V.2.4 District Housing
V.2.4 District Housing
Action
Understand your district’s housing zoning and regulations, and build advocacy talking points to improve housing in your district.
Why
A variety of housing options conveniently located in a lively downtown is part of what makes a community thrive by offering around the clock feet-on-the-street. When people live in a downtown, they provide a ready supply of customers to local businesses, engaging in a mutually beneficial relationship – residents have access to merchants to meet their daily needs, while the residents support local businesses and contribute to the local economy.
It’s also been shown that when people have access to a quality downtown housing, they thrive in other areas of their life, such as work opportunities. This is especially true if their housing is located near transit, the kind commonly found in a downtown, for instance the CTfastrak rapid bus station in New Britain, or the Hartford Line train station in downtown Windsor Locks.
How
Housing development is a team sport. Assembling a strong team is a critical step. Architectural and engineering, construction, financing, marketing, and property management are the required skills. Many communities are increasingly undertaking community-led development processes to accomplish projects that for-profit developers cannot or will not tackle.
Resources
