$8.25M In State Funding Approved For Hamden Projects

HAMDEN, CT — Hamden’s state delegation this week welcomed $8.25 million in state funding for two projects in town.

The Community Investment Fund (CIF) board voted on Tuesday to provide Hamden with $8 million to repair home foundations in the Newhall section of town and $250,000 for the planning of a healing garden at DeNicola Park.

The funding recommendations will now be forwarded to the State Bond Commission, which is expected to approve them at its next meeting.

Nearly 300 homes in the Newhall neighborhood were built on industrial and municipal waste material, including significant amounts from the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, according to officials. Clean fill, which was used to remediate this pollution, has caused structural problems and drainage issues affecting many homes, officials said.

"There are terrible hardships being faced by homeowners in Newhall, and this state funding will help alleviate that,” State Sen. Martin Looney said. “I want to thank the DECD for all of their work and support on this, as well as thank Senator Cabrera and local Hamden officials. The funding for Eli's Garden of Healing will help perfect their proposal, and then they can apply for other capital funds in the future."

State Sen. Jorge Cabrera said, “It seems like the homeowners in Newhall cannot catch a break. Thankfully, this new funding and the comprehensive plan for various foundation repairs should make a lasting difference – and that's what we want. Eli's Garden, it's a well-known spot here in Hamden and they do a lot of good work. I think with some more planning we can turn this space into something really special, and that's what this planning grant will help achieve."

With its $8 million state grant, Hamden plans to establish the Newhall Foundations Fund, a comprehensive foundation repair and community stabilization program addressing ongoing foundation issues affecting approximately 102 properties in the Newhall neighborhood, according to a news release.

The fund will address problems stemming from the consequences of historic soil contamination and remediation. The remediated soil, in combination with underlying soil conditions, has begun to cause structural and quality of life failures in the foundations of homes in remediated areas.

The Newhall Foundations Fund will “implement a phased approach to foundation repairs, which will typically include foundation waterproofing and crack repair, structural reinforcement, wall and floor leveling, surface drainage repair, repair of settlement-related damage to interior finishes, and reconstruction of settled exterior elements,” the news release states. “The fund will also provide for relocation of owners and residents whose homes are severely structurally compromised and warrant demolition, and repair of water intrusion and inadequate drainage resulting from remediation.”

State Representatives Laurie Sweet (D- Hamden) and Steve Winter (D – New Haven, Hamden) also advocated for the funding of the projects.

“I am so grateful for the partnership with the Hamden Newhall Neighborhood Association, Eli’s Garden of Healing, CONECT, the town of the Hamden, and the State of Connecticut for the good of our community,” Sweet said. “I look forward to the continued dialogue that centers our residents. Special thanks to Governor Lamont, Speaker Ritter, Senator Looney, members of the CIF Board and the Hamden delegation. When we stay connected and problem-solve together, we win.”

Winter said, “I am thrilled to see the CIF approval of $8 million funding help residents complete critical repairs to the foundations of their homes. Together with local funds from the Town of Hamden, this funding will provide both financial and emotional relief to Newhall neighborhood homeowners impacted by historical environmental injustices. Without assistance, for many homeowners the cost of these repairs has the potential to erase the financial stability they have sacrificed over many years to achieve. This funding represents a crucial investment that will help prevent further upheaval in their daily lives and allow the neighborhood to move beyond its legacy environmental challenges.”

Eli’s Garden of Healing was founded in memory of Elijah Gomez, who was tragically shot and killed walking home from school.

The organization hopes to “create a healing garden at to honor his life, as well as all others who have lost their life to gun violence,” according to a news release. “Eli’s Garden will use this funding to help with planning and logistics of creating the healing garden. The proposed location was formally a firearm testing facility for the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, who also owned factory complex in the Newhall neighborhood of New Haven.”

The $250,000 grant will help the organization with its plan to transform a 1.7-acre overgrown parcel into a community healing space with an accessible forest garden dedicated to survivors of violence while also welcoming the broader public.

“I’m also pleased to see the planning grant for Eli’s Garden of Healing,” Winter said. “Gun violence has profoundly affected and continues to devastate lives in Hamden and New Haven. In the face of such suffering, it is crucial that we create spaces for introspection, mourning, and honoring the memory of those we have lost. In doing so, we empower ourselves to actively reject the cycle of violence, choosing instead the path of unity and healing. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the House and Senate leaders for prioritizing these two critical projects and for approving the essential funding to bring them to fruition.”