Affordable Housing to be Discussed in Bethel

BETHEL, CT — A roundtable on affordable housing will be held on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the municipal center.

By definition, affordable housing are residences intended for people who earn no more than the 80 percent of the area median income, and is priced at no more than 30 percent of their income. In 2007, the Town filed a Plan of Conservation and Development which encouraged affordable housing in the downtown area, and regulations require that 20 percent of all housing proposed for downtown be affordable. Connecticut statute 8-30g allows developers to bypass local zoning laws if they set aside a percentage of their housing as affordable.

Panelists will include State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker, Seila Mosquera-Bruno, housing commissioner, Mike Santoro, community development specialist, Pat Rist, chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission, and Beth Cavagna, town planner.