Stamford CHESS Committee Meeting on Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Funding Allocation (October 20, 2026)

The Stamford CHESS (Community Development, Housing, Education, Social Services, State & Commerce) Committee met on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the Democratic Caucus Room and via Zoom. The primary agenda items included a public hearing and final adoption vote on proposed amendments to the Stamford Housing Affordable Trust Fund Ordinance (CHESS32.024) and a vote on whether to reject a $1,500,000 allocation for the Southfield Village Limited Partnership (CHESS32.025).

Public Comments & Testimony

The public hearing, lasting from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., featured overwhelming opposition to the proposed ordinance amendments, with a central theme being the preservation of direct tenant representation on the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board.

• Sheila Williams Brown, a 45-year resident and subsidized housing tenant of 20 years, expressed opposition, stating her rent increased by $400 per month due to changes in BMR calculations. She argued the proposed number of tenant representatives on the board was "unacceptable."
• Cynthia Bowser, a West Side resident, called the plan to reduce tenant seats "unacceptable and undemocratic," questioning the commitment of Democratic leadership to economically vulnerable residents.
• Bonnie Kim Campbell, a former Board of Representatives member, opposed raising the expenditure review threshold from $100,000 to $1 million, arguing it "significantly strips away legislative scrutiny" and hands control to developers.
• Brittany Lawrence, an expert in affordable housing finance, cautioned that a higher threshold would allow funding to bypass the Board entirely. She noted the difficulty tenants face in volunteering but advocated for citizen representatives without conflicts of interest.
• Miles Damon opposed the amendment, arguing it reduces oversight and accountability by allowing developer interests onto the board, citing a Connecticut News 12 report on a nearby building with mold and maintenance issues.
• Gina Calabraci criticized the proposal as "disgraceful" and undemocratic, alleging it originated from the Mayor's office rather than the legislative body.
• Berdell Johnson, a tenant in affordable housing for 38 years, stated that directly affected people "should have a voice" in decisions.
• Cindy Farr, a Friendship House resident, opposed the ordinance while recounting ongoing issues with no heat, mold, and lapsed maintenance, which led to their building unionizing.
• Rose Burton, a 65-year-old resident who has moved four times due to rent increases, argued that "tenants need a seat at the table."
• Sue Halpern stated that developers on the board represent a conflict of interest and urged the committee to keep seven trustees.
• Luke Melanakis of the CT Tenants Union argued the problem is a lack of outreach by the city, not a lack of willing tenants. He advocated for keeping the $100,000 threshold.
• Dave Adams, a local resident, provided statistics: $8.5 million was paid into the fund by developers in the past year, while on-site affordable unit creation dropped from 90 units approved in 2024 to just 12 in 2025. He argued the amendment strips financial safeguards and creates a loophole in the city's fiscal controls.
• Richard Asto, Chair of the Board of Charter Oak Communities, was a notable voice of support. He encouraged passage of the ordinance, stating it aligns the trust fund with other city boards, allows professionals onto the board, and helps speed up time-sensitive proposals.
• Emma S. Goings, President of the Stamford NAACP, urged members to vote no, arguing that reducing the quorum from five to three would allow too few people to control funding. She advocated for keeping seven trustees, including a majority of residents.
• Frances Lane, a former public trustee on the Trust Fund, spoke via Zoom. She described being turned away when first applying for the board. She argued for maintaining the $100,000 threshold and the current trustee structure, stating that revenue streams were being mismanaged during her tenure.
• Turl Bradley stated that lived experience and professional experience are "not interchangeable." He noted eight previous commitments totaling nearly $4 million would have evaded review under the new rules and urged a vote against the ordinance.
• Robert Roquetta, a former city representative and former Trust Fund committee member, urged the committee to vote no, citing inherent conflicts of interest when developer interests have a seat at the table.

Discussion Items

Following the public hearing and a brief recess, the committee deliberated on the proposed ordinance amendments and the allocation rejection.

• Ordinance Amendments (CHESS32.024): The committee discussed trustee composition, resident representation requirements, qualifications for public trustees, and the proposed expenditure review threshold. Three specific amendments were debated and voted upon.
• Funding Allocation Rejection (CHESS32.025): Rep. McKeown explained the procedural timeline for the $1,500,000 allocation recommendation from the Trust Fund. The recommendation was received on or about September 17, 2026, triggering a 45-day period for the Board of Representatives to reject the allocation (deadline approx. November 2, 2026). Since the Board's next regular meeting was scheduled for November 4, 2026, a special meeting would have been required to reject it before the deadline. The committee reviewed the scope of the project: 315 mixed-income units (including 233 affordable units) at Southwood Square Apartments, requiring kitchen/bathroom renovations, energy upgrades, and capital repairs.

Key Outcomes

• Ordinance CHESS32.024 (Affordable Housing Trust Fund Amendments): The ordinance was Approved as Amended by a vote of 7-1-0.
  • Amendment 1: The committee approved inserting language requiring that at least one voting member and one alternate member of the Trust Fund Board be residents of affordable housing. Passed 7-1-0 (Rep. Walston opposed).
  • Amendment 2: The committee replaced the trustee qualification "or have professional experience developing or managing housing projects" with "or have professional experience in affordable housing public policy or the financing of housing projects." Passed 7-0-1 (Rep. Walston abstained).
  • Amendment 3: The committee amended expenditures to require alignment with the Affordable Housing Plan. Passed 8-0-0.
• Rejection CHESS32.025 ($1,500,000 to Southfield Village): The motion to reject the allocation Failed by a vote of 0-8-0. Because the committee did not recommend rejection, the allocation will proceed to the Board of Representatives. If the Board of Representatives does not reject it before the deadline (approx. November 2, 2026), it will be deemed approved.
• The meeting was adjourned at 10:59 p.m.