New Haven Showcases Affordable Housing at National Event

YIMBY Town 2025: A Platform for Housing and Growth

The City of New Haven is hosting YIMBY Town 2025, the largest national conference focused on pro-housing initiatives. The event, which stands for "Yes In My Backyard," brings together leaders from across the country to discuss strategies for sustainable growth, affordable housing, and improved transportation systems.

Held at the Omni Hotel in downtown New Haven, the three-day conference serves as a platform for exchanging ideas and best practices related to creating inclusive communities. The goal is to foster collaboration among city planners, developers, and policymakers to address pressing challenges in urban development.

Karen Dubois Walton, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, emphasized the importance of such events in helping cities grow responsibly. She highlighted how New Haven, a city experiencing significant growth, continues to face challenges in ensuring that more residents can afford to live there.

“New Haven is a growing city, and that’s exciting. However, we still have a lot of people who want to be here but can’t afford to stay. We’re learning from others about how to move forward and build communities we can all be proud of,” Dubois Walton said.

Leadership and Collaboration in Addressing Housing Crises

One of the key participants at the conference was Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert of New Rochelle, New York. She praised the event for bringing together communities that recognize the urgency of the housing crisis and the need for municipal action.

“Here, we have a community that understands the housing crisis and the importance of local governments taking responsibility to alleviate it,” she said.

Ramos-Herbert shared insights into how New Rochelle has successfully reduced rent by increasing the housing supply. According to data, from 2020 to 2023, the city's median rent dropped by 2%, while other municipalities saw double-digit increases. This demonstrates the impact of building more housing units to stabilize and even lower rental costs.

New Haven’s Ambitious Housing Goals

Under the leadership of Mayor Justin Elicker, New Haven has set an ambitious target: to build 10,000 new housing units over the next decade, with at least 30% of them being affordable. This initiative reflects a commitment to balancing growth with inclusivity.

Recently, the City of New Haven’s Board of Alders approved the sale of two parking lots on State Street to developers. This decision will enable the construction of two new buildings as part of a two-phase development project. The project will add 450 apartment units, with 116 of them designated as affordable housing.

“We’re leaning into growth, but we’re making sure that it’s done inclusively. We want to ensure that affordable housing is a core part of these larger developments so our residents can benefit from these new spaces,” Elicker said.

Development Projects and Urban Planning

The first phase of the project, called “The Frontier,” will be located at the corner of State and Chapel Streets and include at least 147 units. The second building, “The Iron,” will be situated at State and Fair Streets and feature nearly 300 units.

These developments are a partnership between Xenolith Partners and Gilbane Development, two firms committed to creating vibrant, livable spaces for residents.

In addition to housing, the city is also rethinking its traffic layout along State Street to accommodate future growth. Elicker explained that the street will be narrowed, reducing the number of lanes from four to two. Part of the space will be used for new housing developments, while the remaining area will be repurposed to enhance the neighborhood’s appeal.

“We’ve done traffic studies and found that we don’t need those four lanes. By narrowing the street, we can free up space for new housing and activate the corridor in a way that supports both growth and quality of life,” Elicker said.