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DeLauro Unveils Fiscal Year 2023 Community Project Funding Submissions for Connecticut’s Third Congressional District

May 18, 2022

House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) announced fifteen Connecticut community projects she has submitted for consideration in appropriations bills for the upcoming fiscal year.

As Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, which sets federal spending, Chair DeLauro is committed to meeting the needs of our communities in a transparent and accountable way. Under Appropriations Committee guidelines she developed, and for which she has received praise from experts across the political spectrum, each Representative may request funding for up to fifteen projects in their community for fiscal year 2023 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding.

"This year's community project funding submissions make robust investments to help working families with rising costs, revitalize our communities, create jobs, and put taxpayer dollars back into the pockets of working people," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "As Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, I am committed to meeting the needs of communities in Connecticut. Last year, I brought back Community Project Funding for the first time in ten years because our communities have needs that the federal government must be responsive to. This is about fostering community development, building climate resiliency, investing in child care, and helping our health care centers adequately support patient medical needs. I am incredibly thankful to all the dedicated community groups across Connecticut's Third Congressional District that provided requests to make a difference for our working families."

Listed below is a summary of the fifteen projects Chair DeLauro has submitted to the House Appropriations Committee, along with quotes from the sponsoring organizations. Projects are listed in alphabetical order:

City of Ansonia:

  • This project will remove contaminated hazardous materials within the building and demolish the remaining structure and remove and dispose of all regulated materials throughout the SHW Casting Company.

"The Valley can always count on Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro to deliver," said David S. Cassetti, Mayor of Ansonia. "This important parcel known as the SHW site is the gateway to Ansonia Copper and Brass. This funding will clear the path towards future development of both parcels - a combined 60 acres. We are crippled in Ansonia by these contaminated and dilapidated buildings. This critical appropriation for demolition from Congresswoman DeLauro will bring us one step closer to putting this parcel back to productive reuse."

Town of Bethany:

  • This project will renovate and upgrade the Bethany Town Hall building that is over 60 years old.

"Having Congressman DeLauro's support for this project increases the potential for this transformative effort to succeed," said Paula Cofrancesco, First Selectman of the Town of Bethany. "Without her support of this funding these renovations and upgrades on behalf of residents of the Town of Bethany would not be possible.

Town of Branford:

  • The Connecticut Hospice relocated in 2000 to a building formerly occupied by the Echlin Corporation for twenty years. Renovations at that time did not upgrade essential building infrastructure that has since become critical to operations of the Hospice inpatient facility and home care headquarters. The requested funding for improvements are exceptionally important during times of emergencies resulting from natural disaster so that CT Hospice does not have to relocate patients from its Branford headquarters.

"Representative DeLauro has been a champion of The Connecticut Hospice from its earliest days as America's first hospice," said CEO of Connecticut Hospice Barbara Pearce. "This latest grant is the most recent example of her strong commitment to our mission and values, and we are very grateful. These funds will allow us to make necessary capital improvements to modernize our facility, making it possible for us to reach even more patients and families, as we live up to our storied history, while remaining on the cutting edge of hospice care."

Town of Hamden:

  • The project will replace HVAC units and controls currently in service at the Town of Hamden Government Center to improve energy efficiency and reduce the Town's carbon footprint.

"Thank you Rosa and staff for your hard work in securing funds for a much needed update to our Government Center Building," said Town of Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett. "These upgrades to ventilation and filtration will help us save on energy costs and protect visitors coming into the building and the staff doing our town's work. The exterior upgrades will further increase energy savings as well as extend the life of the building. These upgrades are a welcome and much needed investment in the future of Hamden."

Borough of Naugatuck:

  • This project will assist child care renovation and expansion to serve the community's needs.

"The Naugatuck YMCA is overjoyed with being chosen by Rosa DeLauro and her team as one of the chosen organizations," said Naugatuck YMCA Chief Executive Director Mark LaFortune. "We're passionate in supporting families and individuals with everything from child care to swim lessons and everything in-between. Support from this grant will allow the Y to focus even deeper on families and individuals. We look forward to working with Rosa and her team, thank you."


City of New Haven

Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, Inc. (DESK)

  • This project will provide services for people experiencing homelessness, including: daytime drop-in services with basic needs provision and onsite outreach and case management; healthcare services in a fully-equipped medical clinic staffed by Cornell Scott Hill Health Center's Homeless Healthcare Department; a commercial kitchen providing freshly prepared meals; and a new elevator and HVAC system.

"Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK) will be renovating our newly-acquired building on State Street in Downtown New Haven," said Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen Executive Director Steve Werlin. "Once completed, the site will serve as New Haven's first Downtown Drop-in & Resource Center for people experiencing homelessness, with critical onsite support services, including a medical clinic staffed by Cornell Scott Hill Health Center's award-winning Homeless Healthcare Department. We are thrilled to have Congresswoman DeLauro's support for this innovative and life-saving project as we all work to make homelessness rare, brief, and one-time, and improve the quality of life for everyone in New Haven."

