New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker Attended Significant Groundbreaking Event
NEW YORK, April 4, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- West River SHIP and NHPF announced this past week the groundbreaking ceremony for Rev. Curtis M. Cofield II Estates in New Haven, CT. This occasion marks the start of construction on a transformative project that will deliver 56 much-needed affordable apartments to the vibrant West River community, including 14 supportive housing units. The $20.2 million project is scheduled to be completed by March 2025.
This new construction, situated on vacant land purchased from the City of New Haven, signifies NHPF's inaugural venture into the city, in partnership with West River SHIP.
Speakers at the event included the President of West River SHIP, as well as New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, New Haven Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers, State Representative Patricia Dillon, Suzanne Piacentini, CT Field Office Director, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Dr. Karen DuBois-Walton, President, Elm City Communities/Housing Authority of the City of New Haven who summed up the development this way, "As a moving to work public housing authority, we administer federal funding made possible through HUD. Most of this funding goes to providing tenant based subsidies that allow families to lease in the private market. But annually we set aside a portion of that funding to use in connection with development projects like this one. The addition of our funding allows units to be more deeply affordable reaching an income bracket that desperately needs more quality housing options."
Inspired by the principles of the late Reverend Dr. Leon H. Sullivan, whose doctrine emphasizes racial and economic emancipation, West River SHIP President Anthony Dawson said, "Along with our partners, everyone involved shares a commitment to inclusive urban development and we are pleased to recognize the namesake of the project, the late Rev. Curtis M. Cofield II, who was considered the 'dean' of Connecticut's black Baptists and a stalwart advocate of New Haven's homeless and people with AIDS; he was the former leader of West River SHIP and visionary of this new housing."
The new affordable housing caters to low-income households at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) as well as 100% AMI to address affordable housing for the "Missing-Middle" or middle-income residents; both important State initiatives. Spread across 11 townhouse-style buildings, the project will provide a diverse mix of one to three-bedroom apartments, along with essential amenities such as on-site parking with electrical vehicle charging stations, commercial space for minority-owned businesses, and community facilities including a playground and a community center with solar panels.
"As we celebrate this groundbreaking today, we celebrate New Haven's hard work and commitment to solving its affordable housing crisis with projects like Rev. Curtis M. Cofield II Estates that are providing the much-needed affordable and deeply affordable units our residents and city need to meet the demand – and, importantly, doing so in a way that prioritizes the community and environmental sustainability," said New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker. "This has been a great collaboration with NHPF, West River SHIP and so many other partners, as part of our comprehensive plan to expand affordable housing opportunities in New Haven and transform a long vacant lot into a model 56-unit housing development that will also provide other important benefits and amenities to West River residents, including supportive housing options, commercial retail space, a community center and a playground."
Sustainability is a cornerstone of the project, with all buildings constructed to Zero Energy Ready Home and Passive House Design standards, promoting energy efficiency and conservation.
Commenting on the importance of this project to the state of Connecticut, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal remarked, "The Rev. Curtis M. Cofield II Estates will be transformative for New Haven — providing essential, affordable housing to the West River neighborhood. As we confront a housing crisis in Connecticut, I am deeply grateful to West River SHIP, the NHP Foundation and the City of New Haven for making this investment and bringing this vision to life."
Financing sources for the construction include the following:
- Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH)
- Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA)
- Connecticut Office of Brownfield Remediation / Department of Economic & Community Development (Applicant received support for this project from the Community Investment Fund 2030 of the State of Connecticut.)
- United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
- The City of New Haven
- Elm City Communities / New Haven Housing Authority
- The Glendower Group
- Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
- Citizens Bank
- Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBB)
- Eversource
"Breaking ground on the affordable homes that will be available at Curtis Cofield Estates II required a shared vision and hard work by many public and private entities dedicated to the true spirit of community development in New Haven," said HUD New England Administrator Juana B. Matias. "I am very pleased that a variety of HUD programs and funding – including HOME, ARPA, Project-Based Vouchers and nearly $2 million in National Housing Trust Funds – helped make this development feasible, and I congratulate Mayor Elicker, the state Department of Housing , the New Haven Housing Authority and NHPF for their leadership and efforts to provide future residents with new affordable, service-enriched homes."
The development is in one of New Haven's priority Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas known as the Route 34 Revitalization Plan to connect neighborhoods to Downtown. It is being completed as part of New Haven's Downtown Crossing project, Redevelopment of the Route 34 Corridor and Hill to Downtown Community Plan.
A key component of the Comprehensive Plan for the Hill/West River neighborhood is the development of affordable housing communities combined with retail, services, and amenities that improve quality of life for residents.
"With Curtis Cofield II Estates, the City is making a strong statement about growing together and reconnecting communities long divided by the never-completed Route 34 expressway. Our partners at NHPF and the West River SHIP have not only focused on project delivery, but also on restoring a sense of community," said Michael Piscitelli, Economic Development Administrator. "Thank you to our Livable City Initiative and technical staff for supporting this transformational development in the West River neighborhood."
In addition to Columbus House providing services for the 14 supportive housing units, NHPF's resident services subsidiary, Operation Pathways, will provide resident services for the project as well providing a Resident Services Coordinator to serve all residents of the property.
"Our partners worked tirelessly with the NHPF team to turn these former brownfields into housing that families and others can live in and prosper, knowing their affordability is assured," said NHPF CEO Richard F. Burns, "We applaud all of those involved for the tenacity and creativity to achieve what we have today."
Construction on Rev. Curtis M. Cofield II Estates, located at 714-802 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 669-767 Legion Avenue, and 90-108 Tyler Street, New Haven, is projected to complete by March of 2025.
About The NHP Foundation
Headquartered in New York City with offices in Washington, DC, Baltimore and Chicago, IL, The NHP Foundation (NHPF) was launched on January 30, 1989, as a publicly supported 501(c)(3) not-for-profit real estate corporation. NHPF is dedicated to preserving and creating sustainable, service-enriched multifamily housing, and single-family homes that are both affordable to low and moderate income families and seniors, and beneficial to their communities. NHPF's Construction Management Group provides in-house resources dedicated to infrastructure review, infrastructure development and cost management. Through Family-Centered Coaching, NHPF's subsidiary Operation Pathways engages with, and assists, families experiencing poverty and other hardship, to problem-solve together. Through partnerships with major financial institutions, the public sector, faith-based initiatives, and other not-for-profit organizations, NHPF has over 10,000 units, in 16 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit http://www.nhpfoundation.org.
About West River SHIP
The West River Self Help Investment Plan, LLC (West River SHIP) is a New Haven, Connecticut community-based investment group. West River SHIP was incorporated in 2001 and is managed by its members. It was created based on the Self-Help concepts and doctrine of the late Reverend Dr. Leon H. Sullivan pastor of the Zion Baptist Church located in Philadelphia, PA. Rev. Sullivan's concepts were intended to address racial and economic emancipation through participation in profit-making initiatives by individuals that have been traditionally deprived of involvement in substantial capitalistic endeavors. He created the Self-Help Investment for that purpose.
Rev. Sullivan was the founder of the Opportunities Industrialization Center of America (0IC), a worldwide job training program. In 1968, he founded Progress Plaza in North Philadelphia, the first shopping center in the nation developed, continuously owned, managed, and financed by African Americans. It was renamed Sullivan Progress Plaza and is operating today.
Media Contact
marijane funess, nhpf, 19148303754, [email protected], www.nhpfoundation.org
SOURCE nhpf
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