H O U S I N G P L A N  B U L L E T I N

ORDINANCE COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS U.R. HOME PROGRAM In June, the Common Council's Ordinance Committee plans to discuss an ordinance to implement the Urban Rehabilitation Home Program. The Housing Partnership had recommended that the City participate in the program by adopting an ordinance to provide a 5 year tax abatement on improvements to eligible properties. If adopted, city employees and employees of Norwalk companies would be eligible to receive low cost CHFA mortgages and 0% interest rehab loans for up to $35,000, in addition to the property tax relief. For more info contact the Redevelopment Agency at 854-7810 or the CT Housing Finance Authority at www.chfa.org.

The Planning & Monitoring Committee, chaired by Larry Bentley, is responsible for the monitoring the objectives outlined in the Partnership's 1990 Housing Plan and the Redevelopment Agency's Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development. Each quarter, the committee produces an Affordable Housing Update to monitor the status of affordable housing developments in Norwalk. For a copy of the most recent Affordable Housing Update report, contact Alanna Kabel of the Redevelopment Agency at 854 - 7810.

The Needs Assessment and Public Relations Committee, chaired by Patsy Brescia, evaluates municipal housing needs according to the latest available data. The committee also produces the Housing Plan Bulletin that serves as the primary vehicle for disseminating information about Partnership activities. This issue represents the thirty-seventh issue produced since 1991.

The Regional Affordable Housing Outreach Committee, chaired by Carol Frank, responds to the regional nature of affordable housing needs. The 2000 affordable housing inventory prepared by the Dept of Economic & Community Development indicates that most of the 12,224 affordable units in the region, are located in Greenwich, Stamford and Norwalk, as indicated below:

UPDATE OF STATE'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING LIST UNDERWAY
In a letter to Mayor Alex Knopp, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) has requested that each municipality provide documentation of its new affordable units by May 31, 2002. The existing list of 4,070 affordable units in Norwalk includes public housing, housing rehabilitated or mortgaged using various government subsidies, including funding from CT. Housing Finance Authority (CHFA), Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). The 2001 list will be available from DECD later this year. For more info, call Bonnie Bartolotta, Research Analyst at DECD at
(860) 270-8165.

HOUSING PARTNERSHIP MEMBERS & THEIR AFFILIATIONS
Edward Bowers, Fmr Partnership mbr, Chairman
Larry Bentley, Fleet Bank, Vice Chairman
Patsy Brescia, William Pitt Real Estate
Harry C. Carey, Human Services Council
Carol Frank, Norwalk Redevelopment Agency
Barbara Hudgins, Common Council
Roberto Jimenez, Sunrise Management
Alex A. Knopp, Mayor, City of Norwalk
Beverly Krieger, Norwalk Housing Authority
Judith Rivas, Common Council
Stephen Thomas, Norwalk Planning Commission
James White, Norwalk Zoning Commission
Nathaniel Yordon, Action Housing

The Partnership recently bid farewell to longtime Partnership member, Les Bell, whose appointment expired in May of this year. Les had served as a representative from the Conservation Commission and contributed to a better understanding of housing financing issues through his experience as a mortgage banker. We wish him well.

N O R W A L K H O U S I N G P A R T N E R S H I P
P. O. BOX 5125 NORWALK, CT 06856-5125 (203) 854-7701

The Housing Plan Bulletin is a periodic publication of the Norwalk Housing Partnership. The Partnership was established in 1990 and its members include the Mayor, representatives from the business community, clergy, Norwalk Common Council, various city boards and commissions and housing professionals. The Partnership's goal is to promote the development of affordable housing in Norwalk.

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