Housing Commission revisits past plans as new state housing mandates shift focus to TPZ

The Housing Commission held its second meeting on April 20, continuing the work it began in March as members worked to define the commission’s role — reviewing past housing initiatives, revisiting existing Town programs, and considering how the commission can support the Board of Selectmen as Woodbridge responds to new state housing mandates.

A portion of the meeting was devoted to a presentation by the former Housing Committee’s chair, Kathy Hunter, who shared a slideshow outlining recommendations and prior accomplishments of earlier housing initiatives undertaken in support of the Town's Affordable Housing Plan adopted by the Selectmen in May 2022. The review included discussion of outreach efforts to help residents better understand existing affordability programs and state housing rules, including accessory dwelling unit (ADU) overview published on the Town website.

Among the programs discussed was Woodbridge’s long-standing Small Cities Housing Rehabilitation Program, administered through Town Hall by Tax Collector Pat Crisco. This State of Connecticut program provides interest-free loans to qualified homeowners for major repairs such as furnaces, roofs, windows, septic systems, and ADA-related modifications including entrance ramps and bathroom accessibility improvements.

To qualify, homeowners must meet income and equity requirements, be current on municipal taxes, and maintain homeowner’s insurance. There is no out-of-pocket expense for the 0% interest loan, and repayment is not due until the property changes title. Because the assistance is secured through a lien and repayments return to the fund when homes are sold, the program functions as a revolving loan pool that can continue assisting additional residents over time.

The former Housing Committee had expressed interest in helping the Town revitalize or expand the program as part of its earlier work, including discussion of recapitalizing the revolving loan fund so it could serve more residents. However, the discussion at the commission meeting suggested that effort has not significantly advanced, with commissioners still seeking basic information about the program’s current status and available funding.

Selectman Amey Marrella, who joined the commission’s meeting to provide an update on discussions of housing-related tax incentives and other ordinance work underway with the Board of Selectmen and Ordinance Committee, noted that the Small Cities program has existed for more than 20 years and was funded through grant allocations of roughly $300,000 at a time. She said the Town received the funding twice during her tenure as First Selectman and suggested commissioners speak directly with Crisco for details on its current status.

The exchange reflected a broader theme of the meeting: much of the commission’s work involved revisiting existing programs and determining what resources already exist before considering whether new initiatives are needed.

Discussion also returned to the idea of creating a local Housing Trust Fund, which former Housing Committee members described as a way to provide flexible funding for affordable housing efforts, including pre-development costs, feasibility studies, and other early-stage expenses that are often difficult to finance.

When the Selectmen acted in mid-2025 to establish the new Housing Commission by ordinance, they had also considered an Ordinance Committee recommendation to create a Housing Trust Fund through a separate ordinance. That proposal was ultimately set aside at the time, leaving the concept for further study and possible future consideration rather than adoption alongside the commission ordinance.

Marrella, speaking as a member of the Ordinance Committee, said the committee is again reviewing the possible creation of a Housing Trust Fund ordinance and asked the commission to help identify examples from other towns for comparison. She referenced New Canaan, while Chairman Domenic Thomas mentioned Stamford as another example he had recently downloaded for review.

Commissioners discussed the value of reviewing these existing municipal models, including Guilford, which Hunter said had been shared previously during earlier Housing Committee work. Members agreed that reviewing established ordinances from other towns would help inform any future drafting in Woodbridge.

Like the home ownership rehab program discussion, the exchange reflected how much of the commission’s current work involves revisiting earlier proposals and determining what groundwork has already been laid before new recommendations can move forward.

Thomas said that much of the immediate housing-related work in Woodbridge is now centered with the Town Plan and Zoning Commission (TPZ), particularly its responsibility to respond to the state’s new omnibus housing law, Public Act 25-1, which followed the broader housing policy debates surrounding House Bill 8002.

The law requires municipalities to review local zoning regulations — especially in commercial and business districts — to ensure that housing opportunities are not unnecessarily restricted by procedural barriers. In practice, this means examining where multifamily or mixed-use residential development may be permitted through site-plan or administrative review rather than requiring special permit approvals or other discretionary processes that can significantly delay projects.

Thomas said that much of the action in Woodbridge is therefore not before the Housing Commission itself, but before TPZ as it works through how the Town’s zoning regulations must adapt to comply with evolving state requirements.

He added that commissioners were also waiting to see what the General Assembly would do before adjournment of the legislative session on May 6, particularly regarding potential changes to ADU rules and other housing-related statutes. Until those decisions are finalized in Hartford, he said, it is difficult for local boards to determine exactly what policy changes may be needed in Woodbridge.

At one point, commissioners questioned why some of the stronger housing recommendations now being discussed — particularly around site selection, infrastructure expansion, and higher-density development in appropriate locations — were not more visibly reflected in the Town’s original Affordable Housing Plan.

The Board of Selectmen had previously outlined many of those same issues in its Strategic Plan adopted in June 2024, under “Strategy Twelve: Propose Effective and Sustainable Initiatives to Expand Housing Opportunities.” That section called for evaluating mixed-use and lower-cost housing opportunities in business districts and elsewhere in town, studying where increased density could be supported consistent with Smart Growth principles, and examining the potential impacts on groundwater, wastewater, wetlands, traffic, sidewalks, and other infrastructure.

The strategic plan also directed the Town to explore state, federal, and regional funding opportunities, incorporate those findings into a revision of the Affordable Housing Plan, and then make recommendations to TPZ for inclusion in the 2025–2035 Plan of Conservation and Development and possible zoning amendments based on all the elements of the Strategy Twelve evaluation.

That strategic plan has now expired. It leaves open questions about how much of that work was completed and what recommendations remain active. It is also unclear how fully the new Housing Commission has been briefed on that prior framework as it begins its own review.

The meeting also featured discussion about whether the commission’s primary role should continue to emphasize broad public education efforts or shift first toward a more technical planning focus.

Commission member Mary Dean, who also served on the earlier Housing Committee, supported maintaining that educational and coordinating role as part of the new commission’s mission, particularly as residents continue to ask questions about issues such as accessory dwelling units and affordable housing requirements.

Thomas acknowledged the importance of that role, but emphasized that the commission will first need a clearer understanding of what the new state law actually requires and what planning structure the Town intends to follow. In his opening remarks, he said even professionals in the field are still “absorbing” Public Act 25-1 and its implications, particularly around zoning and housing planning.

Thomas said the commission’s immediate focus should be deciding whether Woodbridge will pursue its own municipal housing plan or participate in a regional housing plan through the South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG). He said he had been in contact with SCRCOG representatives and viewed that coordination as important, particularly given the state’s increasing emphasis on regional planning and compliance.

As he framed it, understanding the legal requirements, available regional support, and how the Town’s zoning obligations fit within that larger framework must come before broader public outreach can be effective.

The exchange reflected a practical tension familiar to many volunteer boards: residents want clear answers quickly, but local officials are still working to interpret evolving state requirements before they can confidently provide them.

Commission members also discussed how the Housing Commission can best support the BOS going forward, particularly as the Town weighs infrastructure costs, housing growth, and state compliance requirements alongside broader budget pressures.

With the legislative session nearing its conclusion and TPZ work already underway, the commission’s near-term role appears to be less about creating new housing policy and more about helping the Town navigate the policies already arriving from the state.

Housing Commission meetings are open to the public and recordings, when made, are available on the Town’s YouTube channel, WGATV79. Click below to watch the full recording of the April 20, 2026 meeting.