New Canaan’s Affordable Housing Committee (AHC) encourages all interested residents to attend a public workshop on May 19 at 7pm at Lapham Community Center. The workshop will focus on possible future sites for Town-developed Affordable Housing.

Formed in 2023, the bipartisan AHC was appointed by the Board of Selectmen and tasked with a specific mission: to research and recommend paths for New Canaan to control its own affordable housing destiny and not risk ceding that power to developers and the state. The way to obtain and maintain that control is to keep New Canaan in moratoria (pauses granted under Connecticut Statute 8-30g), which are earned when a town proves it is building or converting enough Affordable Housing on its own to eliminate the need for state or developer intervention.

The recent public debates over proposed projects at Weed & Elm and Hill Street have brought attention to issues surrounding Connecticut Statute 8-30g and the need for New Canaan residents and their elected leaders to plan for a future that protects local control of housing.

Workshop:

At the May 19 workshop, the AHC will present possible development options, followed by

small-group discussions of the scenarios during which residents will be encouraged to

provide feedback on the pros and cons of each. Please plan to attend!

Next Steps:

Can’t make the public workshop? An online community survey will follow the workshop so all residents can weigh in. After compiling and analyzing the results, the AHC will make a

recommendation to the Board of Selectman based on the Committee’s work and public

preferences.

Affordable Housing, as legally defined by Statute 8-30g, is a complex subject! Please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) at https://www.newcanaan.info/government/committees/faqs.php to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges.

For more information about the AHC’s work and past and future meetings, go

to https://www.newcanaan.info/government/committees/affordable_housing.php

You can reach the Committee by email at: AHCDistribution@newcanaanct.gov