KENT—The Kent Volunteer Fire Department and Kent Affordable Housing (KAH) continue to collaborate on creating housing for emergency responders in town.
KAH President Justin Potter wrote a letter to the Planning and Zoning Commission last week, seeking members’ reactions to the ongoing deliberations but, because the topic was not on the agenda, the conversation was deferred to September.
Potter said that the proposed housing would be restricted to emergency responders. The fire department, like all volunteer companies in western Connecticut, has been facing recruitment and retention issues, in large part because of a lack of affordable housing. Kent has had to hire emergency medical responders, with a significant financial affect for the town.
In late 2023, Kent Affordable Housing (KAH), received a grant to explore with KVFD the feasibility dedicated affordable housing for emergency responders. A survey of people who worked in the town found that 59 percent of respondents would be, or might be, interested in volunteering for the KVFD if housing were available.
The committee has looked a couple of options. Attention first turned to the unused “ambulance barn” on Swifts Lane, near the firehouse. The fire department has historically used this building, but it sits on land owned by the town. This wrinkle caused the building to be initially ruled out.
“This is an innovative idea. Unfortunately, it is so innovative it is hard to find funding.”
—Justin Potter, KAH president
The committee then turned its attention to the former warehouse space behind the firehouse and retained an architect to come up with conceptual layouts for three apartments for this space.
Traditional affordable housing funding typically does not allow restrictions on who occupies affordable housing. If the new housing is to boost volunteerism, however, the committee believes it must be retained for emergency responders. So, an alternate funding source was needed.
Application for Congressionally Directed Spending was made to Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, but the press of applications this year unfortunately led to its denial. “This is an innovative idea,” Potter said this week. “Unfortunately, it is so innovative it is hard to find funding.”
During a recent meeting, First Selectman Marty Lindenmayer suggested that ownership of the ambulance barn could be clarified, resurrecting the hope it can be used for housing. “The issue of ownership and control is complicated,” Potter said. “The town clearly owns the property underneath but sometime in the past the fire department was give control through a handshake agreement. To get funding, you need site control. You need at least a long-term lease, so clarifying ownership would be helpful. We’re discussing the possibility of extending the grant period and possibly looking at doing something there.”
