Selectmen Hear New Affordable Housing Proposal

Middlefield's Housing Authority is once again proposing an expansion of affordable housing in the town, but this time officials say the plan would target a mix of younger and older buyers.

On Monday night, representatives from the Housing Authority presented the Board of Selectmen with a preliminary proposal to build between 20-30 units on about eight-and-a-half acres of land adjacent to Sugarloaf Terrace, the town's only subsidized senior housing complex.

"We know that there's a need," said Housing Authority chair Alma Elder. "The new housing we are proposing is for adults and would include seniors, but it would also include a beginning teacher who's here in town, or a firefighter."

Under the proposal, which Elder stressed was in its early stages, the units would be made up of 2-bedroom, roughly 1,200 square foot ranch and townhouse style homes.

While Elder was unable to provide a starting price range for the units due to the financing necessary to build the homes — a process she said involves the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) and the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) — she said the units would be available to buyers who make less than 80 percent of the town's median income.

Existing home prices in Middlefield have kept young professionals from moving into town, while forcing retirees out of town, Housing Authority secretary Melissa Kowal told the board.

"Our vision is to make this happen so that people can really afford to buy in Middlefield and stay in Middlefield and come back to Middlefield," she said.

Housing Authority executive director Brenda Cowett said communities across the state are now competing for homeowners seeking affordable housing and therefore developing the property would put the town "ahead of the game."

She said a recent study by Durham-based DataCore Partners found that if the homes were built, the units would be occupied by 53 adults and just three children. "Your [tax] revenues would exceed your expenditures," Cowett said.

Selectman Dave Burgess called the proposal "a noble idea."

But First Selectman Jon Brayshaw, who agreed that the town needed more affordable housing, said the site was limited by several factors, including access to the property and sewage. "It's not a slam dunk," he said.

Elder said Middlefield residents would be given the right of first refusal to the new homes.

As part of the proposal, the Housing Authority is also asking the town for a piece of town-owned property that is adjacent to the site. The land would allow the Housing Authority to increase the buffer zones around the development.

"I don't think the town would ever use it anyway," Elder said.