Affordable housing is housing that a family or individual can pay for, while still having sufficient resources left over for food, healthcare, transportation, and other necessities. According to the CT State Statute, housing qualifies as affordable if it costs less than 30% of the income of a household earning 80% or less than the area median income. For Salisbury, this would be the median income of Litchfield County. Scroll to question #17 to see if you qualify.

Affordable Housing is NOT Government-assisted housing. It is housing for those people who live and work in our town who cannot afford to buy or rent their homes at market rate. Affordable housing requires existing employment or retirement income as part of the application process.

Supporting affordable housing in Salisbury is not an act of charity, but an investment into the longevity and vitality of our community. Access to affordable housing is a powerful shaping force that impacts education, health care, and economic development, creating sustainable growth for small towns like ours. Allowing for a diversity of income brackets in our town preserves the local workforce and encourages greater community involvement and volunteerism.

All residents and businesses in Salisbury benefit from the existence of affordable housing. As we witnessed during the pandemic, it was those most likely to live in affordable housing – grocery store workers, teachers, healthcare and pharmacy workers, restaurant workers – who we, as a community, rely on most to support the standard of living we enjoy. To maintain the bounty of businesses and services in our town, we must make it easier for these essential workers to live here. No one should need to commute three hours a day due to housing costs.

In addition, residents who are committed to their communities by actually living here are far more likely to volunteer their time, skills and efforts to the enrichment, safety and vitality of that community. Salisbury has long relied on its volunteer community to provide many of the services, organization and events, including its Emergency Management services of Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance Service and the Lakeville Hose Company, that make this the unique place it is to live as well as keeping our property taxes low.

In 2021, only 1.54% of Salisbury’s housing qualified as dedicated affordable.

The truth is that many who work in Salisbury, and many current residents, cannot afford to live here. The most recently available data shows that 295 households in Salisbury pay more than 50% of their household income on housing costs. These households are considered severely housing cost burdened and are often just one unexpected car repair or emergency medical expense away from having to decide whether to pay for housing, food, transportation, or the medical care that they need.

This severe financial burden placed on hundreds of residents is due, in part, to the lack of affordable home ownership properties in our town. In 2021, the median sale price for a single-family home in Salisbury was $700,000. In comparison, the estimated affordable home value for families currently renting in Salisbury is $150,000. If we want to make home ownership an option for renters, we must make up for this $550,000 gap between affordable and actual home prices.

The town also lacks affordable rental properties, which many young adults and families rely upon. Our town currently has only 39 affordable rental units. These units are all fully occupied and turnover is infrequent. In the meantime, there are 102 individuals and families on the waitlist for affordable rentals. Every week our property managers receive additional phone calls from families and individuals in need of an affordable apartment.

(Click here for all data sources.)

Many people who live and work in our town earn less than the incomes that make them eligible for Affordable Housing. They work at local businesses - restaurants, grocery stores, retail shops and banks – at our schools, at Sharon Hospital, and in our local nursing homes. They range in age, including young adults, young families, and seniors on limited incomes. Many of them have spent their lives growing up here, giving back and supporting our community but find they can no longer afford to live in the town they love and serve. Some of these people already live in Salisbury’s affordable housing units, but far more are actively searching for a housing option that they can afford.

The Salisbury Housing Committee (SHC) is a private, non-profit, all-volunteer organization that builds and manages affordable rental housing in Salisbury. They currently own and manage Sarum Village I and II, Faith House and Lakeview Apartments.

For the construction of Sarum Village I and II, SHC partnered with a professional housing development consultant during the pre-development and construction stages of development.

Once the units are built, SHC continues to own and oversee these properties. SHC partners with a professional rental management company, Connecticut Real Estate Management (CREM), to deal with day-to-day management needs, such as completing resident background checks and overseeing property maintenance.

The Salisbury Housing Trust (SHT) is a private, non-profit, all-volunteer organization that develops affordable home-ownership housing in Salisbury.

SHT buys either property to build or existing homes to remodel in Salisbury, selling these homes to qualifying families below market rate. By retaining ownership of the land, it has enabled 17 individuals and families to purchase their own homes in Salisbury and Lakeville since 2000.

SHT partners with local construction companies and developers to prepare properties for sale, often benefitting from generously donated time and materials.

Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Connecticut serves area towns including Salisbury.

The Salisbury Housing Committee owns and manages 39 affordable rental apartments across Faith House, Sarum Village I and II, and Lakeview Apartments. They are currently working on creating more units on two properties: 18-20 units on a donated East Railroad Street property, and 10 new units at Sarum III.

The Salisbury Housing Trust has built or renovated 15 homes since its inception, with renovations in progress for a new property on 70 East Main St. There are currently no homes on the housing market that cost less than $150,000, or the estimated affordable home value for families currently renting in Salisbury.

The Salisbury Affordable Housing Commission (SAHC) is an official town commission, established in 2010 by the Salisbury Board of Selectmen. The SAHC facilitates and promotes the creation of affordable housing in Salisbury by:

● Hosting public forums and information sessions focused on the potential development of affordable housing

● Soliciting community feedback on affordable housing opportunities

● Producing and maintaining the Town’s affordable housing plan

● Providing funding to individuals and nonprofits that develop affordable properties, including our partners at the Salisbury Housing Trust and the Salisbury Housing Committee

Funding for the construction of Affordable Housing comes from dedicated state and federal grants, corporate tax credits, transfer fees for real estate transactions, and charitable donations.

SHC projects are financed primarily from state and federal sources, supplemented by generous local donations.

SHT projects are funded mainly through private donations from individuals and foundations.

