Courtney Hosts HUD Regional Administrator for Updates on Uses of CARES Act Funding in New London, Norwich, and Vernon

"This week we showed the HUD Regional Administrator how eastern Connecticut has put millions of dollars in CDBG funding to work during this pandemic," said Rep. Courtney. "In New London, Norwich, and all across the district, officials and local leaders have worked hard to get support where it's needed most through these highly flexible CDBG dollars. Not only that, but towns like Vernon and Coventry are also using a separate allocation of CDBG funds to press ahead with other important work that hasn't gone away, like assisting homeowners impacted by the crumbling foundations crisis. Our towns are relying on federal support through programs like CDBG more than ever, and I'll keep working to find more opportunities to help them get it."

In Vernon, Courtney and Mr. Tille met with Mayor and State Senator (CT-35) Daniel Champagne at the Vernon Town Hall for an update on the CDBG-funded pyrrhotite testing program, which is currently operating in Vernon, Coventry, Ellington and Stafford. Michael Purcaro (Town Administrator, Vernon), Leslie Campolongo (Project Coordinator, Vernon), John Elsesser (Town Manager, Coventry), and Peter Huckins (Project Consultant, Coventry) also joined the meeting to provide updates and information.

In 2016, Rep. Courtney was successful in compelling HUD to confirm that Connecticut's allotment of CDBG funding could be used for crumbling foundations remediation. Courtney has remained in close contact with the Connecticut State Legislature's bipartisan Concrete Caucus, and in 2019 the CT Department of Housing awarded the Towns of Vernon, Ellington and Stafford $480,000 in federally authorized CDBG funding to assist qualified residents in testing their foundations for the presence of the mineral pyrrhotite.

So far, the Town of Vernon's Regional Crumbling Foundation Testing Program (RCFTP) has received over 45 applications to participate in the program from single-family homes alone, and CDBG grants have helped to fund testing for 22 of those applications so far. The testing includes both visual inspection and core testing with no upfront or out-of-pocket cost to homeowners, and it is still currently accepting applications. The Towns of Coventry, Ashford, Bolton, Columbia, Tolland, Union and Willington also received $250,000 through the CDBG Small Cities Program to assist in testing for crumbling foundations caused by pyrrhotite.

During the meeting, Courtney also reviewed his work this year to introduce and pass legislation that would not only increase underlying funding to the CDBG program, but would also expand its uses to help more eastern Connecticut residents. Earlier this year, the House passed H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, which would make long overdue investments needed in order to fix America's crumbling infrastructure for the long-term. H.R. 2 would provide an additional $10 billion to the CDBG program itself, and it included three Courtney-authored amendments and provisions. The first specifically outlines that states can use the CDBG funds in this bill towards remediation of damage to concrete caused by pyrrhotite, and would prioritize home repairs made due to pyrrhotite and crumbling foundations as one of four qualified uses of CDBG in this bill. The second would ensure homeowners with crumbling foundations are still able to take advantage of the federal "casualty loss" tax deduction from the IRS even beyond the current April 2021 deadline. The third would allow K-12 public schools, like Birch Grove Primary School in Tolland, to receive a federal grant or reimbursement from the Department of Education to make repairs to damage caused by pyrrhotite.

In New London, Rep. Courtney and Regional Administrator Tille met with with Mayor Michael Passero at the New London Homeless Hospitality Center (NLHHC). The trio was joined by NLHHC Executive Director Cathy Zall and Director of Health Services Dana Dixon, as well as by Jeanne Milstein, Director of Human Services for the City of New London.

Courtney has announced CARES Act-funded CDBG grant awards totaling more than $870,000 to the City of New London in recent months to help bolster the response to COVID-19 in vulnerable communities. Yesterday's update proved that the city has acted swiftly in putting the funding to good use through organizations like NLHHC, which works directly with many people in New London who are homeless or who are at risk of becoming homeless. The NLHHC has used CDBG funding in a wide variety of ways, including providing access to COVID-19 testing to vulnerable populations, and ensuring that the essential services they provide remain available during the pandemic. The NLHHC has used CDBG grant funding to assist with everything from the costs of sanitization and screening at the facility, to the purchase of PPE and social distancing equipment, and more. The NLHHC has also used CDBG funding to transform formerly unused office and nursing home space into a COVID-19 triage center for New London's homeless population, where folks are able to isolate themselves, quarantine if need-be, and receive basic care in a safe environment.

The NLHHC has also notably used CDBG funding not only to provide aid to the homeless population, but also to help prevent vulnerable people from losing their homes. The center has used the new federal grant awards to invest in new computers, upgrade internet service, and more in order to continue providing folks access to important services that they would normally seek out at a library or senior center—like applying for Unemployment Insurance, finding jobs, or seeking out other benefits. They've also used CDBG funding to continue other essential services like home visits and landlord-tenant mediation.

Regional Administrator Tille and Rep. Courtney also visited Norwich City Hall for a meeting with Mayor Peter Nystrom, John Solomone (City Manager, Norwich), Jeff Arn (Executive Director, Norwich Public Housing Authority), and Kathy Crees (Community Development Supervisor, Norwich). Rep. Courtney recently announced two federal CDBG grants totaling more than $1 million to assist with COVID-19 response activities in Norwich, and the City has worked to apply that funding towards a wide range of efforts.

Rep. Courtney and Mr. Tilley learned from City of Norwich leadership that so far, CDBG funding has been put to work to support local soup kitchen St. Vincent DePaul Place, which has seen an exponential growth in patrons during the pandemic, as well as in funding housing rental programs to assist residents in paying rent and avoiding homelessness.

Norwich Public Housing Authority has also received over $280,000 in CARES Act funding, which has been prioritized for bolstering public health and social distancing efforts at the Norwich Public Housing Authority to ensure that they are able to service customers in need during the pandemic. Rep. Courtney and Mr. Tille also heard directly from Mayor Nystrom and city officials regarding the city's effort to use HUD CDBG funding to help residents pay outstanding NPU bills. Courtney is continuing to work with HUD and with the City of Norwich to help bring about a positive resolution to this request.

For more information, and for more full resolution photos, please contact Rep. Courtney's office.

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