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Hartford: Federal Aid For Housing

The Hartford Courant

November 12, 2008

The Capitol Region Council of Governments has been awarded federal assistance to develop responsible growth strategies for affordable housing, Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced.

The council, a regional planning agency representing Hartford-area municipalities, will receive technical assistance valued at approximately $45,000 from a team of national experts organized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Rell said.

The largest of the state's 15 regional planning agencies, the council of governments has long been a proponent of the environmental, social and economic benefits of smart growth and will use the funds to enact "incentive housing zones" that encourage affordable housing development.

"This assistance will help Hartford-area towns promote a regional approach for combating sprawl," Rell said. "By developing zoning regulations based on responsible growth, we will be able to promote more affordable housing options in the Greater Hartford area."

"If left unchecked, sprawl will continue to chop up the landscape and impair our ability to remain economically competitive," Rell said. "Responsible development ensures that we protect valuable natural resources at the same time we take important steps to grow and strengthen our economy."

Communities represented by the Capitol Region Council of Governments are Andover, Avon, Bloomfield, Canton, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Hebron, Manchester, Marlborough, Newington, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Suffield, Tolland, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor and Windsor Locks.