Stonington — Town officials joined the state housing commissioner and developers Tuesday to break ground on the $9.5 million Spruce Meadows apartments off Route 1 in Pawcatuck that will provide — after a $10 million second-phase development — affordable housing units to dozens of local families.

Acting First Selectman George Crouse was among town officials welcoming the project of New Haven-based nonprofit NeighborWorks/New Horizons, which has been about 10 years in the making. The initial project combined with the second phase, called Spruce Ridge on adjacent property, will add 86 rental units to the local market in a mixed-income development that will be ready for occupancy as early as next summer.

"A lot of people who were born here can't live here," said Seila Mosquera, executive director of NeighborWorks, in remarks before the groundbreaking.

"It's been a long time coming," added Julie Savin, director of real estate development for NeighborWorks, who also grew up and currently lives in Stonington.

Savin said in a separate interview that there will be four different rental price points depending on income, with some apartments going for as little as $400 a month and the higher-cost units costing up to $1,600. Twenty-two of the first-phase units will be rented at affordable rates, with the remaining 21 available at market rates.

NeighborWorks is not yet taking applications for the apartments, which will be scored for eligibility and likely will be awarded based on a lottery, Savin said. The first apartments should be ready for occupancy in about a year, with applications being accepted three to four months before completion of the project, she added.

One-, two- and three-bedroom units will be available. Affordable units based on family income are currently set aside for anyone with incomes between $20,562 and $65,800 for a four-person household.

Savin praised Crouse and Selectman Rob Simmons, among others, for their support of the project.

"The Town of Stonington gets it, folks," she told about 50 gathered guests. "They've been nothing but supportive."

Housing Commissioner Evonne Klein pointed out that the state kicked in almost $5 million to support the project. Her agency and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority have committed about $880 million to affordable housing statewide since Gov. Dannel P. Malloy assumed office four years ago, she added.

"We are building a Connecticut where everyone will have a place to call home," Klein said during remarks to the crowd.

Spruce Meadows will consist of two three-story buildings with elevators and a playscape area. Wood floors, washer-dryers and wiring for cable and Internet access will be provided.

In addition to the state Department of Housing and CHFA, Liberty Bank is providing private financing.

David Fink, policy director for the Hartford-based Partnership for Strong Communities, said NeighborWorks' decision to make Spruce Meadows a mixed-income apartment complex was a good one and it is an idea gaining traction across the state.

Not only are mixed income developments an easier sell to communities worried about the "wrong people" moving into town, he said, but the ability to charge market rates for some of the units makes the project easier to finance and more sustainable.

l.howard@theday.com

Twitter: @KingstonLeeHow