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Council schedules public hearings on Neighborhood Assistance Program and CDBG budget; Connecticut Financial Scholars added
Summary
Council approved scheduling public hearings on the Neighborhood Assistance Program awards and the Community Development Block Grant (Program Year 52). The council accepted a late addition of Connecticut Financial Scholars for $8,000 to support personal-finance instruction and discussed program caps and project-level details.
The West Haven City Council on May 26 scheduled public hearings for several community grant proposals and reviewed the draft Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) budget for Program Year 52 (July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027).
Ron Dumas, the city’s housing specialist and Neighborhood Assistance Program liaison, presented a package of recommended awards under the Neighborhood Assistance Program. Recommended recipients include the Allentown Fire Department ($5,000 for child-safety car-seat installation), the West Haven Community House ($7,149.73 for Head Start freezer equipment), the Ward Heightman House Foundation ($18,000 to insulate the historic house), Marrakesh, Inc. ($20,000 for windows and energy improvements), and a late-added award of $8,000 to Connecticut Financial Scholars to support teacher costs for a personal-finance curriculum for local students. The council moved to schedule a public hearing for the package on June 8.
CDBG overview: John Carano, Commissioner of Human Services and CDA staff, explained HUD constraints on the CDBG budget, including the 15% cap on public-service spending, and provided the committee with the public-services, capital-improvement and administrative breakdown. The proposed total grant was presented along with the citizen advisory committee’s recommended allocations. Members asked for clarifications about playground work at Savin Rock, the Ward Heightman House scope, down-payment assistance administrative costs and support for homeless transitions through programs such as Columbus House.
Why it matters: The Neighborhood Assistance Program and CDBG funds support low- and moderate-income residents via targeted services and capital improvements. Several council members emphasized oversight steps—reimbursement-based payments, monitoring by CDA staff, and reallocation if grantees miss performance milestones.
Next steps: Public hearings were scheduled for June 8; staff will notify applicants of state-submission deadlines (July 1 for NAP submissions) and the city will return to council with public-hearing results and any recommended adjustments.