The Salisbury Housing Committee manages multi-unit housing developments that have a range of income levels and rents. These rents are used solely to support the ongoing maintenance costs of the units.

State and federal funding for the construction of multi-unit projects such as Sarum Village is awarded as grants and as such requires no repayment or accruing interest.

Salisbury Land Trust homeowners pay a monthly ground lease fee that the Trust uses for ongoing maintenance of the land the homes sit on. Housing Trust homeowners, like any homeowners, are responsible for the maintenance of the buildings they own.

At this time, the Town of Salisbury has not built any affordable housing projects nor does it maintain any affordable housing units. All affordable housing in Salisbury is build and maintained by nonprofit organizations.

When the Town sells land to a nonprofit organization for the purpose of developing affordable housing, there are administrative costs involved in holding a Town Meeting vote and transferring the property.

The Town maintains a fund for affordable housing. The Salisbury Affordable Housing Commission oversees this fund, recommending grants to organizations and individuals who apply.

Housing nonprofits and developers consider many factors when choosing sites for affordable housing.

First is the cost of land: The land must be priced reasonably and fairly in order to move forward.

Additional factors include plot size; sewer and water accessibility; walkability to essential businesses and services (such as grocery stores and banks); and land quality.

For example, we would be reluctant to build housing on marshlands, for both the feasibility of construction and the environmental impact.

Multi-unit projects are more competitive when applying for state and federal construction grants. Proposals that house multiple families with differing income ranges are viewed more favorably by funders, and due to limited funding, we must act pragmatically to remain competitive.

In our community, there’s a misunderstanding that affordable housing represents charity housing, a burden on taxpayers, or an invitation for overcrowding. In fact, none of those things are true.

Affordable housing is an investment in the community, not an act of charity. It is primarily funded by grants and donations, not taxpayer dollars. And it most helps those who already work and live here, not new residents.

Nonetheless, these misconceptions are difficult to change quickly. The Salisbury Housing Commission is working to help all Salisbury residents understand the true meaning of affordable housing and how it directly benefits them and their families.

There are also logistical challenges to creating more affordable housing. Properties in Salisbury are expensive and go to market rarely. Many of the properties that are available do not meet the qualifications for affordable housing (they are too far from businesses, they are not able to connect to Town sewage lines, etc.). In addition, the application process for state and federal grants is slow and highly competitive.

Despite these challenges, the SHC and SHT have been incredibly successful in creating new affordable housing units, having built, renovated, and/or managed 53 ownership and rental units over the past 20 years.

This concern comes up frequently because the resale value of homes is important to all of us. Studies have shown that in strong neighborhoods that already have relatively high property values, there is either no impact or a positive impact when a relatively modest number of affordable housing units are built.

The Center for Housing Policy compiled a summary of relevant research (download it here). As long as the new housing is designed carefully, taking into consideration factors such as design, management, and concentration, affordable housing can have a positive effect on property values.

Yes, click here to learn more about resources for developers.

Thank you for your interest in supporting affordable housing in our community! To make an immediate and direct impact, you can donate to our local housing nonprofits. Donations to both nonprofits are 100% tax deductible.

● To donate to the Salisbury Housing Trust (SHT), click here

● To donate to the Salisbury Housing Committee (SHC), please send a check to: Salisbury Housing Committee, P.O. Box 10, Salisbury, CT 06068

You can also volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Northwest Connecticut: click here to learn more.

Finally, one of the best ways to help is by staying aware about affordable housing projects in Salisbury: you can do this by signing up for the Salisbury Affordable Housing Commission email newsletter. Be on the lookout for announcements about important town votes that can impact the future of affordable housing projects. We will also alert you via email about opportunities to submit comments in support of affordable housing ahead of public forums.

Households that are qualified to live in Salisbury’s affordable rental units must earn less than the following income limits (2023 numbers):

● $64,250 for 1-person household

● $73,400 for 2-person household

● $82,600 for 3-person household

● $91,750 for 4-person household

To purchase a home through the Salisbury Housing Trust, a family’s income should not exceed 80% of the Area Median Income, which in 2022 was approximately $89,000 for a family of four.

Fair Housing laws in the US 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 here are the first to hear about the vacancy and are the first to apply to live in affordable units.

Salisbury residents must apply to live in a SHC rental or to purchase a SHT home. 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.

To apply for an affordable rental, fill out this form.

To apply for a Salisbury Housing Trust home, fill out this form.

To let us know about a housing need for you or a family contact Georgia Petry, Housing Commission Coordinator, at gpetry@salisburyct.us.

Yes, click here to learn more about financial assistance for housing costs.

A tenant can remain in their rental home as long as their income remains below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). Every year they will need to recertify with Connecticut Real Estate Management (CREM). Their rent will be set according to their income for the year.

It is extremely rare that a tenant who wishes to remain in an Affordable Housing unit will find that their income increases to the point that they no longer qualify to remain in their home.

Failure to pay rent and behavior that infringes on the quiet enjoyment of neighbors are cause for eviction proceedings to be initiated.

Depending on the units, indoor cats and dogs are allowed upon approval.

To be deemed affordable rents are set on the basis of being no more than 30% of 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). However, in the awarding of construction funding, certain grants may stipulate a range of incomes that must be serviced within the completed units. For example, a grant could require that rents are affordable for incomes as low as 30% AMI up to the benchmark 80% AMI.

AMI income limits are reviewed per household size for each county every year. Rents are adjusted accordingly to ensure they remain at 30% of the stipulated AMI.

Rents are set based on the stipulations of construction grants awarded by state and federal departments as to the levels of income to be serviced by the units. Until these grants are finalized, it is impossible to set rents, other than knowing they will be capped at their highest at 30% of 80% AMI.