By Mary Close Oppenheimer
For many months l have been listening and learning as much as I can about and how local housing costs affect our town. Based on conversations with people in our community and the facts below, our situation is far more serious than I had known.
Salisbury has the oldest population of any town in Connecticut with a median age of approximately 55 in 2013. Between 1990 and 2025, the town’s population is projected to decline by 21%. By 2025 our population over 65 is projected to increase by 18% while our young population is projected to continue to decline. Connecticut as a whole is losing 25-34 year olds at a faster rate than any other state.
Our schools have seen steadily declining enrollments. Between 2000 and 2024, Salisbury Central School’s enrollment is projected to decline by 40.5%. The high school population has declined by 32% during the past 10 years alone.
In 2013 the poverty rate for Salisbury was 7.8%
We are the first town in Connecticut where the number of people not working outnumbers the number of people who are working.
Nearly three times as many people commute into Salisbury to work as live and work in Salisbury. They are the people you see every day working in our local businesses and non-profit organizations.
Nearly all local businesses and non-profits are negatively impacted by the situation. It has become increasingly difficult for them to find and retain qualified staff, which hurts their viability and future. These are organizations we all depend upon.
In 2000, 29% of homes were valued under $150,000 compared to 5% now. Since 2000, the median home value has doubled to $504,400, making most homes unaffordable for local residents.
While there is a need for affordable housing of all types for people of all ages, there is a particular need for rental apartments that are affordable for people who work in our town.
Workers who earn wages typical of many local jobs (landscapers, carpenters, housekeepers, teachers, nurses, auto mechanics, waitresses, hair dressers, etc.) often cannot afford current market rate rents or qualify for a mortgage. Many people work multiple, off the book, part-time jobs to make ends meet. The high cost of living here (143.4% of the US average) limits their ability to save for a down payment. Credit problems and undeclared income from part-time work can also prevent a person from qualifying for a mortgage.
The Salisbury Affordable Housing Commission recently completed an inventory of affordable rental units in Salisbury. There were only 74 units (including 31 in Sarum Village, Faith House, and Lakeview Apartments) renting for no more than $1,000 for two bedrooms or $800 for one bedroom. 99% were occupied.
The result of our housing situation is that young people leave town, establish their lives elsewhere and never return, seniors struggle to remain in homes that are too expensive and physically demanding for people as they age, and local workers often travel 45 minutes or more to work.
The 2010 report “Preserving Salisbury’s Vitality: Housing for Tomorrow” on the Town website states that we need an additional 200 units of affordable housing by 2020 if we are to be a healthy, diverse, well-functioning community.
While some people may fear that developing affordable housing raises school costs, lowers property values, or increases crime, there is no respected research to back up any of these claims.
The good news is that we CAN improve the situation with community effort and support. Some solutions will be in my next and final piece.
This article was published in The Lakeville Journal on 6/23/16.