Hartford nonprofit projects seek Neighborhood Assistance Act tax-credit allocations

Councilman Alexander Thomas opened a public hearing of the Hartford Court of Common Council on May 19 to consider local submissions for the Connecticut Neighborhood Assistance Act (NAA) tax-credit program and hear presentations from applicant organizations.

Tamara Ciaz, who identified herself as a liaison in the City of Hartford’s Office of Management and Budget, told the council the NAA is “a Connecticut Department of Revenue Services tax credit program intended to insensitize contributions by business entities to nonprofit organizations.” She described the local and state timeline and application rules, including that the city submits approved local proposals to the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services on or before July 1 and that the DRS issues a list of approved NAA programs and funding limits by statute each Sept. 15. Ciaz said this fiscal year the statewide cap on total tax credits is $5,000,000 and that “a contributing business is limited to receiving a hundred and $50,000 in tax credits annually.” She reported the city had received 49 nonprofit applications requesting about $5,200,000 in total.

Why it matters: The NAA program allows businesses to receive state tax credits in exchange for donations to eligible local nonprofit projects, so city approval of a slate of programs is a required step so organizations can solicit corporate contributions within state limits.

Applicants who spoke at the hearing asked the council to support their NAA applications and outlined the scope of proposed projects:

- Phillips-related projects: Presenters from Phillips described two connected proposals. They said they seek $150,000 for energy conservation work at Phillips Health Center (2550 Main Street) and the church facility at 2500 Main Street, including phased replacement of aging HVAC equipment and lighting-efficiency upgrades. Presenters also described planned exterior lighting for an off-street parking lot south of the church to improve safety in winter months.

- Ida B. Wells senior complex (100 Coventry Street): Presenters said the building contains 40 one-bedroom senior apartments and asked the council to support a $150,000 request for energy-conservation work, including replacement of a faulty exterior air-conditioning unit, two furnaces and two water heaters in the mechanical room, and replacement of single-speed heat exchangers with variable-speed units to maintain heating and hot water reliability for residents. A presenter said the building opened in February 2005 and will mark 20 years of operation in October.

- Hartford Youth Scholars: Katie Powers, advancement director for Hartford Youth Scholars, said the program — which serves Hartford students from seventh grade through college — applied to the NAA for a second year. She said last year the organization was approved for $150,000 but received $75,000 and expressed appreciation while asking for approval again this year.

Presenters emphasized the phased nature of some projects and the likelihood of returning in future cycles to complete multi-year replacements. Council members asked the applicants for clarifications on unit counts and timelines; presenters confirmed Ida B. Wells has 40 units and said both the Phillips and Ida B. Wells projects likely will require several application rounds to complete all work.

No formal council vote took place during the May 19 hearing. Councilman Thomas announced a follow-up, fully virtual public hearing on the Neighborhood Assistance Act program scheduled for Wednesday, June 11 at 7 p.m., and encouraged interested parties to sign up to speak.

Sources and quotations in this article come from the May 19 public hearing transcript of the Hartford Court of Common Council, including remarks by Tamara Ciaz, Angela Harris, Fred Phillips and Katie Powers.