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HDC
Hill Development
Corporation of New Haven
649 Howard Avenue
New Haven, CT
06519
Telephone:
(203) 776-3759
Fax:
(203) 643-2070
Email:
hdcofnewhaven@aol.com
Web site:
www.hdcofnewhaven.org
Infill-Housing, Homeownership
The project was organized by the City of New Haven and utilized federal funds, granted by CHFA under the UDAG Infill Housing Program, to construct 41 new units of owner-occupied housing (80 two-family homes) on vacant lots throughout the Hill district. Designed in 1993 for low-income households receiving Section 8 rental assistance, the units were constructed as two-family residences so that the owners could supplement housing/mortgage payments by renting half of the unit. Thus the whole project encouraged responsible up-keep of the residence, while successfully precluding the problems associated with absentee owners. All the units include the following: three bedrooms, one and a half bath, full basement with laundry hookups, off-street parking, ample fenced-in yard space, full insulation (insulated walls and floors; thermal windows and doors), the most modern heating devices, concrete foundations as well as full amenities throughout the house (electrical outlets, television connections, etc.). Interestingly, because the sites are scattered, the presence of this project in the Hill is more subtle, which attests the successful integration of these units into the neighborhood.
Infill-Housing Project house.
HDC’s role in the project was extensive. The corporation served as co-developer in the process, a capacity that ultimately included not only supervision of the construction process, but marketing, preliminary applications, and pre-qualifications as well. HDC obtained financial assistance from the CHFA, DH/OH, and the City of New Haven, and then coordinated the acquisition of the many land parcels put to use in this program. The corporation simultaneously provided buyer referrals as well as ownership training and counseling to home buyers, with a special emphasis on interaction with tenants. In addition, the corporation functioned as the builder/developer of several sites, while local contractors constructed the homes.
To this day, all the units are occupied and well maintained, which indicates the viability of housing projects in the Hill Neighborhood. This project was valuable first for the housing and development it provided for the Hill neighborhood. But it was also significant for HDC itself both as a learning experience and as confirmation of the corporation’s potential to carry out large-scale projects. Such projects have since been the heart of HDC’s efforts in the Hill.
