Hartford, CT – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno on Dec 19th, announced that the Connecticut Department of Housing is releasing $13.4 million in grants to seven municipalities for infrastructure upgrades that will modernize and rehabilitate housing for low and moderate-income individuals.

Awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Small Cities program, eligible projects are required to be in a municipality with a population of fewer than 50,000 residents. These grants will advance the preservation and development of affordable housing, modernize a domestic violence shelter, enhance services to the most vulnerable residents in their communities, and also help to create and retain jobs.

“These housing grants go a long way to improving neighborhoods so that we can make our communities more attractive and encourage continued growth for the benefit of all our residents,” Governor Lamont said. “I thank Connecticut’s Congressional delegation and the Biden administration for prioritizing the CDBG Small Cities program, which provides necessary support for our smaller communities.”

“These awards will help improve the lives of Connecticut residents,” Commissioner Mosquera-Bruno said. “Whether it’s helping a family to complete essential renovations on their homes, such as repairing a leaking roof, making a senior living facility ADA compliant, or improving the habitability of a domestic violence shelter, CDBG Small Cities funding is an important program. This funding is essential and without these dollars, we would likely be unable to assist as many of our low and moderate-income residents as they make these kinds of repairs.”

The recipients of this round of CDBG Small Cities program grants are as follows:

• Griswold – McCluggage Manor ($2,000,000): The proposed renovations include the conversion of the community space within building 8 into one two-bedroom, ADA-compliant unit and upgrades to the two existing efficiency units for ADA compliance. Walk-in showers will be installed in the remaining units to replace tubs, and pressure-balanced, anti-scald low-flow shower diverters will be installed as part of the renovations.  Additional work in building 8 will be ADA upgrades to the existing laundry room. Due to the elimination of the community room within building 8, the two bathrooms will be combined into one ADA-compliant unisex bathroom to service the laundry room.  All eight buildings will receive new asphalt roofing systems. The existing heat pumps and electrical service panels in all units are slated to be replaced. The existing site lighting will be replaced, and site work improvements will include repaving the parking lot and replacing the sidewalks.
• Litchfield – Bantam Falls ($1,000,000): The town will use these funds for upgrading the existing ADA units for current compliance, replacement of all windows with triple-pane EnergyStar rated windows, and replacement of the second-floor porches and related supports, framing, decking, and rails. The elevator serving the building will be replaced, as well as exterior site lighting upgrades.
• Naugatuck – Oak Terrace Heat Pump Replacement ($2,000,000): The proposed scope of work is the replacement of the existing mini split ductless heat pumps. The existing units were installed in 2010 through an energy grant. The units were meant to replace the tenant’s utilization of window air conditioners and various electric heat components. The units installed were not of the best quality and were an early vintage design.
• Seymour – Castle Heights Public Housing Modernization ($2,000,000): The Small Cities project scope is focused on primarily interior renovations and upgrades. This project scope proposes to address the following deficiencies: Smoke and CO2 detection replacements (32 units), accessible unit Conversion (3 units), unit kitchen replacement (28 units), unit bathroom replacement (28 units), asbestos abatement (31 units), and hot water tank replacement (25 units).
• Suffield – Maple Court, Laurel Court, and Broder Place ($2,000,000): The ADA improvements will include extending the walkways at the exterior of the units at Laurel Court, and expanding and re-striping the parking area to accommodate approximately eight to ten additional ADA-compliant spaces. The proposed scope of work also includes replacing heat pumps at each housing unit, as well as replacing the existing gutters and downspouts and the concrete slabs under the dumpsters, all of which are in disrepair. Drainage in the parking area will be improved to alleviate ponding that occurs, which freezes in the winter and poses a danger to residents. Lastly, all exterior outlets and branch circuits are currently not up to code and will be replaced with GFI branch circuits, GFI outlets, and weatherproof covers.
• Vernon – Grove Court & Grove Court Extension Renovations ($2,000,000): The scope of work consists of asphalt roof replacement on all buildings. New seamless white aluminum gutters with leaf screens and downspouts will also be installed to divert the water away from the building’s foundation. Asbestos abatement will also be performed in all buildings. Additional work to be funded by the CDBG funds include upgrades to the existing ADA units for current compliance and renovation of six units total to achieve the required 10% compliance for ADA accommodations. The community room laundry and bathrooms are also scheduled to be renovated to meet current ADA compliance design requirements.

Windham – Terry Court Renovations ($2,000,000): The town, on behalf of the Willimantic Housing Authority, will use these funds to complete priority capital needs at Terry Court. The proposed work includes replacing the existing windows, siding, roofing, gutters, downspouts, entry doors, and entrance overhangs; adding blown-in insulation; wrapping porches with AZEK; renovating kitchens and bathrooms; paving; installing an exterior video security system; and demoing and rebuilding existing units in order to comply with ADA requirements.