Reposted by Sean GhioUrban Dispatch @urbandispatch.bsky.social · 06/06/2025Downtown Fairfield CT is 39% parking by land area today I have a hunch they can successfully welcome 754 new homes in a 12 year period (and a lot more if we are being honest). This is where 60 years of functionally zero growth gets us 2173
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 06/06/2025Wow! A knockout blow of a thread. The sad thing is Newtown is unexceptionable in its opposition to housing. 181
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 29/05/2025How out-of-sight zoning rules have outsized impact ctmirror.org/2025/05/29/h...ctmirror.orgOpinion: How out-of-sight zoning rules have outsized impactWe often go about our lives without acknowledging the systems that shape them. Zoning is one of those systems. 051
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 27/05/2025A new supportive housing facility opened on Ann Street in Stamford's West End, and 11 men facing homelessness are set to move in next month. www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article...stamfordadvocate.comTake a look at Stamford's new supportive housing for those struggling with homelessnessA new “supportive housing” facility opened on Ann Street in Stamford's West End, and 11 men facing homelessness are set to move in next month. 030
Reposted by Sean GhioKai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 26/05/2025I implore people to think about what Memorial Day means, and then think about…this 2724102931
Reposted by Sean GhioPartnership for Strong Communities @pschousing.bsky.social · 22/05/2025We’re deeply disappointed the #JustCauseCT bill wasn’t called for a vote. “It’s such a massive constituency... I struggle to understand why legislators... recognize landlords but don’t seem to recognize tenants.” — Luke LMelonakos-Harrison @CTMirror: ctmirror.org/2025/05/20/c...ctmirror.orgCT no-fault evictions ban expansion dies in legislatureAlthough lawmakers said many of their colleagues privately supported the idea, not enough of them were willing to vote in favor of the bill. 001
Reposted by Sean GhioPartnership for Strong Communities @pschousing.bsky.social · 20/05/2025New blog: The Reality: Housing Challenges I faced as a Low-Income Earner by intern Mabel Thompson. “I realized, I belong in these spaces too. My lived experience is part of the policy puzzle they’re trying to solve.” Read her powerful story: heyor.ca/4kj7ob 011
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 20/05/2025Homelessness surges in wealthy CT: 'I'm surrounded by millionaires, and next door this is happening' www.ctinsider.com/news/article...ctinsider.comHomelessness surges in wealthy CT: 'I'm surrounded by millionaires, and next door this is happening'Homelessness is an issue throughout Connecticut but is particularly striking in Fairfield County, where great wealth and great struggle exist only miles apart. 101
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 20/05/2025Two Connecticuts: How gaps between rich and poor define life in CT www.ctinsider.com/news/article...ctinsider.comTwo Connecticuts: How gaps between rich and poor define life in CTFew places in the United States have inequality quite like Connecticut’s, where extreme wealth and extreme struggle coexist in startling proximity. 020
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 17/05/2025It's great to see that Wallingford has taken steps to make it easier to build affordable housing in it's downtown. More towns should follow their lead. www.ctinsider.com/recordjourna...ctinsider.comWallingford opens downtown to affordable housing development with new regulationWallingford Planning and Zoning Commission passed a new regulation that offers incentives based on how many affordable units there are and reduces restrictions. 020
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 14/05/2025Seymour to survey residents on housing valley.newhavenindependent.org/article/seym...valley.newhavenindependent.orgSeymour Housing Survey On Tap To Gauge Residents’ InputSEYMOUR – A town committee gained approval April 1 to conduct a community survey about affordable housing. The Seymour Affordable Housing Committee, a… 200
Reposted by Sean GhioUrban Dispatch @urbandispatch.bsky.social · 02/05/2025Could a photo and a headline better encapsulate the root cause of our housing crisis? These subjective veto points are the problem, full stop 272
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 02/05/2025Clearly Trumbull isn't sending ITS best to the planning and zoning commission. www.ctpublic.org/news/2025-05...ctpublic.org'We got a lot of communists in the state': Trumbull officials blast CT affordable housing lawsTown officials in Trumbull recently took out their frustrations with the state’s affordable housing laws during a meeting with a developer proposing 100 apartments. 394
Reposted by Sean GhioPartnership for Strong Communities @pschousing.bsky.social · 01/05/2025Just Cause eviction protections are about protecting Connecticut families from being unfairly displaced and ensuring stable, healthy communities. This powerful piece explains why: heyor.ca/zr4QOY Take Action to support Just Cause: heyor.ca/rT0NHo #JustCauseCTheyor.caOpinion: Just Cause Eviction is an essential policy for the health and safety of CT residentsIn CT, the combination of high housing costs and low vacancy rates has created what some have deemed as the worst place in the country for renters. 011
