Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Resource Hub topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Norwalk Community Resource Hub outlines housing navigation services, plans May 22 informational fair
Summary
Norwalk’s Community Services Department described how its Community Resource Hub will centralize housing navigation, offer bilingual outreach and partner with regional providers; the city will host an affordable-housing informational fair May 22 to connect residents with services.
Chief Juan Daniels of Norwalk’s Community Services Department told the ad hoc affordable housing committee that the department’s Community Resource Hub is positioned to streamline resident access to housing services, including eviction prevention, referral to homeownership and mortgage-assistance programs, and links to regional providers.
Daniels described the hub as a centralized place residents can call or visit for coordinated assistance. “We operate...the award winning Community Resource Hub,” he said, and noted the team is working to package and publicize housing-related resources on the city website in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. The hub offers a phone line for residents seeking help and is integrating three community navigators to support one-on-one assistance.
The hub provides referrals to several regional partners — including the Urban League, Open Door and Person to Person — and is exploring whether partner organizations will run programs in Norwalk if a sufficient number of local residents sign up. Daniels said the department is ready to serve as a local point of contact and to host in-person workshops or “office hours” when partners can provide services inside the city.
Michelle (city staff) told the committee that the city will host an affordable housing informational fair on May 22 in the community room, where “all different agencies, in Norwalk and outside of Norwalk will be coming” to match residents with programs. She said NACA (Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America) and other homeownership resources have been invited to participate.
Committee members asked the department to consider maintaining an accessible, up-to-date list of available units and a simple eligibility checklist to guide residents toward appropriate programs. Daniels said the hub is already posting an “affordable local housing support resources” page on the human services website and is prepared to expand outreach and onsite programming if partners can provide services locally.
The presentation did not commit new funding; it described existing staff capacity and partnerships and flagged May 22 as an immediate opportunity to connect residents with housing resources.
