Affordable Housing in New Canaan?

After more than four months of demolition and construction, the New Canaan Housing Authority is set to welcome the first wave of families into the subsidized housing units of the Millport Apartment complex. 

According to Millport Apartment's Property Manager Anne Q. McNamara, at least eight families will be moved in by the end of next week. And perhaps what's even better, the project doesn't appear to be exceeding expected cost. 

"[The Millport Apartments] are all tracking very nicely on budget," said New Canaan Housing Authority Commissioner Scott Hobbs. "We spent a lot of time on design, finding a good architect and good building crews." 

The Millport Apartment project, which has received both state and federal funding to pay for its $7.8 million price tag, is designed to offer affordable housing to residents who would otherwise be priced out of the steep New Canaan housing market. 

According to the New Canaan Housing Authority, the committee charged with overseeing the affordable housing project in town, there are some basic financial stipulations for tenants interested in applying to reside at the Millport Apartments. Suitable tenants must make less than 60 percent of New Canaan's median income. Figures are as follows:

• For a single-person household, individuals cannot gross more than $52,800 annually.
• For a two-person household (ie. mother and child or husband and wife), the gross household income cannot exceed $60,300. 

The first set of families to move in next week are people who were displaced from the original Mill Apartment projects, according to Hobbs. The old Mill Apartments were demolished to make room for the new, more modern housing which began construction on March 2, 2010.

McNamara, who says property management can sometimes be a thankless job, is excited the Millport Apartment project is finally coming to fruition.

"It's wonderful to be where I am and to get to see these people move in," said McNamara. "It's just going to be amazing."