Committee plans outreach videos and spring workshops; housing trust fund and CMDA TOD support reviewed

Fairfield’s Affordable Housing Committee set next steps for outreach and project updates, voting to develop a packet of candidate bios for short video testimonials and to target a spring workshop (expected after April) that would be hybrid in-person/Zoom. Jackie Page and others are collecting candidates and will prepare one‑page bios so videographer Alex can interview about six residents; the committee agreed to produce a primary 2½‑minute video and shorter social clips.

"So I found Judy Henry... She's terrific," Jackie said when proposing candidates. The committee emphasized diverse speakers — age, housing type and life experience — and asked staff to prepare interview prompts and release forms.

On project finance and pipeline, staff reported a January housing trust fund balance of $1,443,599 with $577,800 reserved for Parkview and High Street, leaving an uncommitted balance of $873,599. Parkview Commons site work and CAM approvals for two duplexes were reported as readying the project for spring construction; Habitat and staff are discussing a ground-lease amendment to fold an adjacent parcel (254 Greenfield) into the project list.

Separately, staff summarized the Connecticut Municipal Development Authority (CMDA) review of station-area zoning. CMDA determined the Fairfield Black Rock half‑mile area meets its criteria to form a development district and will ask the CMDA board to approve a memorandum of agreement; any assistance would apply only to locally approved projects and would not support 8 30 g projects, staff said. The Committee expects a proposed MOA to be brought to the Board of Selectmen in early March for local action.