The Affordable Housing Shortage in Fairfield County: Combining Forces and Funds to Reverse It

By The Collaborative Fund
Appearing in Norwalkplus.com
January 31, 2008

The Fairfield County Collaborative Fund for Affordable Housing (the Collaborative Fund) steering committee Chair Charlotte Suhler (Fairfield County Community Foundation) and Vice Chair David R. Kennedy (United Way of Norwalk & Wilton) have announced $375,000 in general operating grants for 2008 to three local nonprofit housing developers.

They are intended to spur the identification, building and preservation of more rental and ownership housing within the means of low, moderate and middle income families and the elderly in Fairfield County.

Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County, Mutual Housing Association of Southwestern Connecticut, Inc., and New Neighborhoods, Inc. were awarded general operating grants for 2008 by the private sector Collaborative. Among them, non-profit builders receiving Collaborative Fund support have 482 units of rental and owner-occupied housing under construction or in production throughout Fairfield County.

“The Collaborative and its members seek to increase our impact and reach new communities and organizations. With 52,000 families unable to find or afford a two bedroom rental within Fairfield County, the need is undeniable. We expect that our expanded investment in these strong organizations will contribute to the building and preservation of quality, affordable homes.” says Collaborative member, Marjolijn Wijsenbeek, Executive Director of the United Way of Westport-Weston.

The Collaborative Fund was formed by private sector grant makers in 2006 to address the lack of affordable housing in one of the wealthiest counties in the nation. Funders pool their philanthropic resources in order to support a regional approach with enough financial clout to accelerate the pace and scale of non-profit housing development in greater Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford. It promotes larger scale production of quality affordable housing by strengthening the capacity of non-profit housing developers with established track records who are working in our cities and communities to build and preserve more units of housing across Fairfield County, and speed up the time between concept and occupancy.

The Collaborative Fund directs the allocation of core operating grants to local non-profit housing developers who have demonstrated a long term commitment to the region and the ability to build and preserve housing that struggling families and retirees can afford. It is managed for its private sector funders by the Connecticut office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a nationally recognized non-profit leader in providing financial and technical assistance to non-profit housing developers.

Collaborative Funders include banks: Citibank, HSBC National Bank., RBS National Bank, TD Banknorth, Wachovia; community foundations: the Fairfield County Community Foundation and the Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation; corporations: GE Money, United Illuminating; family foundations: the Goodnow Fund, the Ostuw/Leather Family Fund, the Leo Nevas Family Foundation, the Hastings Foundation, the Suhler Family Fund; private charitable organizations: Near & Far Aid Association; and United Ways of: Eastern Fairfield County, Greenwich, Norwalk & Wilton, Western Connecticut-Stamford. It operates out of office space donated by the United Way of Westport-Weston.

To learn more about the affordable housing crisis in Fairfield County and how the LISC-administered private sector Fairfield County Collaborative Fund for Affordable Housing is making a difference by pooling financial and technical resources, phone Julia Brennan, Program Officer of the Collaborative Fund at 203-227-9755 or e-mail jbrennan@lisc.org.

About the Fairfield County Collaborative Fund for Affordable Housing

The innovative private sector Collaborative Fund was formed in 2006 to spur the production and preservation of affordable housing throughout Fairfield County. Funders include the Fairfield County Community Foundation, the Greater Bridgeport Community Foundation (recently merged with the Fairfield County Community Foundation), banks, corporations, five United Way organizations serving Fairfield County communities from Greenwich to Bridgeport, family funds and private charitable organizations. The Collaborative targets the growing shortage of affordable housing in Fairfield County that threatens the quality of life and the future economies in each of the county’s interdependent towns and cities by supporting non profit developers who have the expertise and are in a position to create housing within reach of the county’s workforce and the elderly.

The Collaborative Fund maximizes donor resources and impact to accelerate larger scale production of quality housing by strengthening non-profit housing developers who are already working to produce affordable rental and ownership housing across Fairfield County. In addition to core operating support for non-profit developers, the Collaborative Fund provides technical resources to develop community partnerships that will bolster the long-term sustainability of these housing initiatives. Since November in 2006 the Collaborative for has awarded 7 grants totaling $775,000. These grants have been made to non-profit developers to support the on-going production of 482 new units of affordable housing in Fairfield County.

The Collaborative Fund serves communities throughout Fairfield County from offices in Westport, donated by the United Way of Westport-Weston. The Connecticut office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a nationally recognized non-profit leader in providing financial and technical assistance to non-profit housing developers, is managing the Collaborative Fund on behalf of the funders.

THE GRANT RECIPIENTS

About Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County is an independently operated affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, serving communities from Stratford to Greenwich. Dedicated to making affordable home ownership a matter of conscience, it challenges individuals, churches, synagogues, businesses, and other organizations to lend a hand to those in need of safe, affordable decent housing. Named Urban Affiliate of the Year for the Northeast Region in 2005, Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County has built 130 units in the City of Bridgeport and the town Stratford and plans to build its 200th house by 2010, as a leading partner in providing affordable homes for purchase in the region. For information about volunteering or donating to a home project, call 203-333-2642 or visit www.habitatcfc.org.

About Mutual Housing Association of Southwestern Connecticut, Inc.

Founded in 1990, Mutual Housing Association of Southwestern Connecticut, Inc. (MHA) is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit housing and community development corporation based in Fairfield County, CT. Its mission is to create housing solutions that change lives, revitalize neighborhoods, and improve the quality of life for low and moderate-income people in Fairfield County. Over the past decade, MHA has grown to become one of Fairfield County’s leading non-profit providers of affordable housing and housing services, with a portfolio of 340 completed units and over $50 million in new housing development and preservation activity underway. MHA’s diverse programs assist over 1,000 individuals and families each year to find affordable housing and related services in Fairfield County. MHA has offices in Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford. More information is available at www.mhaswtct.org.

About New Neighborhoods, Inc. (NNI)

NNI is a Stamford, CT based 501(C)3 nonprofit housing corporation. NNI, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007, traces its beginnings to 1967 when it was started and then spun off by the Council of Churches and Synagogues (now the Interfaith Council). NNI is committed to improving the quality of life in our communities by addressing the critical shortage of affordable housing. We build new homes, rehabilitate existing homes, and manage rental properties for families and individuals unable to afford market rate housing in southwestern Connecticut. NNI believes that stabilizing and revitalizing neighborhoods improves the quality of life for everyone who lives and does business in our community. For over four decades, NNI has sought to promote changes in community attitudes and public policy in support of affordable housing. It was named a 2007 Neighborhood Builder™ by Bank of America Foundation for its leadership and commitment to the community. NNI has developed more than 320 affordable housing units in the city of Stamford, manages 280 units of low and moderate income family and senior housing in Stamford, has helped countless families to home ownership, and plans to add up to 200 additional units of affordable housing in the region over the next couple of years. More information is available at www.nnistamford.org or by calling 203-359-2215.