Frequently Asked Questions
What is affordable housing?
We generally use the definition of “affordable” in State statute which is housing that costs less than 30% of the income of a household earning 80% or less of the area median income (in our case- Litchfield County). These numbers are adjusted annually and by household size as shown below:
2020 household annual income limits:
$57,456 for 1-person
$65,664 for 2-person household
$73,872 for 3-person household
$82,080 for 4-person household
In order for a household to qualify to live in the affordable housing built by our area housing organizations they cannot earn more than this income.
Who lives in affordable housing?
The short answer is that many people in our towns earn less than the incomes stated above- people who work at our grocery stores and schools, people who serve on our volunteer fire/EMS services, seniors with limited incomes, young adults and young families saddled with college debt. See the STORIES page for more specific examples.
Who builds and manages affordable housing in NWCT?
In Northwest Connecticut, affordable housing is typically developed and owned by local housing organizations like the ones listed on the HOME page of this website. These are 501(c)3 non-profit organizations with a mission to provide housing that is affordable in their town. These local mainly-volunteer organizations typically partner with a professional housing development consultant during the pre-development and construction stages of development to assist them. Once the units are built the local housing non-profit continues to own and oversee the housing but partners with a professional rental management firm (in the case of rental housing) to deal with day-to-day management needs.
How does affordable housing strengthen towns?
Affordable housing helps towns by preserving their local workforce: teachers, tradespeople, and other services. Since affordable housing requires existing employment or retirement income as part of application, these residents bring value to the town economy.
Owners and renters make commitments to the town as volunteers, and older citizens can remain in the town that is familiar to them.
Affordable housing developments are usually small communities, where a sense of common loyalty and pride reinforces civic behavior and responsibility.
Yes. Residents who are accepted into affordable housing have been more carefully screened for income, references and credit checks than people who obtain market-rate houses or apartments.
Are the people who live in affordable housing screened?
Typically--as is the case in Kent’s affordable housing--the first to apply and the first to qualify are residents of the same town or an adjacent town.
Most affordable housing is available on a first-qualified, first accepted basis. Fair housing laws in the U.S. prevent discrimination in all housing on the basis of previous residence, gender, age, or race. However, in most cases people who live in the town or have friends or family who live in the town are the first to hear about the vacancy and are the first to apply to live there.
Does affordable housing benefit local people who need it or do people from elsewhere come to live there?
Funding for the construction of affordable housing comes from dedicated State and Federal funds, corporate tax credits, transfer fees for real estate transactions, and charitable donations. Generally, the multi-unit housing developments have a range of income levels and rents so that the rents can support the on-going maintenance costs of the units.
Market rate housing is also subsidized by the U.S. tax structure through deductions for mortgage interest and real estate taxes.
Where does the funding to build and operate affordable housing come from?
The PHOTOS page of this site shows you still images of these homes. A short film (10 minutes) showing affordable housing in five of our small towns can be found by CLICKING HERE.