Affordable Housing Plan

Access the Town of East Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission:

Affordable Housing Plan ADOPTED 6/14/23

East Hartford Affordable Housing Summary

The Town of East Hartford is developing its first Affordable Housing Plan according to Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 126a Sec. 8-30j.  Section 8-30j requires municipalities to prepare, amend and adopt an affordable housing plan once every five years.  The municipality must specify the ways in which it plans to increase the number of affordable units moving forward. 

In the last few decades, housing has become an increasingly important issue for towns and cities across Connecticut. Median home values, rent, and cost of living have simultaneously increased, outpacing increases in household income in most areas. The lack of affordable housing in Connecticut has stressed communities, and, in many cases, has intensified issues of equity in the state. The need for affordable housing options in communities is urgent, and requires action on local, state, and regional levels. 

Affordable housing is typically defined as housing available to households making less than the area median income and costing less than 30% of a household’s annual income.

Area Median Income (AMI) is the midpoint in the income distribution for a surrounding area or market and is the basis for many calculations concerning housing affordability and cost of living.  Currently 15.78% if East Hartford Housing units are Affordable Housing with 47% of those being Government Assisted rental units, 29% Single Family CHFA/USDA mortgages, and 25% Tenant Rental Assisted Units.  A cost burdened household is one which is paying more than 30% of its household income for housing including rent or mortage and utilities.  In East Hartford, 45% of all residents are burdened by the cost of housing. 

The State’s affordable housing concerns have led, in part, to two important statutes, 8-30g and 8-30j, that both seek to increase affordable housing supply in the State. Together, 8-30g and 8-30j encourage municipalities to provide more housing options, whether through subsidized or naturally occurring housing.

CT General Statute 8-30g allows the courts to override local zoning denials of affordable housing proposals (provided those denials were done without sufficient cause). “Affordable Housing” in this context is defined by the State as housing made affordable by government subsidies or that has been deed-restricted or otherwise income-limited for a fixed period. This process potentially subjects any town with a housing stock in which less than 10% of the housing stock is government-assisted or subject to affordability deed restrictions to judicial challenge by a housing developer. East Hartford, however, is exempt from this process because such housing comprises 15.78% of its total housing stock.

As the gap between annual household income and housing costs grows, so too does the urgency for municipalities to address the housing challenges in their unique communities. The changing circumstances of housing affordability in the State have pushed local and state actors to develop affordable housing plans and commit to tangible goals. These statutes have spurred several innovative and bold plans in towns across Connecticut, all with the same goal of providing more affordable housing options for current and future residents.

The Town of East Hartford is anticipating completing the first East Hartford Affordable Housing Plan in the late Fall of 2022, intent on creating a Housing Plan that reflects East Hartford’s history, current conditions, and vision for affordable housing development. The purpose of this plan is to not only fulfill the statutory obligation required by the State of Connecticut, but also to recommend a reasonable set of strategies for future housing development that fits the current and future needs of the community.

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