West Hartford affordable housing expansion was 'a long time coming'

"This has really been years and years of commitment to get to this point," Cantor said. "Piecing together affordable housing projects is not an easy task."

West Hartford Fellowship Housing has been providing affordable housing to senior citizens and people with disabilities since 1968.

But those 55 years are showing, said Mark Garilli, the nonprofit's executive director. That's not only in regards to the buildings and campus layout itself — parts of which need to meet ADA compliance — but also the way the community now functions as more permanent housing rather than a temporary stopping point for residents.

"Back in the late '60s and early '70s, the expectation was that folks would live in those communities for a short period of time and then move on," Garilli said, adding that conversations about the future of the nonprofit began at least a decade ago. "We found residents want to stay in our communities for many, many years and age in place. The design with two-story walk ups and smaller efficiency kitchens and bathrooms didn’t really allow for a proper space to age in place."

The nonprofit currently offers 169 units of low-income housing to people who are at least 62 years old and people with disabilities of all ages. The housing stock consists of studio apartments, which on average are 350 square feet and rent for $610 a month. They also offer one-bedroom apartments, which on average are 450 square feet and rent for $650 a month.

With the planned expansion, Garilli said, Fellowship Housing expects to add about 95 additional affordable units, bringing the total number of housing units to 264. That number could go up or down depending on final designs for later phases of the project.

That increase, he said, will help the nonprofit accommodate its "extensive" waiting list.

"There’s just such a need for more affordable housing, and this is going to provide options for individuals in and around West Hartford that they haven’t had before," Garilli said. "There’s just not a lot of availability for folks. They don’t have a lot of options, especially options that provide the same types of amenities and technology and energy efficiencies that some of these higher end communities offer. Fellowship Housing believes everyone deserves the dignity, respect and security of a home. That’s really what we’re trying to provide for people who don’t have the means to secure a place like that in West Hartford."

Garilli said it makes sense that Fellowship Housing's location is popular considering it's in close proximity to grocery stores, a post office, places of worship, a bus line, restaurants, retail, the senior center and the library. But he said that if they have a wait list, other places that offer affordable living arrangements likely have similar wait lists.

West Hartford Fellowship Housing's approach to an affordable housing expansion comes as town leaders have set a goal of adding 600 more affordable housing units to get the town closer to having 10 percent of the its housing stock be affordable housing. Currently, the town has around 2,000 "affordable" units, 7.8 percent of the total housing stock.

Though the resolution agreed upon says the nonprofit only needs to offer 80 percent of its units as affordable, Garilli said the expectation is that with the support of state funding, all units will be offered at affordable rates. Garilli said housing is made available to varying levels of income, with some being available to those making as low as 30 percent of the area median income.

"We’re proud to be able to support the town’s goals for affordable housing," Garilli said. "If you think about the combination of the nonprofit efforts, the municipalities, the state of Connecticut's support ... it’s how these things have to come together. The way of building affordable housing 50 years ago just doesn’t exist anymore."

Construction of the new units is planned in phases, Garilli said. During the first phase, the nonprofit will temporarily relocate impacted residents who later will be moved into the new units upon completion. That was a matter of importance to the Town Council upon issuing the lease extension.

"That has been a serious concern not only to the residents but to all of us at the table," Cantor said. "There has been so much planning in phasing in the work and the improvements so that people will always have a home and won’t be displaced. They’ll be treated with dignity and respect and moved in a way that will provide the least disruption in their lives. This will be a lifesaver for many residents that not only live there, living in much better conditions, but also to new residents that will be able to call this home."

Garilli said he and the rest of the nonprofit are appreciative of West Hartford's commitment to them.

"We think that it’s a matter of quality of life for our residents," Garilli said. "The town has been a wonderful partner over the last 50 plus years. They recognized early on the need for affordable housing, the location that this potential property had and continued to recognize what a winning combination this is in providing affordable housing through nonprofit services and town services to enrich the lives of our senior population and allow them to live independently as long as possible."