Reposted by Sean GhioPartnership for Strong Communities @pschousing.bsky.social · 28/04/2025🏡 Meet the Faces of Rental Assistance 🏡 We're sharing the people who could benefit from CT’s Rental Assistance Program (RAP). 👩💼 Meet the Working Mom juggles a full-time job & raising two kids—but rent keeps her on the edge. CT’s RAP could change that. It’s time to #FundRAP. 011
Reposted by Sean GhioPartnership for Strong Communities @pschousing.bsky.social · 28/04/2025Both Governor Lamont and the General Assembly have proposed budgets that invest in key housing programs—expanding rental assistance, boosting affordable housing development, and protecting our most vulnerable residents. Learn more: heyor.ca/YddUXO 021
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 27/04/2025Nearly 1 in 5 CT lawmakers are landlords. Could that affect policy? ctmirror.org/2025/04/27/c...ctmirror.orgNearly 1 in 5 CT lawmakers are landlords. Could that affect policy?Several lawmakers said they can’t help but be shaped by their experiences, and that those experiences help color policy debate. 030
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 27/04/2025Great reporting from Ginny Monk. Nearly 1 in 5 CT lawmakers are landlords. I'd like to know how many Housing Committee members are landlords. The conflicts are obvious. Committee members should disclose whether they are landlords. ctmirror.org/2025/04/27/c...ctmirror.orgNearly 1 in 5 CT lawmakers are landlords. Could that affect policy?Several lawmakers said they can’t help but be shaped by their experiences, and that those experiences help color policy debate. 07014
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 25/04/2025New apartments approved in Fairfield - 96 total with 29 set-aside for lower and moderate income tenants. Without question these homes would have been denied but for CT's Affordable Housing Appeals Procedure (8-30g). Our housing shortage continues. Imagine how worse it would be without 8-30g. 120
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 22/04/2025An affordable housing proposal won one of its 3 battles in court after a judge found that New Canaan’s water pollution authority wrongfully rejected its application. The WPCA’s rejection was “devoid of evidentiary support and constituted an abuse of discretion.” www.ctinsider.com/news/new-can...ctinsider.comCourt sides with New Canaan developer in first part of battle over proposed 8-30g project's denialThe Superior Court of Hartford sided with Arnold Karp's 8-30g development at 17 and 23 Hill Street over New Canaan's Water Pollution Control Authority. 031
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 21/04/202560,000 Americans to lose their rental assistance and risk eviction unless Congress acts. www.ctpost.com/news/politic...ctpost.com60,000 Americans to lose their rental assistance and risk eviction unless Congress actsThe program was allocated $5 billion to help pull people out of homelessness, domestic... 000
Reposted by Sean GhioAnonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 19/04/2025"If you can afford to send Katy Perry to space, you can afford to pay more taxes." #3E 8871961511
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 19/04/2025Casey and Tom are rock star advocates. This common sense reform will go a long way to allowing, once again, the kind of development that made us love CT in the first place. No one loves wasteful sprawl. www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025...strongtowns.orgConnecticut Towns Are Losing Millions to Parking Minimums. Will Lawmakers Act?A new push for parking reform in Connecticut reveals just how much public space and revenue towns are losing to outdated requirements. 2192
Reposted by Sean GhioPatrick Siegman @siegman.biz · 19/04/2025"Say you want to build a bowling alley....In West #Hartford, you’d be required to build 8 parking spaces for every lane. In #Wethersfield, that number drops to 5. And in #Ridgefield? Just 4. The differences aren’t based on data or demand — they’re arbitrary." www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025...strongtowns.orgConnecticut Towns Are Losing Millions to Parking Minimums. Will Lawmakers Act?A new push for parking reform in Connecticut reveals just how much public space and revenue towns are losing to outdated requirements. 067
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 17/04/2025“I don't know what the average sales price is now, but it's got to be upwards of almost a million dollars at this point. They're really leveraging up to buy a home and then to have a big complex go in, like right next door, can be pretty upsetting." Sounds rough. www.ctpublic.org/news/2025-04...ctpublic.orgFairfield affordable housing freeze welcomed by town leaders who call state mandate "unfair"The town of Fairfield had to prove at least 2% of its housing stock was affordable to secure the moratorium on affordable housing construction. The state mandate is for 10% affordable housing stock. 2112
