town to allow a site for housing, easing the regular zoning requirements of a minimum of 2.5 acres per residence. (All of this is my own summary off the top of my head from a discussion earlier today, so double check particulars and procedures, etc.)

A certain tract of 66 acres was bought by the FVHT for a fairly low price from Habitat for Humanity. Habitat apparently would not consider other offers or discuss matters in depth with people outside of the FVHT. Usually their mission is to help people establish home ownership. They wrote a letter in support of the project.

After that, about $250K was spent to design the units and septic system plans. Many people have worked on this project and it's something that could address an important housing shortage for people who work in the area and otherwise would like to be in this town. There are many who have expressed interest already.