In 1986 a Housing Task Force was appointed to assess housing needs and make recommendations to the town. Surveys showed a clear need for more affordable housing, particularly for young families and the elderly. In response, the Task Force established the private, non-profit Cornwall Housing Corporation, which by 1988 was authorized by the State as the official Town Community Development Housing Corporation. This designation makes CHC eligible to apply for various public monies, and it also receives modest funding from the Town.
Kugeman Village
With bequests from the estates of William and Lois Kugeman, land was bought in 1989, and Kugeman Village built through a grant and loan from the Connecticut Department of Housing. This complex, completed in 1992, contains 18 rental units for families and single people of all ages. There are two handicap-adapted apartments, and the rest are duplexes, with one to three bedrooms. Upper income limits are fixed at 80 % of the county median, and the facility has been full since it first opened.
The Parcel Program
In 1989, recognizing that land prices had outpaced the incomes of many people who wished to live here, the CHC established the Parcel Program. Under this scheme, the CHC leases parcels of land to qualifying applicants, with drives and a generous portion of well costs also included. The new homeowners pay property taxes on houses and improvements, while lease provisions ensure that the houses remain affordable for any future buyer.
The Planning and Zoning Commission has cooperated in this program by enacting various housing-friendly special permit opportunities for the creation of town- or non-profit-sponsored affordable lots. Such lots may be smaller than the underlying zone would otherwise allow, and there may be an additional lot on driveways and private roads. Through gifts of land and below-market purchases, eleven sites (three with existing houses) were acquired and currently have houses. Four sites are available. The CHC continues to seek additional parcels and funds for the program.
The Clifton Read Fund
A rental assistance fund was established in 1994 in memory of Clifton Read, an original board member. This fund is fed by private donations, is administered by a board subcommittee, and has its own separate bank account.
Elderly Housing
In 2009, a long-held wish began to materialize: land was bought, permits received, federal and state grants successfully sought, and Bonney Brook, 10 units of low-income elderly housing was constructed, with occupancy beginning in 2014.