Thomas Breen photo
Urn Pendragon at an affordable-housing rally outside City Hall.
The city should pass an inclusionary zoning ordinance that mandates the construction of new affordable housing. It should fund the installation of solar panels and small wind turbines atop those inclusive residences, so that the cost of lighting and heating those affordable units drops along with their environmental footprint.
Those affordable housing and environmental sustainability policies are included in two new proposal documents from mayoral candidate Urn Pendragon, who is seeking a ballot spot to challenge Mayor Toni Harp, former East Rock/Cedar Hill Alder Justin Elicker, and local philanthropist Wendy Hamilton for the Democratic nomination for mayor.
“Clean energy drives down monthly electric bills,” Pendragon wrote, “and stabilizes pricing for years. Credits earned by a city from wind and solar farming, can be deposited into an account that can be used for future funding more green energy installations, infrastructure repair, affordable housing and public schools. As a bonus to ending reliance on fossil fuels, renewable energy technology reinforces the power grid. Most importantly, having a green energy deal acts as an attractant to companies to invest in New Haven.”
Click here to download Pendragon’s proposed “New Haven Green Deal” and here to download her master’s thesis about affordable housing and renewable energy.