Vacant parking lots and underutilized medical offices in Glastonbury will soon be home to new apartments.
The former industrial park development on Nye Road will include 64 apartments, the majority of which will be designated affordable.
Gov. Ned Lamont says projects like Hillside Village give credence to the work against “Not In My Backyard” mentalities.
“What if your backyard is an office building that's barely in use right now?” Lamont said. “It's in a residential area. It's already got plenty of parking. They already had traffic coming in and out. It's got sewer and water.”
The project, which includes 51 affordable apartments, will revitalize the neighborhood, Lamont said.
“This is what the backyard is that you take advantage of to make sure that people can afford to live in the town they love,” Lamont said. "It's going to be housing that's available to teachers and firemen and police and EMT, those that otherwise would have to commute a long way to get to Glastonbury.”
The affordable apartments will be at a range of levels, including families earning below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). For a Glastonbury family with two incomes, that amounts to about $80,000 annually.
Of the affordable units, 13 apartments are for residents with intellectual disabilities through the state Department of Social Services. The final 13 apartments will be market rate.
The development will add necessary housing for people who work in the community, according to Glastonbury Town Council member Larry Niland.
“Teachers and service workers and young professionals and everyone else can come together and create a home all on the same street,” Niland said.
About 5% of Glastonbury’s housing stock is deemed affordable, according to the state’s Office of Legislative Research, which is below the 10% requirement set by the state.
But, the town is making an effort to increase its affordability. In mid-April, Glastonbury’s town council approved a 266-unit apartment complex, with about 80 affordable units.
Glastonbury is responding to Connecticut’s push to increase affordable housing and wants more families to be able to stay or move to town, Niland said.
“People think Glastonbury is a rich town with great big houses and that’s not it,” Niland said. “We do have a good amount of affordable housing in town already and we are continuing to try and make that affordable for everyone.”
Hillside Village will be operated by the town’s housing authority and is expected to be complete in about 18 months.
