It may not seem like Madison and San Francisco have much in common, but for Peter Roos, there’s one comparison that’s easy to make: Affordable housing.

“I feel strongly about it, and some of this comes out of living in San Francisco, which has had a terrible housing affordability issue for decades, really. The price of homes there is simply ridiculous,” Peter says. “People in a town like Madison — policemen, firemen, teachers — they ought to be able to live in the town where they provide services, right? That, to me, is a just really a fundamental need of any town. Seniors ought to be able to downsize and move into something that fits within their needs. Kids who got to college should be able to graduate and come back and get a foothold in Madison.”

Perhaps still considered a relative newcomer to town, Peter and his family moved to Madison from San Francisco in 2015 and quickly embraced the town’s commitment to service and community. He’s devoted himself to town committees and organizations like The Madison Foundation, where he currently serves as president. He says the decision to leave California for Connecticut was an easy one.

“My wife, Taryn, was from Guilford, and we often came back to visit her family who still lives here. And we all just kind of fell in love with New England. My wife was obviously familiar with it, but the rest of the family really just loved it. And when we got to the point where both our girls went to college, I asked for a transfer from my company,” Peter says. “It has been just great coming here and establishing new roots. It’s certainly a big change from the suburbs of San Francisco, but both areas are good, but at this phase in our lives, it was a great fit for us.”

Since moving to Madison, Peter has served on several boards including the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

“We really love it here, and after we got here and got settled, I started to feel like I wanted to get involved with some things in town because it’s different when you live in a big town. It’s a different deal. You’re always commuting, [and] so much of your time is taken up, and that’s not like what it is here,” Peter says. “The first thing I did was I got involved with the ZBA, and then I moved on to Planning & Zoning for several years.”

Peter also served on the ad hoc Government Committee, “sort of precursor to the Charter Review Commission” and the Affordable Housing Committee.

“I really enjoy being part of a small town. I also feel this tremendous sense of, for lack of a better word, gratitude. Life has been pretty good to my wife and family, and we were able to make a move like this, and you do develop a sense that you want to give back in some way,” Peter says. “We talk about the need to give back, but the need to be active is important, too. I am retired and, though we travel extensively, staying active and giving back to our community is important to us.”

Part of that desire to give back is what lead Peter to join the Madison Foundation. The non-profit is celebrating 25 years and bestowed more than $226,000 in grants in 2021. While working at the Madison Foundation, Peter began a relationship with an area non-profit focusing on affordable housing along the shoreline. He joined the Board of the HOPE Partnerships to further his commitment to affordable housing in Madison.

HOPE Partnerships was established in 2003 with the support of the United Way to address the shortage of affordable workforce housing in Middlesex County and along the shoreline, according to the organization. Peter says he was impressed by HOPE’s focus on finding housing solutions for low-income people who suffer disproportionately from housing issues and crises.

“They are building a project at the east end of town called the Wellington. It will have 31 units, 24 of which will be affordable at roughly 50 percent of adjusted median income, so that is very affordable,” says Peter. “This is going to the first really large, new affordable housing project in our area that we’ve had in a long time.”

Peter says the Bay Area's decades-long lack of affordable housing and his work on town committees has provided him insight into how some of these same problems affect residents here in Madison.

“Affordable housing is something I am involved with and passionate about after serving on the Affordable Housing Commission and working with HOPE Partnerships,” he says.

While Peter’s term as president of the Madison Foundation comes to an end at the end of the year, don’ expect him to slow down. He rides his Vespa scooter across the shoreline and beyond, but his mind is never far from his adopted town and the community he serves.

“Philanthropy can be attention-getting, but it should not be an exercise to satisfy one’s ego. It’s not all about the glory.” says Peter. “True philanthropy and generosity is grounded in humility.”