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 17/04/2025Included in this announcement is new funding for a little known housing program to rehabilitate older small multifamily buildings - a critical supply of lower cost housing. The Small Multifamily Loan Program is an important finding source for these often ignored homes. www.fox61.com/article/mone...fox61.comConnecticut invests $87 million to boost housing access statewideThe Connecticut Housing Finance Authority will use funding from the State Bond Commission to support three key housing initiatives in underserved communities. 031
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 15/04/2025 State investments in affordable housing should be focused on housing for our poorest residents - that's who needs public support. Make it easier to build housing and the market will build (most of) the rest. www.newstimes.com/connecticut/...newstimes.comGov. Lamont says CT is building lots of housing. The data says otherwiseGov. Ned Lamont often touts Connecticut's housing construction, yet data shows state-financed development is at a 13-year low. 171
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 09/04/2025Opinion: How Connecticut’s housing shortage has impacted every industry www.greenwichtime.com/opinion/arti...greenwichtime.comOpinion: How Connecticut’s housing shortage has impacted every industry'Businesses are losing out on the most talented workers and most ambitious young minds for the simple reason that finding a home in CT is just too difficult.' 010
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 09/04/2025It's nearly impossible to build homes in some places in CT. The Affordable Housing Appeals Act (Section 8-30g) is the only tool to get affordable homes built in some towns. It must be preserved. www.ctpost.com/news/article...ctpost.comBuilder shrinks contentious Bethel affordable housing plan, promising no ‘big bang’ rock blastingA developer is seeking to build a 22-unit affordable housing proposal on Taylor Avenue in Bethel, a reduction of four units from the original proposal. 010
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 08/04/2025More than 200 apartments proposed along I-91 in Windsor. A great reuse of vacant office space. www.courant.com/2025/04/08/m...courant.comMore than 200 apartments proposed along I-91 in central CT townA developer is proposing to convert a pair of multistory office buildings to residential use and construct two new structures nearby, creating a complex of about 200 apartments near I-91. 010
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 03/04/2025There's a lot of talk in CT about so-called naturally occurring affordable housing. The fact is that in many expensive CT communities they no longer exist. When a 2000 SF home is purchased for $750K only to be torn down, your town doesn't have NOAH. westportjournal.com/realestate/g...westportjournal.comSay 'Goodbye' to 24 Ellery Lane | Westport JournalWestport real estate news: a 69-year-old split-level on Ellery Lane has been approved for demolition. Read the details here. 251
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 02/04/2025Go beyond the talking points. Learn the facts about eviction protections and housing supply. ctmirror.org/2025/04/02/t...ctmirror.orgOpinion: The truth about just cause eviction and housing supplyThe evidence is compelling, tenant protections are not the reason Connecticut is failing to grow our housing supply. 022
Reposted by Sean GhioPartnership for Strong Communities @pschousing.bsky.social · 31/03/2025A new policy brief from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities provides evidence that by closing the gap between incomes and rent through rental assistance, as well as access to supportive services like health care and income support, we can end homelessness. Learn more: heyor.ca/itxfxrheyor.caPolicy Brief: Policymakers Can Solve Homelessness by Scaling Up Rental Assistance and Supportive Services | Center on Budget and Policy PrioritiesHousing is a basic human need, but stable housing is out of reach or hard to keep for far too many people. This is a policy choice, not an economic inevitability. Evidence shows that we can solve... 011
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 01/04/2025Housing affordability and stability are hot topics at the CT General Assembly this year. Now's the time to let your legislators know that housing matters to you. Read PSC's mid-session update to learn what's happening. 010
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 31/03/2025Infrastructure projects are nearly impossible to move forward even with the Siting Council. Imagine how little solar and wind generated power CT would have without it. And, before anyone asks, I'm fine with building a solar array in my neighborhood. Apartments too! www.courant.com/2025/03/31/b...courant.comBig solar array in small CT town illustrates contention over Siting CouncilSandra and Noah Sarucia were dismayed when the Connecticut Siting Council authorized a large solar array on their rural Thompson road this month, and said local residents should get more notice — a… 2313
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 27/03/2025"Connecticut’s housing crisis continues to be top of mind for home builders and lawmakers. As the situation continues to persist, many are searching for solutions." www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/w...nbcconnecticut.comWhat homebuilders and lawmakers say needs to change for more affordable housing in ConnecticutHome builders say the biggest battle for affordable housing is the availability of homes. This is what builders and lawmakers say they are trying to address. 011
