Guilford Wins Affordable Housing Grant

The Guilford Housing Authority has won a $2 million state grant to help build nine low-income housing units at the Boston Terrace housing facility.

The funding was announced this week by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and will come from the state’s Competitive Housing Assistance for Multifamily Properties, or CHAMP. In all, the program is funding some $20 million worth of so-called “shovel ready” projects in Hartford, Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Guilford, Norwich and Norwalk.

“The CHAMP initiative demonstrates my administration’s belief that affordable housing is an integral component of economic development,” Malloy said in a prepared statement.  “We are committed to a robust housing program that promotes workforce, affordable, supportive, and congregate housing, and we’re just getting started.  Our 10-year program of investment – on the order of $500 million dollars – will renovate existing properties and build new ones, improving quality of life and strengthening communities now and for years to come.”

Local officials, including the director of the Guilford Housing Authority, lauded the state’s decision to fund the Boston Terrace project, which has been in the planning stages for years.

“We at the housing authority are thrilled to have won this funding,” said Housing Authority Director Betsy Sterzel “We want to thank our architect, Chris Widmer, our grant writer, Lou Trajecski, and of course Senator Meyer for his hard work in making this possible.”

State Sen. Edward Meyer, D-Guilford, who helped secure the funding, said the grant award was “great news” for the town.

“By investing in affordable senior housing we are adding to the richness of our community by providing an incentive for seniors to stay in Guilford rather than moving out of town.”