NORWALK — The city is preparing to undergo an affordable housing study required by state law this fall amid a housing crisis in Fairfield County.

"AKRF, the City’s affordable housing consultant, spent the summer reviewing the policy documents and draft zoning for Norwalk’s Affordable Housing Study," the city said in a statement. "They are in the process of finalizing their analysis and data collection, as well as a community participation plan that the City plans to roll out this fall."

Every municipality was required to submit an affordable housing plan by June 1, 2022, per state law; however, Norwalk has not.

In May, Director of Planning and Zoning Steve Kleppin said the city was waiting to conduct the study because officials were awaiting the most up-to-date guidance and information, including census data.

This study comes amidst an affordable housing shortage across Fairfield County. In June, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., held a town hall to discuss the issue and identified the shortage of housing as "most acute" in Fairfield County.

About 13.2 percent of Norwalk’s housing stock is designated as affordable, Kleppin said in May. Affordable housing is offered to people making less than 30 percent of the median income.

Conversations about expanding the types of affordable housing options have been a central theme in the citywide zoning rewrite, with staff citing a shortage of affordable homes for sale. This prompted Planning and Zoning staff to propose expanding zones where one or two-family homes are allowed to increase purchasing opportunities.

"The US Census Bureau, as well as sources like the Partnership for Strong Communities, estimate that in Norwalk, between 35-38% of homeowners are cost-burdened, and 47-52% of renters are cost-burdened, which translates to about 36,961 Norwalkers, or 42% of the city’s population," Planning and Zoning Staff reported in a memo.

P&Z staff reported that in Norwalk, the most common type of housing is a single-family home, making up 50 percent of the housing stock, and the median price of a single-family home in Norwalk is $530,000 to $600,000.

This prompted P&Z to propose expanding where two-family homes, duplexes, are allowed to increase the housing supply.

"To increase housing affordability and availability, the premise is to allow for more growth around our mass transit facilities, job centers, and where our major infrastructure is located," the staff wrote.

After receiving an outpouring of objections from residents, P&Z has pulled back almost all of the proposed upzoning.

With the issue of affordable housing still looming, the city's study is expected to provide solutions.

"The City is also preparing to assemble an Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to oversee the Study," the city said. "It will be a combination of City staff, members of the Common Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, and other interested parties, such as non-profit agencies, affordable housing providers, and community organizations."

"The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee will be responsible for overseeing the study and ensuring that the goals and recommendations are clear and actionable before it is forwarded to the applicable City-governing bodies for consideration," the city said.