Mayor Blake: Affordable Housing Fight Isn't Over

MILFORD, CT — Milford Mayor Ben Blake said in a news release that he is extremely discouraged by Governor Malloy’s decision to veto amendments intended to strengthen Section 8-30g of the Connecticut General Statutes.

Blake, an outspoken opponent of the current law, has contended that the way the statute is written allows for abuse by developers who look to flout local zoning regulations for their own personal gain. “I understand the spirit of Connecticut’s affordable housing law, and consistent with that spirit, Milford has exceeded all expectations for providing housing affordability," Blake said.

While Governor Malloy states that “the Milford-Ansonia-Seymour metropolitan area is one of the five most expensive areas to live in,” Blake points out that Milford is a working-class community where 32.72% of our households are low and moderate-income. In addition, Milford is one of only twelve municipalities in all of Connecticut designated to receive federal HUD funds to assist its elevated level of low to moderate income residents. Blake cites Milford’s diverse housing stock, which includes low income, affordable, Section 8 housing, and five significant public housing complexes to support individuals of various income levels. Blake highlights how Milford has converted decommissioned schools and repurposed other public facilities to create senior and affordable housing.

“Yet even after the great lengths to which Milford has gone to create housing for young professionals, working families, and our senior population, we still haven't reached the artificial thresholds and don’t make the arbitrary quota set by people in Hartford nearly thirty years ago. Our ability to adopt and live by sound planning principles and our right to local, self-determination has been hijacked. This law is misguided and must be rewritten.”

As §8-30g is presently drafted, Milford is not getting credit where proper credit is due. As a mature community dating back to 1639, many of our affordable properties were developed prior to the law’s cut-off, which only credits those affordable units that were deed restricted after 1990. This artificial statutory condition distorts the actual affordability of Milford’s housing stock. Moreover, the present statutory formula creates an uneven playing field making it difficult for certain mature Connecticut communities, like Milford, to qualify for a moratorium or exemption under CGS § 8-30g. While Governor Malloy contends that “all a community has to do is show that deed-restricted affordable units represent 2% of the housing stock,” this position is misleading and doesn’t take into account the development maturity of Connecticut’s 169 municipalities. While Milford exceeds the income requirements for exemption and/or moratorium, the State doesn’t “count” our affordable housing built before 1990 and/or not deed restricted.

“The proposed improvements to the Affordable Housing Law were taken-up this Legislative Session and adopted by both Houses with wide margins. The Governor’s veto stands in stark contrast with the broad, bi-partisan support for the long overdue improvements to the law. Clearly, this fight is not over and it will not be over until our voices are heard and Connecticut corrects the serious flaws in the Affordable Housing Law and brings greater fairness and consistency to the process,” Blake said.