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 20/03/2025Listening to Patrick McMahon at CT Main Street Center's TOD event describe the redevelopment of Windsor Center is making me homesick. To know Windsor Center is to love it - a real community that takes care of each other. 030
Reposted by Sean GhioJacqueline Rabe Thomas @jrabethomas.bsky.social · 20/03/2025Housing CHOICE vouchers? Where those using rental assistance live www.cbpp.org/research/hou... 143
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 18/03/2025CT's shortage of affordable homes has reached a critical point. 71% of extremely low-income renters spend more than 50% of their income on housing with little left over for other basic needs. We need to make it easier to build the homes we need. www.ctpublic.org/news/2025-03...ctpublic.orgCT rent affordability becomes less attainable for extremely low-income familiesOnly a third of extremely low-income renters can find affordable homes. Extremely low income is a federal Department of Housing and Urban Development designation for families earning below 30% of the ... 031
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 13/03/2025The U.S. has a shortage of more than 7.1 million rental homes affordable and available to extremely low-income renter households. Find out more. #TheGap25 nlihc.org/gapnlihc.orgThe GAPThe U.S. has a shortage of more than 7.1 million rental homes affordable and available to extremely low-income renter households. Find out more. #TheGap25 021
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 11/03/2025Fairfield County has the tightest housing market in the nation. Four other CT market areas are in the top 8. 053
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 09/03/2025The anonymous bigots behind that 169 group is really leaning into the right wing talking points now. Per anonymous losers, CT doesn't have a homelessness problem, and if we did, they blame migrants. 130
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 08/03/2025What incredibly ignorant fools. "In some cases, photos seemed to be flagged for removal simply because their file included the word ”gay,” including service members with that last name and an image of the B-29 aircraft Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb" apnews.com/article/dei-...apnews.comWar heroes and military firsts are among 26,000 images flagged for removal in Pentagon's DEI purgeReferences to a World War II Medal of Honor recipient, the Enola Gay aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on Japan and women and minorities are among the tens of thousands of photos and online posts m... 020
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 08/03/2025How many more years before CT passes similar legislation? We have 35 years of experience since the passage of Section 8-30g to show us that too few towns will act on their own. fallriverreporter.com/healey-grant...fallriverreporter.comHealey: Grants remain at risk in towns not complying with Massachusetts housing lawBy Chris Lisinski Gov. Maura Healey said Thursday her administration will continue to withhold state funding from cities and towns that fail to comply with a controversial — but constitutional — zonin... 120
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 07/03/2025White houses: These are sprouting up in every rich neighborhood in America. I had to find out why. slate.com/business/202...slate.comThey’re Sprouting Up in Every Rich Neighborhood in America—Including Mine. I Had to Know Where They Came From.My quest to understand the 5,600-square-foot architectural curiosity that appeared next door. 021
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 07/03/2025Connecticut's home price appreciation over the last year is the second highest in the nation at 8.3%. eyeonhousing.org/2025/03/hous...eyeonhousing.orgHouse Price Appreciation by State and Metro Area: Fourth Quarter 2024Following two straight quarters of deceleration, house price appreciation accelerated slightly in the fourth quarter of 2024 due to the persistent high mortgage rates and low inventory. Although inven... 030
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 06/03/2025The conversion of a long vacant school in Manchester faces neighborhood resistance and worries from a PZ commissioner over the effects on the entire neighborhood. Creating homes while eliminating a blighted building and attractive nuisance seems like a win to me. www.ctinsider.com/journalinqui...ctinsider.comManchester officials raise questions with apartment retrofit for Nathan Hale ElementaryA pending plan to reuse Manchester's Nathan Hale Elementary School for apartments faces resistance from residents and questions from officials. 010
Sean Ghio @seanghio.bsky.social · 04/03/2025"I strongly encourage the developer to embrace the Planning and Zoning Commission’s request to limit any development to age-restricted housing, which would mitigate the school impact." Lucky for her that officials didn't feel that way when her home was built. www.ctinsider.com/news/trumbul...ctinsider.com 000
