Affordable Housing Committee schedules May 19 public forum at Latham Center

The New Canaan Affordable Housing Committee on May 11 set a public forum for Tuesday, May 19, at 7 p.m. at the Latham Center to present candidate sites and gather public feedback, Krista Nielsen, reporting for the project subcommittee, said.

Nielsen said the forum will open with an approximately 30-minute presentation, followed by a 15-minute break and about 45 minutes of small-group breakout discussions using a site-evaluation matrix. "We are having a public meeting next Tuesday, May 19, 7PM at the Latham Center," Nielsen said. She added that the organizers plan to keep the presentation at a high level and make detailed comparison matrices and frequently asked questions available at the breakout tables rather than distributing them in advance to avoid distracting attendees during the presentation.

The forum’s materials will include handouts comparing candidate sites against evaluation criteria; Amanda Grama and a mentor, Emma, were identified as resources who can address more technical or design questions at the event. Nielsen said she requested the room early to allow set-up and asked committee members who can attend to arrive by about 6:30 p.m. to help with staging and to serve as breakout facilitators.

Organizers also discussed outreach plans. A committee member said materials and notices have been posted to the town website, Facebook and Instagram and will appear in the First Selectman’s newsletter; contacts have been made with the Sentinel and the Canaanite. Nielsen said the subcommittee is drafting an online survey to collect similar feedback and hopes to post it the day after the public meeting if committee members approve the draft.

On public-facing logistics, Nielsen said she had contacted the planning department about refreshments, basic supplies and some printing, and that the room capacity is about 80 people. The chair reported referring one email inquiry to the housing authority website for specific contacts and suggested assigning a single point person to triage future email questions sent to the committee address.

The committee moved and seconded approval of the minutes from its April 13, 2026 meeting; the motion passed by voice vote. With no members of the public present to give comment, Maria moved to adjourn and the committee concluded its session.

The committee’s next immediate steps are the May 19 public forum at the Latham Center and finalizing the post-meeting survey; committee members also plan to monitor incoming emails and designate a responder for public inquiries.