Over the past year, the Housing Authority of the City of Hartford (“HACH” or “The Authority”) has been working on obligating a $5 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“ARRA”) Funding opportunity to improve the quality of the Authority’s federally-financed housing stock in the City of Hartford.

When the Authority was notified of this opportunity, we immediately began to assess the best use of these funds.  What first came to mind, was the aging and deteriorating condition of the Authority’s Scattered Site housing, located throughout the city.  We began to think about the exterior conditions where, in some circumstances, it could be said, without pride, that the Authority is seen as the worst property owner in the neighborhood.  It was also identified that several of our federally-financed elderly housing complexes were in dire need of capital improvements.  This award will address those capital needs at our elderly sites as well.

The award will be used to provide site improvements, exterior building improvements and replacement of boilers.

Site improvements include plantings, landscaping, new concrete sidewalks, fencing, and bituminous concrete paving and lip curving.

Exterior building improvements include concrete slab porches with shingle roofing and decorative columns, fiber-cement siding and trim, handrails, Exterior Insulation and Finished System (“EIFS”), metal panels and standing seam metal roofing.

There are 40 sites throughout the City that will undergo improvements with this award.  Equally as important this will lead to more than 50 jobs for contractors and skilled and un-skilled laborers.

Our work throughout the year has included identifying architects and engineers to work with us to set the stage for meeting the Authority’s goals and objectives.  The most recent step has involved, through the Authority’s procurement process, builders that will do the work.

I am proud to say that the Authority has met all of the obligation requirements set by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), and that work will begin during the spring of 2010.  It is expected that this work will be completed by spring 2011, with little to no impositions on our residents. 

Again, the goal for HACH as part of its commitment to provide clean, quality, and affordable housing to our residents, is that it will also not be seen as the worst property owner in the neighborhood.