Suffield Getting Block Grant Money for Housing Rehab

SUFFIELD, CT – Suffield is part of a group of towns getting nearly a half-million dollars from a major federal grant in a program that will benefit home rehabilitation projects.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Connecticut Department of Housing Commissioner Evonne M. Klein on Thursday announced that nearly $13 million is being awarded to 21 municipalities in Connecticut to provide important upgrades and improvements to the state’s affordable housing stock and infrastructure.

• To sign up for local news alerts and more from Patch, click here.

Awarded under the Community Development Block Grant Small Cities program, which is administered by DOH with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the grants are awarded to small towns that have a population of less than 50,000 to "advance projects that develop and preserve affordable housing, provide services to the most vulnerable residents in their communities, and also create and retain jobs."

Ellington is administering $450,000 as part of the state's regional Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program.

The town will use the funding to to help low- and moderate-income homeowners in Ellington, Somers, Suffield, and Windsor Locks to rehabilitate their homes.

A total of 12 housing units are anticipated to be rehabilitated in the four towns. Work to be done will include roof replacement, heating system upgrades, window replacement, lead paint and asbestos removal, as well as electrical and building code upgrades, Malloy said.

“These projects will help so many local communities increase quality of life and make our state an even more attractive place to live, work and do business,” Governor Malloy said. “These are investments in our neighborhoods, in the people who live here, and in our economic future.”

Klein said, “The CDBG program allows us to provide aid to some of our smaller towns for a variety of important projects. These grants are available to Connecticut residents who, without this financial assistance, would be unable to make important repairs to their homes such as leaky roofs, replacing inefficient windows, and other structural repairs. These grants will have a lasting impact for years to come.”

Members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation said in a joint statement, "These federal dollars will help local communities improve their housing and provide critical services that will allow folks throughout Connecticut to provide for their families and live healthier lives.”

Photo Credit: Shutterstock