Additional $1 Million Headed For Grove Court Renovations In Vernon

VERNON, CT — Federal monies have been earmarked for a housing project in Vernon.

Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut Housing Commissioner Seila-Mosquera Bruno Monday announced that the Connecticut Department of Housing is awarding $12.1 million in grants to eight municipalities for upgrades that will modernize and rehabilitate housing for low and moderate-income individuals, as well as community infrastructure.

The grants are being awarded through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Small Cities program, which is administered by the Connecticut Department of Housing with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Eligible projects are required to be in a municipality with a population of fewer than 50,000 residents.

A total of $1 million has been designated for renovations at Vernon's Grove Court and Grove Court Extension housing projects.

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 includes upgrades to the existing ADA units for current compliance and renovation of six units in total to achieve the required 10 percent compliance for ADA accommodations. state officials said.

The community room laundry and bathrooms are also scheduled to be renovated to meet current ADA compliance design requirements.

"These grants go a long way in improving neighborhoods so that we can make our communities more attractive and encourage economic growth for the benefit of all our residents," Lamont said. “I thank Connecticut’s Congressional delegation and the Biden administration for securing this funding for our state’s smaller communities."

"These awards will help the quality of life for Connecticut residents in our state-sponsored housing portfolio," Mosquera-Bruno said.

The block grant funds come on the heels of a $2 million award for the project in April through the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant.

"Thank you to Governor Lamont and Housing Commissioner Mosquera-Bruno for opening funding to Vernon for renovations at Grove Court and Grove Court Extension. These are residential units that provide affordable and safe housing for a number of Vernon residents, including seniors," state Sen. Jeff Gordon said.