Seymour Awarded $2 Million Federal Housing Grant

Seymour Delegation & First Selectwoman Applaud Federal Housing Grant

First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis, Representative Nicole Klarides-Ditria, Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly, and Senator Eric Berthel applauded successful local efforts to secure a federal grant to invest in local housing improvements.

Seymour’s Castle Heights Public Housing Modernization project was awarded a $2 million grant through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Small Cities program. Eligible projects are required to be in a municipality with a population of fewer than 50,000 residents and will advance the preservation and development of affordable housing.

The Small Cities project scope is focused on primarily interior renovations and upgrades. This project scope proposes to address the following deficiencies: Smoke and CO2 detection replacements (32 units), accessible unit Conversion (3 units), unit kitchen replacement (28 units), unit bathroom replacement (28 units), asbestos abatement (31 units), and hot water tank replacement (25 units).

First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis said, “I would like to thank our consultant Tom Foley at Signal Rock Consulting, my Economic Development Director/Grants Writer Sheila O’Malley, Deirdre Caruso, Rory Burke and our staff and State Representative Nicole Klarides – Ditria for their efforts in this worthwhile project. Whenever and wherever we can help our seniors, we will do so. These buildings were identified by the Seymour Housing Authority as a priority in terms of modernization and repairs. I also want to thank David Keyser, Seymour Housing Authority Director for his partnership with the Town as we work together to enhance the lives of our residents.”

“I’m pleased to know the $2 million of federal funding for this important project has already been awarded and will be added to the $3.5 million the state Bond Commission approved only a week ago,” Rep. Klarides-Ditria said. “It’s important to make long-term investments in our community and these funds will allow for substantial improvements to Castle Heights complex and provide a safe, upgraded facility for years to come.”

“Last week the State Bond Commission approved a state investment in the Seymour Housing Authority. Today, we applaud the investment of federal funds as well. The state and federal government have recognized the importance of investing in local efforts to ensure access to safe, secure, and affordable housing. Rehabilitating and modernizing housing is key to creating stable homes for our families and driving economic development for our communities. Thank you to all involved in supporting the good work being done in Seymour,” said Sen. Kelly.

“I join my colleagues from the Seymour delegation to applaud this federal investment in the Seymour Housing Authority and the Castle Heights housing complex,” said Sen. Berthel. “This federal money will be used for interior renovation and upgrades at the complex, and will remedy certain safety issues. I’m pleased that the town plans to leverage these federal funds with the state’s own investment that was approved last week. This cooperation is an example of how to responsibly utilize public resources to ensure families have viable affordable housing options in our area.”