First Selectman Dionna Carlson recently announced that the State of Connecticut Department of Housing approved the Town of New Canaan’s application for a Moratorium of Applicability of State Statute 8-30g, so that housing developers may not bypass local zoning regulations for a four-year period.
Statute 8-30g applies to municipalities, including New Canaan, where the percentage of housing that is legally deemed affordable is less than 10%. In those municipalities, the statute allows for construction of housing developments that circumvent local zoning restrictions on number of units and property density. With New Canaan’s moratorium in place, developers will need to abide by local zoning regulations.
The Town of New Canaan has earned the moratorium in recognition of the number of affordable housing units built here in recent years, particularly the Millport and Canaan Parish apartments.
In making the announcement, Carlson said, “New Canaan has worked tirelessly in partnership with the New Canaan Housing Authority to provide affordable housing solutions for our community. We will continue to identify strategic opportunities to add to our affordable housing stock in an effort to earn future moratoriums and maintain control of local development.”
This is the second moratorium from 8-30g earned by the Town of New Canaan, and it comes in response to the Town’s application delivered to the State in May 2024.