Brian Prince

Anyone who has shopped at LaBonne’s knows assistant produce manager   Brian Prince. He’s the fourth person in his family to work there and, at 28, he’s been a reliable employee of LaBonne’s for 12 years. During that time, he has lived with different roommates, including another LaBonne’s employee, and is currently living in Torrington with his father. He would love to live in Salisbury but his income has made living without a roommate impossible and home ownership inconceivable.        He says he loves the Salisbury Community and the nature that surrounds us. A home here would allow him to be fully independent and save him the hour and a half commute each day, the cost of gas and the wear and tear on his car. He’d be able to enjoy spending more time with family and friends and get more involved with the community. An affordable rental apartment, even a studio apartment in the $700-800 per month range, would make that dream come true. He’s looked for years for a home in Salisbury without any luck.

Young adults like Brian are necessary for our local businesses to succeed and our community to thrive. Whether we’re conscious of it or not, we depend upon them every day.

“Big Papi” Luis Vargas

Luis Vargas works as a cook at LaBonne’s Market. Bob LaBonne could not praise him highly enough saying “He’s a great guy, hard working, steady and reliable. He’s like a father to some of the other employees, hence the nick name “Big Papi.’”

Luis was helped with temporary housing by a friend in the community while he waited for an apartment to become available at Sarum Village, the affordable housing complex on Cobble Road near Noble Horizons. After filling out the application, which included financial information and letters of reference, it took a year before a vacancy opened up.

When asked about his new home his face lit up with a broad smile. He says he’s “very happy and loves his new apartment. Everything is new and really nice.” While he only moved in recently, he’s happy that his neighbors are friendly and there are children nearby. He’s also able to walk to work, which is critical since he doesn’t own a car. Finding a stable, safe, affordable home has relieved a tremendous amount of stress and allows him to concentrate on his job, which he loves.          

Salisbury Central School

One of the major attractions to living in Salisbury is the high quality of education offered by Salisbury Central School. As principal of the school, Stephanie Magyar, sees firsthand the challenges faced by young families, teachers and other staff who would like to live here. Only 40% of her teaching staff live in Salisbury. The high cost of housing affects her recruitment of staff in general and particularly her ability to attract paraprofessionals, teaching assistants, cafeteria workers, custodians and maintenance staff. For people working part time jobs, travel between home and work is particularly difficult.

Fortunately, the K-8 school population has remained relatively stable during the past 5 years, helped by the large number of private school faculty’s children who have housing provided by their schools.

Stephanie says, “We need rentals and zoning that makes it possible to have housing that people can afford. When they live in less expensive towns, their commute is longer and they don’t always send their children to our schools. We have lost employees due to long commutes and have had people turn down job offers due to the high cost of living in the area.” As she’s seen in her own family, people who grew up here and want to stay end up moving to other towns.

If we want our town to thrive now and for future generations, we need housing that makes it possible for young people to live and work in Salisbury.

How does affordable housing affect Kent, CT?

If we want to have a sense of how affordable housing effects a town like ours, Kent’s long-time First Selectman, Bruce Adams, is the man to speak with.

 When Kent’s first affordable housing development was built, Bruce, a teacher for 34 years, says that “some of my colleagues and I were worried about what kind of students the housing would bring into our school. We didn’t know how the new residents would affect the town. In the end our concerns couldn’t be farther from the truth… The workmanship of the housing has been good and the tenants have been nothing but a plus for the town”.

South Common: Kent, CT

Kent now has 96 affordable rental apartments along with some accessory apartments and a parcel program making land available for families to build on, much like Salisbury’s Housing Trust properties. The Stuart Farm project for example, even won an Award of Merit in 2015 from the Connecticut Historic Preservation Trust for their adaptation of an 1828 farmhouse which was otherwise slated for demolition. Another project, South Common, has 24 one- two- and three-bedroom rental apartments within pleasant walking distance of the Village on an attractive 3.9-acre site.

Funding is always a challenge, especially for rental apartments. In the case of the Stuart Farm Apartments, funding came from the CT Department of Housing, two banks, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, private gifts and support from the people of Kent and the surrounding area. Operating expenses of the apartments are covered by the tenants' rent and occasional grants.

Many people worry about the loss of control over who will move in if government funds are involved. Bruce states that “there is a good tenant screening process and the people have been “good people, involved in the school… They have been a win/win for the town”. He “supports 100% what it’s done for Kent”.

A Series: Our Home, Our Future

Voices from the Northwest Connecticut residents about the housing needed for a healthy, economically vibrant future.

Click here to see the series of articles written by Mary Close Oppenheimer. Mary is a local artist who has been part of the Lakeville/Salisbury community for 30 years. Her love of the town and concern for its future have motivated her to learn about and share with her neighbors how local housing costs impact the town’s economic future and the people who live and work here.