Stamford Housing Affordability Plan

The City of Stamford, which has grown over 10.5% in the past decade, partnered with HR&A to address its affordable housing needs with the Stamford Housing Affordability Plan, which updated zoning policies and launched a Housing Trust Fund. Recognized for excellence in community engagement by the Connecticut Chapter American Planning Association and as the best among 17 local housing plans by Fairfield County’s Center for Housing Opportunity, the plan aims to create or renovate 1,000 affordable apartments by 2025. 

Stamford’s growth over the last decade isn’t slowing down anytime soon; however, new homes aren’t being created fast enough to match the population growth, and they’ve been unevenly distributed throughout the city. This trend is placing disproportionate pressure on some neighborhoods where housing is becoming increasingly scarce. The Housing Affordability Plan assessed Stamford’s housing needs alongside a comprehensive market analysis to shape tailored regulatory and funding recommendations that will help Stamford tackle their housing market gaps. HR&A also advised the City on their new Housing Trust Fund, which adds important standards, governance, and oversight to the City’s funding of affordable housing projects. Since 2021, the Housing Trust Fund has allocated over $3.7M to support the development and preservation of affordable housing, as well as ensure housing affordability for vulnerable populations.  

 

An effective housing plan requires community input, so HR&A planned a series of meetings across the city that were hosted by community ambassadors as part of the Housing Affordability Plan effort. We simultaneously engaged both a Community Advisory Committee and Technical Steering Committee throughout the planning process. This community engagement approach led to a more robust and informed plan overall and was recognized by the Connecticut Chapter American Planning Association’s annual awards.  

 

Finally, HR&A analyzed the efficacy of the city’s existing inclusionary zoning program to increase the development of new affordable units. HR&A made recommendations to adjust Stamford’s administration of the program and “fee-in-lieu” payment option, which allows for developers to pay into the Housing Trust Fund in lieu of building affordable units on-site. This analysis weighed current market conditions and the City staff’s capacity to process requests in a timely way.  

 

Explore
Read the Plan 

Learn more about how we redesigned the City’s Below Market Rate Inclusionary Zoning Program 

See how the plan measured up in this Center for Housing Opportunity Assessment 

 

 

Awards and Recognition  

Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association (CCAPA) Community Outreach Award 

Highest Score for a Housing Affordability Plan from Fairfield County’s Center for Housing Opportunity (FCCHO) in 2022 

 

 

Press 

Stamford takes steps to increase city’s affordable housing options  — WNPR Connecticut Public Radio