by Laura Glesby
The Elicker administration is no longer working with the pioneering prison reentry organization Project M.O.R.E. after a breakdown in communication led to a dispute over reimbursements and financial documentation.
As the city shifts resources toward Goodwill of Southern New England under a new reentry center contract, Project M.O.R.E. is continuing to serve as the site for the Department of Correction (DOC) to drop off New Haveners exiting prison, at least for now.
Since 2021, Project M.O.R.E. has operated a Reentry Welcome Center at the organization’s Grand Avenue headquarters in coordination with the city. DOC would drop off New Haveners exiting incarceration at the organization’s doors, and Project M.O.R.E. would be able to immediately start connecting those individuals to transportation, cell phones, clothing, food assistance, and employment resources, among other forms of support.
Project M.O.R.E. is still seeking reimbursements from the city for over $186,000 in invoices from 2023 and 2024 connected to the Reentry Welcome Center.
“We did the work in 2024 and 2023 and weren’t paid out for it,” said Project M.O.R.E. Vice President Nichelle Hilton.
The Elicker administration, meanwhile, is requesting an audit of the organization prior to disbursing the funds.
According to city Community Services Administrator Eliza Halsey, the city requested an audit after delays in communication about reimbursement requests from Project M.O.R.E., which she attributed in part to leadership shifts within the organization. The city’s violence prevention coordinator previously told the Independent that in 2025, several staff departures at Project M.O.R.E. — including the program manager in charge of the reentry center — left the program in limbo.
“Ultimately, we have a responsibility for oversight of any grant we put out,” said Halsey. She said that the city does not have any specific concerns that funding was misused, but that the city simply wants “to be clear that the resources we provided them went to the things that were the focus of the grant.”
The audit was the city’s effort at “really wanting to be thorough given the amount of challenges we were seeing and changes of leadership [at Project M.O.R.E.] It’s us trying to be responsible for use of public dollars,” Halsey said.
Halsey said that the city had requested an audit “a couple of times, with limited communication back.” As of January, however, Project M.O.R.E. is working on an audit.
Project M.O.R.E. Interim CEO Gregory Simpkins, Hilton, and Vice Chair James Outlaw had a different perspective on their communication with the city. They each took on new roles in the organization within the last year after former Project M.O.R.E. leaders moved on.
“Whatever they had with prior leadership,” Hilton said, she recalled trying to get in touch with the city and not always hearing back. “I have everybody’s phone number. They have my phone number.”
In a letter dated Oct. 9, 2025, City Controller Kristy Sampieri wrote to Simpkins, indicating that “despite multiple attempts to obtain the necessary documentation and responses required to complete the audit, we have not received adequate or timely cooperation from your organization.”
She wrote, “If Project MORE wishes to pursue its request for payments due, all outstanding audit materials must be submitted promptly. Once the audit has been finalized and approved, the City will revisit the matter and determine whether any payments are owed to Project MORE.”
Now, according to Halsey, the city has reestablished contact with Project M.O.R.E. about the audit. “As of about a month ago, we did get dates on the calendar. My hope is that that goes smoothly, that everything is clear, and we feel like we’re on solid ground.”
She stressed that the city hopes to resume working with Project M.O.R.E. in the future. “Our hope is that they’re in a rebuilding phase” after leadership transitions. “We’re open to partnership. I’ll continue to emphasize that we’re open to working with them as they rebuild.”
Simpkins, Hilton and Outlaw, meanwhile, emphasized that Project M.O.R.E.’s programming has remained steady and consistent throughout this time.
Over the course of 2025, according to Hilton, the organization served 200 walk-in clients, 82 percent of whom came directly from prison. She said that Project M.O.R.E. distributed nearly 1,000 bus passes to those clients, provided 85 career-related certifications, helped 58 people obtain job placements, and provided over 30 cell phones to unhoused clients.
“At the end of the day, we want to give as many services as possible to the community,” said Simpkins. He said that receiving reimbursements from the city would allow Project M.O.R.E. to fund further programs. “We could have another caseworker. Counseling. A housing coordinator,” he said.
The state Department of Correction is still transporting individuals exiting prison off to Project M.O.R.E., per an “active” and “open-ended” memorandum of understanding with the nonprofit, according to DOC Public Information Officer Andrius Banevicius.
“Since July of 2020, The Department of Correction has referred nearly 600 individuals to Project MORE,” Banevicius wrote.
Goodwill Reentry Initiatives Coordinator Mary Loftus said that Goodwill will seek to coordinate with DOC to become the new drop-off site upon receiving a formal notice of award from the city.