Fairfield Granted 4-Year Affordable Housing Moratorium

FAIRFIELD, CT — The Connecticut Department of Housing has determined that Fairfield has met the requirements for a Certificate of Affordable Housing Project Completion under state law Section 8-30g, granting the town a four-year moratorium on certain affordable housing mandates, First Selectman Bill Gerber announced. The moratorium is set to begin with the next publication of the Connecticut Law Journal, expected on Tuesday.

The town applied for the certificate in December, after documenting sufficient affordable housing unit equivalents to qualify. Fairfield reported 462 housing unit equivalents, surpassing the required 439.64 units, based on the town’s 21,982 housing units recorded in the 2020 Census.

Over the past decade, Fairfield has taken several steps to increase affordable housing, including adopting an inclusionary zoning regulation that requires new developments of ten or more units to designate at least 10 percent as affordable. That percentage increases to 12 percent in the town’s transit-oriented development overlay district. Other initiatives include establishing a dedicated Housing Trust Fund, implementing an inclusionary zoning fee, easing regulations for accessory dwelling units, and using federal grant funds to acquire properties designated for affordable housing.

"This announcement is the culmination of many years of work," said Mark Barnhart, Fairfield’s director of community and economic development, in a statement. He noted that the town’s application spanned approximately 600 pages and included documentation for two dozen projects.

"While the moratorium is a significant milestone, we know that it is only temporary, and our work continues," Barnhart said. "The need for more attainable housing options has never been greater, but we have several projects already approved or under construction that will help us continue making progress."

According to Gerber, the moratorium will provide Fairfield with greater control over the size and design of developments while continuing efforts to diversify the town’s housing stock.

"Our goal is to continue to expand housing choices for Fairfield’s residents," Gerber said.

Fairfield’s Affordable Housing Plan calls for exploring "middle housing" options, such as duplexes and triplexes, rather than large apartment complexes. The town’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity is expected to add new duplexes at 385 and 402 Quincy St., building on an earlier project at 244 Greenfield St., which is slated for occupancy in June 2025.

Barnhart noted that several development applications submitted before the moratorium will still be reviewed under the state’s Affordable Housing Act. Currently, 10 such applications are pending, each proposing projects where 30 percent of units would be deed-restricted for income-eligible households.