At a press conference the U.S. department of Housing and Urban Development announced that the Hartford Housing Authority has joined the elite ranks of "High Performer" based on the annual assessment that HUD does for all housing authorities. Ray Jordan, senior com builder for the HUD Connecticut office "stated that getting 100% and 97% on the modernization and overall performance scores is extremely rare for a urban housing authority." Hartford's Housing Authority normally receives standard scores, but in the last year alone raised its scores over 12%, ranking it among the very best managed authorities in the country.

Immediately after that announcement, John D. Wardlaw, executive director of the Hartford Housing Authority presented the authority's 1999 HOPE VI application for $25M to Jordan. The $25 million application is designed to finish the deconstruction of Stowe Village and to replace the 598 units with 171 single family and duplex homes similar to what has already been done at Charter Oak Terrace. The local HUD office first reviews HOPE VI applications and then submits their analysis to the main HUD office in Washington DC. Results of the application will be announced later this year.

Also at the news conference, mayor Michael P. Peters on behalf of the city "congratulated Wardlaw especially for understanding the outmoded nature of public housing of yesterday and for tirelessly raising the necessary resources to bring a new brand of public housing to Hartford that will work to the advantage of people, neighborhoods and the city well into the next century!" Peters went on to say "that there are lot of exciting thin planned for Hartford, but the cranes are not here yet. The Housing Authority has been working hard for several Years and has a track record for getting things done." The fact that you got such high management scores at a time that you are bringing about so much profound change to public housing is amazing Peters said."

Charles Groce chairman of the authority's board, stated his "thanks to fellow commissioners, staff, tenants and the many real partners for their collective vision and commitment to bring about something good in public housing."

At the end of the new conference Wardlaw released both a video and an annual report which describe in detail the magnitude of the reinvention of public housing that has already taken place in Hartford. According to Wardlaw, "with the funding of the HOPE VI grant for Stowe Village, Hartford could easily be the first city to completely renew its public housing stock while at the same time building families through reunification, employment and ultimate homeownership."

The news conference concluded with the unveiling a ceremonial "pillar" labeled the "people pillar." The mayor, Wardlaw and some of the young men from the family reunification program pointed to the pillar as a symbol for perhaps the seventh pillar - the Housing Authority doing its part to strengthen the city of Hartford.

The annual report and the new video include mention of the following basic building blocks that are in place and that have allowed the authority to "rightsize" the three larger developments - Charter Oak, Mary Shepard Place and Stowe Village at the same time as working with families to reunite them and to make them self sufficient.

Nationally recognized "Building Blocks"

The Campus of Learners has just been nominated as a "best practice" by HUD to be showcased at HUD's national convention in Kansas City in July. The campus is a collection of elements basically dedicated to helping families reunify, gain independence through training and an employment and within 5 years buy the unit in which they live.

The Family Reunification and Employment program has been nationally recognized as one of the most successful efforts to bring the father back into the family picture and to take responsibility for their children. The Hartford Housing Authority pilot has now engaged over 60 young men in this process gaining recognition from the National Association for Housing and Redevelopment officials.

The Hartford Community Deconstruction Service Company is a HHA subsidiary which provides building trades employment opportunities for public housing and neighborhood residents. This is the first of the kind in the country. The reconstruction company will carry out the removal of buildings at Stowe Village and has been awarded a contract with the city to remove 11 buildings on their "blighted" list.

The Welfare to Work program of the authority is a joint effort with the state's department of social services and the family investment center ' program funded by HUD and located at Stowe Village. In the last three years over 300 Stowe residents have gained employment - a record that is unparalleled in the state of Connecticut and maybe in the nation. Again, NAHRO has recognized this program with a merit award. Closing the conference, Wardlaw acknowledged the sacrifices and contributions of the HHA staff, 40 percent of whom are former or -current residents of public housing themselves. As the authority closes in on reaching its ultimate goal of eradicating the need for public housing as we know it today, the agency is working itself out of business. Wardlaw stated it would be a national tragedy to allow the staff to fall victims to the agency's success.

For a copy of the annual report and the video please contact Katherine Travers or Paul Capra at the authority, 275-8400.