Affordable Housing Commission

The Affordable Housing Commission (AHC) was charged with developing an Affordable Housing Plan for the Town of Lyme no later than the Spring of 2022 by Connecticut statute §8-30j. (The state’s definition of affordable housing can be found here.)

The current members of the Affordable Housing Commission are:

  • Carleen Gerber, Democrat – Co-Chair
  • Carol House, Democrat – Co-Chair
  • Allyson Cotton, Democrat
  • David M. Lahm, Republican
  • Jim Miller, Unaffiliated
  • Stephen Olstein, Unaffiliated
  • Phyllis Ross, Democrat
  • Eugenia West, Democrat

To see when and where this commission meets next, please visit the Town Calendar.

Status Update

On May 16, 2022, the Board of Selectmen adopted the final version of the Affordable Housing Commission’s affordable housing plan for the Town of Lyme.

In May 2022, the Affordable Housing Commission published a draft of its affordable housing plan for the Town of Lyme. 

In January 2022, the Affordable Housing Commission issued a summary on affordable housing in Lyme entitled “Status Update for Affordable Housing in Lyme: Where Have We Come From? Where are We Going?”  The report can be read by clicking on this link.

Affordable Housing Resources for Residents

As it continues its efforts to maintain and increase the affordability of available housing in Lyme, the AHC has identified information on accessory apartment construction loans and mortgage programs available from the State that could benefit homeowners and individual residents seeking affordable housing – over and above any actions the Town may take as a result of the AHC’s recommendations. 

 Connecticut Housing Finance Authority ACE Program

  • The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) offers a loan program called Apartment Conversion for the Elderly (ACE) to enable homeowners who are 62 years of age or older to convert space in their single-family homes into accessory apartments or to build additions onto their homes for that purpose.
  • For details about the ACE program, including its eligibility requirements and program limitations, please visit the CHFA website here at and select Section 10 – Apartment Conversion for the Elderly (ACE).

Connecticut Housing Finance Authority Loans

  • If you are either a first-time homebuyer or someone who has not owned a home in the past three years, you may be eligible for a below-market interest rate loan through the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA).
  • In connection with this program, you may be eligible for a further rate reduction that may be offered to qualifying veterans, military, police, teachers and people with disabilities or disabled household members.
  • In addition to below-market interest rate loans, the CHFA mortgage program may also offer a Downpayment Assistance Program (DAP) loan to help cover a down payment.
  • For details about this CHFA mortgage program, including its eligibility requirements and program limitations, please visit the CHFA website here.

U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development Loans

  • Another program that promotes affordable homeownership is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA-RD). This program also relies on below-market interest rate loans and a typically waived down payment.
  • In order to evaluate program limitations and determine if the USDA-RD program is a good fit for you, visit the USDA-RD website here.  Click on “Check Eligibility” at the bottom of the page and then click on “Single Family Housing Direct.” 
  • In the words of USDA-RD, “Providing these affordable homeownership opportunities promotes prosperity, which in turn creates thriving communities and improves the quality of life in rural areas.”

For More Information

  • Affordable Housing Commission Meeting Minutes.  Click here.