Newtown's affordable housing stock, according to state figures, is 2-point-66 percent.  Each town is required to have 10-percent of housing be considered affordable.  Municipalities are currently drafting or recently submitted plans to meet the requirement to the state. 

The Newtown Legislative Council is reviewing the draft plan.  Newtown had 268  affordable housing units in 2020.  Newtown needs 738 more affordable housing units to reach the 10% threshold.  Land Use Director George Benson says Newtown has limited land space and may never get to the 10 percent threshold. 

Newtown is among the municipalities working with the Western Council of Governments, the regional planning agency, to put together a plan.  The Newtown section shows what is already being done to try to add stock to the housing options in town.  The housing plan is not legally binding, it's a strategy document. 

Newtown’s population was 16,942 in 1970; 27,560 in 2020; and is projected to be 29,824 in 2030. Newtown currently has 8,742 owner-occupied housing units and 1,143 rented housing units. The number of housing units increased from 4,821 in 1970 to 10,322 in 2020, a  114% increase.  The median price for a single family dwelling was $421,000 in 2020.

In order to increase affordable housing, Newtown's strategies call for encouraging the approval of tax incentive applications for developments that include affordable housing, educate the public on available assistance such as CHFA loans, and continue to look for public transportation opportunities  appropriate for a municipality as geographically large and spread out as Newtown.