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Affordable Housing in West River: A Demographic Analysis of LIHTC-Funded Units
CATEGORY
Affordable Housing
DATA
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
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Affordable Housing
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
West River, a neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut, contains a significant number of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funded affordable housing units. The neighborhood's LIHTC inventory comprises 194 total units, with 186 designated as low-income units. Based on the 2022 population of 5,351 and using the national average household size of 2.61, the estimated number of housing units in the neighborhood is approximately 2,050. LIHTC-funded affordable housing represents about 9.5% of the estimated housing inventory in West River.
The LIHTC program has invested $713,834 in tax credits for affordable housing projects in West River. This investment equates to an average federal funding of approximately $3,680 per unit across all LIHTC-funded projects in the neighborhood. West River has maintained LIHTC-funded affordable housing for nearly two decades. The initial project, King George Apts, was completed in 1998, while the most recent project, Berger Apartments, was finished in 2015. This timeline indicates a long-term commitment to affordable housing in the neighborhood.
The 2010s witnessed the most significant addition to the affordable housing stock with the completion of Berger Apartments in 2015. This project alone added 144 low-income units to the neighborhood. The LIHTC-funded housing inventory in West River is diverse, with a total of 194 units. The majority of these are one-bedroom units (129), followed by two-bedroom units (60). There is also a small number of three-bedroom (1) and four-bedroom (4) units, providing options for various household sizes.
Over the past decade, West River has experienced demographic shifts. The population decreased from 5,647 in 2010 to 5,351 in 2022, a decline of about 5.2%. Despite this population decrease, the median income has shown an overall increase, rising from $28,049 in 2013 to $30,100 in 2022, representing a 7.3% growth.
The racial composition of West River has remained relatively stable, with a predominantly Black and Hispanic population. In 2022, the neighborhood was 48% Black, 30% Hispanic, and 13% White. The Asian population has seen a slight increase from 1% in 2013 to 7% in 2022. The completion of Berger Apartments in 2015 coincides with a period of relative economic stability in the neighborhood, as evidenced by the fluctuating but generally increasing median income in the years following its construction.
West River's LIHTC-funded affordable housing inventory plays a significant role in the neighborhood's housing landscape, covering nearly 10% of the estimated housing stock. The neighborhood has benefited from LIHTC investments for almost two decades, with the most recent and largest project completed in 2015. The housing mix caters predominantly to smaller households, with a majority of one and two-bedroom units. Despite a slight population decrease, the neighborhood has seen an overall increase in median income over the past decade, suggesting a potential need for continued affordable housing options to maintain economic diversity in the area.
