You may know Maria Seeley if you frequent the Salisbury Bank in Lakeville. Maria currently lives near Poughkeepsie, NY, with her husband and two small children, necessitating a two-hour daily commute. For all workers, but especially for working parents, living close to work has an enormous impact on the quality of life of the whole family. Each minute commuting means less time for family and managing life’s daily chores.
In spite of her commute, Maria likes working in our community and says, “Salisbury is a beautiful small town.” She feels safe here and likes the close proximity of shopping, schools and recreation. She also likes Connecticut’s low tax rates. Maria is especially attracted to the quality of education in Salisbury. Seeley says, “I like the idea of raising a family in a small town and its smaller school district. If I were to live in Salisbury I could get more involved in the community and be more involved in my children’s school.”
Since the Seeleys would love to buy a home here, she has researched housing costs in our area. Unfortunately, homes are significantly more expensive than in their current town and therefore, in spite of their two incomes, beyond what she and her husband can afford. It’s a dilemma that drives many young families to seek employment elsewhere in search of a better work/life balance. More affordable rental options would enable young families to develop roots here while they build up their resources to buy a home.
This article was published in The Lakeville Journal on 2/25/16.
The Seeley Family