By State Representative Harry Arora
Several high-density developments are being proposed in Greenwich. These developments are not consistent with current zoning regulations, and our local community is opposed to these projects. These projects will increase traffic, create congestion, and overwhelm the drainage infrastructure and are in neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes. Most residents are rightly concerned and worried about the impact on quality of life and home value. A 192-residential unit project on Church Street and 86-unit development on Brookridge are two examples.
These developments intend to use a state statute 8-30g to bypass local zoning. This statute is available to projects which set aside 30% of their units for affordable housing. Greenwich is subject to this statute because, under the statute’s calculations, only 5% of the housing in Greenwich is affordable. The law requires that proportion to be 10%. However, the calculation under the statute is flawed. If the count is done fairly, well over 10% of our housing in Greenwich is affordable, and our town should not be subject to this statute.
Under 8-30g, an affordable housing unit is one whose rent is such that a family making 80% of median income spends 30% of their income renting that unit. For a 4-member household, this equates to a monthly rent of around $1800. In addition to the low rent, the unit should be deeded for 40 years to be rented affordably. No private renter would ever put a restrictive deed on their property. As a result, no private unit is counted as affordable. The only affordable units under this statute are owned and rented by our housing authority (known as Greenwich communities). If other privately held affordable units were to be counted, we would be well over the 10% level. Greenwich is a diverse community. Twenty percent of our public-school students avail of the reduced and free lunch program. There is enough affordable housing in Greenwich if one were to measure with a fair yardstick.
I believe there are two routes to take Greenwich out of the purview of the 8-30g statute.
First, to propose and pass a law in the state legislature which modifies how affordable housing stock is counted. As your state representative, I intend to do just that in this session, along with other legislators. However, I am not optimistic that such a bill would get support from the Governor and the other legislators.
The other alternate is for Greenwich to apply for a four-year moratorium available under the statute. A moratorium can be obtained if the town increases the affordable housing stock by 2% since the last census. That would require increasing our affordable housing stock count by 400 units. We can do that in two possible ways. First, we can work with the Greenwich housing authority and help them to buy and rent additional units. Second, we can provide limited assistance to existing affordable units so that they are counted under the statute.
The 8-30g statute is an undue burden on our residents. Our community needs to work together to get out of its purview and restore decision-making to our local zoning board.
Harry Arora represents Greenwich in the State House.
