2024 Affordable Housing Plan Update

The Town of Tolland Planning and Zoning Commission is holding a Public Hearing on August 26, 2024 in support of its updated affordable housing plan. All Towns in Connecticut are required by CGS 8-30(j) to update their Affordable Housing Plans every five years.  

The Public Hearing will be held:

August 26, 2024 at 7:00 PM

Tolland Town Council Chambers

Feedback can be submitted in person or in writing at publichearinglanduse@tollandct.gov

Over the last five years the Town of Tolland has made considerable progress in encouraging and supporting the development of Affordable Housing, and looks forward to seeing how some of those regulatory changes support further development over the next several years. Since 2019, Tolland has approved 240 new multi-family units which are currently under construction and has passed numerous regulatory changes to support the development of multi-family and affordable housing. Tolland has become one of the first communities in the northeastern part of the state with an Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and now requires any new multi-family development with at least ten units to build 5% affordable housing or make “buyout” into that Trust Fund. Tolland now also offers a density bonus for those willing to build additional affordable units.

Residential development and housing play important roles in community, community character, and the community planning process. Housing is where jobs go at night and where households and families live their lives. Housing density, style, and tenure contribute to community character. Home ownership and housing equity have been a primary driver of wealth creation. Also, residential uses are the most predominant land use in a community and residential zoning typically dominates the land area of a town. Residential development patterns often frame the overall development patterns of a community.

As a community that is rural-suburban in character, approximately 95% of Tolland’s land area is zoned residential, the overwhelming majority of which is zoned for single-family residential housing. Single-family residential zoning dominates Tolland’s land area and allowable uses. Tolland’s housing stock is made up of only 93.8% single-family detached residential housing units and 1.5% single family attached housing. Therefore, less than five percent of Tolland’s current housing stock is multi-family housing. In terms of resiliency—specifically, diversity—Tolland’s housing stock is not diverse and can be viewed as being overly susceptible to  disturbances in the market.

Housing affordability and the lack of affordable housing is perhaps the greatest housing issue facing Tolland. This lack of affordable housing is directly related to the lack of housing diversity and results in limited housing options for young persons, the elderly, and other non-family households.