Hazel Street Welcomes New Homeowners

by Mona Mahadevan

One of the new homes on Hazel Street.

One of the light-filled, airy living spaces.

Jim Paley: “Bridgette [Russell, managing director of NHS] inspires people to want to own their homes.”

Over the last few months, Sylvia Cooper spent her lunch breaks walking to Hazel Street and watching vacant lots transform into two-family houses — one of which would soon become her new home.

On Monday, she stood beside Gov. Ned Lamont, Mayor Justin Elicker, and the head of a nonprofit developer to cut the ribbon on four houses that she and three other first-time homebuyers hope to move into by the end of the year. From the living room of one of those new, income-restricted homes — which are located at 88, 94, 98, and 100 Hazel St. — city and state officials also announced energy-efficiency upgrades made to 30 existing homes in Newhallville.

The new homes were developed by Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven (NHS), which partnered with the Yale Urban Design Workshop and Efficiency For All. According to Jim Paley, the executive director of NHS, the $4.3 million project was funded primarily through grants from the state Department of Housing, the city’s HOME fund, and the State Housing Tax Credit Contribution (HTCC) program, which is allocated through the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA). The $4.3 million figure includes the price of acquiring the lots and demolishing one building.

NHS is under contract to sell the homes for $295,000 apiece to four buyers that earn less than 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), which is $62,800 for a family of four. Each blue-paneled home contains an owner-occupied unit with four bedrooms and a rental unit with three.

Cooper told the Independent that she was the first person selected for one of the Hazel Street homes.

She celebrated the purchase during Monday’s press conference as the fulfillment of a long-held “dream.”

“This journey was long, and yes, I had to shed a few tears along the way,” said Cooper. “But dear God, I am here today!” The packed room, filled with community members, nonprofit leaders, and city and state officials, burst into applause.

When she was diagnosed with epilepsy, Cooper said she had to leave the workforce for five years, until she finally found the right medication for her condition. She now works at Christian Community Action, where she supports people recovering from substance use disorders.

She found out about the Hazel Street development two years ago and put down a deposit on the same day. Since then, she’s been taking classes on financial literacy and homeownership to prepare for the purchase.

“This is not a selfish journey,” said Cooper. “It takes a village to make this happen.” When she moves into her new home, she plans to join the neighborhood’s community management team, advocate for more lighting, and help elderly people in the neighborhood.

Paley said the homes received their Certificates of Occupancy Monday morning, which, according to Cooper, means the bank will likely be able to process her mortgage by the end of the year. She plans to live in the top unit and have two of her sons occupy the first floor.

“Thank you for embracing those that dare to dream,” said Cooper.

During Monday’s press conference, Paley celebrated the new homes for creating “stability” and “long-term generational wealth.” He emphasized that the houses “are not designed to be starter homes,” but rather residences that can be passed through generations.

He noted later that NHS is planning to develop homes on Frank and West streets in the Hill. Even though the lots are still empty, Paley said people have already put down deposits, demonstrating the demand for affordable homeownership in the city.

The Hazel Street homes are a model for “new, New Haven two-decker houses,” declared Andrei Harwell, director of the Yale Urban Design Workshop.

He credited seven Yale students, from the School of Architecture and Law School, for “wholeheartedly” taking on the challenge of designing spacious, light-filled homes on tight lots.

In her remarks, state Commissioner of Housing Seila Mosquero-Bruno praised the Hazel Street homes as modeling partnership between educational institutions, private developers, and the public sector. She said similar collaborations are taking place in Waterbury with University of Connecticut students and Hartford with Trinity College students.

Elicker, meanwhile, spoke about the juxtaposition between the federal government cutting benefits for low-income residents and the city, which is “building, building, building” new homes.

He called on New Haven to take an “all of the above” approach to the housing affordability crisis, which means investments in more warming shelters, supportive housing, rental units, and homeownership opportunities. “It’s not just about building units,” said Elicker. “It’s about building a home,” a place where someone can “imagine raising a family” and “growing old.”

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said the state has over 17,000 new units in the pipeline, but it needs closer to 100,000. “This is a model for how we get there,” she said. “We hope this will be replicated across the state.”

Lamont echoed those comments, and then noted that the state’s new housing bill, signed just a few weeks ago, is “all about” developments like the one on Hazel Street. He expects the bill to make it “faster” and “easier” to do similar projects moving forward. Bysiewicz agreed, praising NHS for building on “abandoned, underutilized lots.”

“I love it because, I don’t know,” said Lamont. “The way you described it, it’s kinda cool.” He said he especially likes the idea of aging in place, and then argued that ownership an important strategy for addressing the state’s wealth gap.

And “how about energy efficiency!” exclaimed Lamont. “You guys check every box.” He applauded Paley and declared that the state needs 1,000 copies of him.

Ward 20 Alder Brittiany Mabery-Niblack: Can speak to how affordable housing creates “community and overall trust.”

Gov. Ned Lamont: “Replicate Jim Paley 1,000 times!”

Seila Mosquera-Bruno: “This is about intentionality.”