Fair Haven Community Health Clinic

  • The Fair Haven Community Health Care expansion project at 374 Grand Avenue will increase the availability of primary medical and behavioral health care for all, but especially the underserved, at risk and low income families who otherwise have no access to quality affordable health care. The proposed construction will be at the corner of James Street and Grand Avenue, the entryway to the Fair Haven neighborhood, adjacent to the existing health center. The existing facility is over 100 years old and no longer able to grow with the needs of the community. These funds will be used to support the design and construction of a new 33,500 square foot health center including exam rooms, lab, pharmacy and community meeting space; with additional space, we will be able to expand the number of clinicians and appointments currently available.

"This award is a game changer for our community," said Fair Haven Community Health Clinic Chief Executive Officer Suzanne Lagarde. "It will allow us to move forward with building a state of the art health center both FOR and BY the community. The lasting impact both socially and economically is immeasurable. Jobs with benefits and training programs will be created in expanding medical care and construction services."

Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership, Inc.

  • This project will include construction and capital improvements to the 100-year-old LEAP Roslyn Milstein Meyer Community Center at 31 Jefferson Street serving New Haven's young people.

"We are so thankful to our Congresswoman, Rosa DeLauro, for championing the renovation of LEAP's community center on Jefferson Street in New Haven," said Henry Fernandez, LEAP Executive Director. "The facility has served New Haven children for more than 100 years, and now is a wonderful place for kids to learn to swim, dance, play sports, create art, receive tutoring and code on computers. Federal support will address much needed improvements that will allow the building to serve New Haven's young people well into its second century. We are excited to repair the dance studio and gym floors, create a new teaching kitchen, make needed fixes in the swimming pool, and ensure the building is truly accessible and energy efficient."

Wilbur Cross High School

  • This project will upgrade and expand the athletic complex at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, CT. Design and operation of the campus will be primarily for high school students with general community access during non-school use times, consisting with citywide protocol for open school and facilities.

"The proposed $3.8 million top-to-bottom refurbishment of the outdoor athletic fields at Wilbur Cross High School – New Haven's largest public school – will be a tremendous resource for the school community and the entire city at-large," said City of New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker. "Students and residents will have the opportunity to enjoy updated athletic fields for baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, tennis, track and more."

Town of North Haven:

  • This project will restore and renovate the Martha Culver House/Museum to make the property accessible for residents of North Haven and the greater New Haven region to attend and learn about the history of North Haven.

"The Martha Culver House has been part of the rich history of North Haven since 1857. The building was bequeathed to the town in the early 1900's with the agreement that the town would utilize the Culver House as a library of old books, a recreation gathering place and a museum for school children to participate in day trips to learn about the history of North Haven," said Mike Freda, First Selectman of North Haven. "The building has been in disrepair on the inside for several years which has prevented the public from visiting the facility. This grant will allow the town of North Haven to fully restore this building back to life to allow the town's citizens and their children to visit the building as a recreational and educational gathering place."

Town of Middlefield:

  • This project will provide funding for a central facility from which leaders can coordinate and direct emergency efforts and is essential for emergency response and recovery. Currently, the town has no Emergency Operation Center for coordination of police, fire, medical, and incident management resources.

"The Town of Middlefield is so thankful to receive this grant of $2.25 million for an Emergency Operations Center," said Town of Middlefield First Selectman Bob Yamaratino. "This grant goes a long way toward funding what is one of the largest projects our town has ever undertaken. There is broad support in our community for this project, as demonstrated by the amount of letters received from businesses and community leaders. Our town is a small rural community supported by many volunteers, including our 45 volunteer firefighters. Knowing we have the support of Rosa DeLauro and our congressional delegation means a whole lot."

City of Milford:

Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS) Coastal Center at Milford Point

  • This project will enable the expansion of CAS's hands-on school, afterschool, and summer science enrichment programs that support teachers in implementing Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in a multidisciplinary format. This support would enable the expansion of this program across K-5 grades, provide afterschool and summer science enrichment programs, and expand the high school/college mentorship/career training program that CAS launched in 2021 in Norwalk schools.

"We are honored and grateful that Congresswoman DeLauro selected our Modernization and Technology Enhancement Project at the Milford Point Coastal Center for potential funding," Connecticut Audubon Executive Directorsaid Patrick Comins. "This project will let us expand hands-on school, afterschool, and summer science enrichment programs. Those programs support teachers as they implement Next Generation Science Standards in a multidisciplinary format. The Coastal Center will serve as a teacher training hub supporting education programs across four additional Connecticut Audubon regions and centers. It will be a location for school and summer science enrichment programming.

Town of Seymour and Beacon Falls:

  • This project will install and construct a road and all infrastructure needed to support economic development of nearly 200 acres of land located along Route 8 and the Waterbury Rail Line.

"This federal grant is the first step in what will be a transformative project for our communities and for the Valley," said Town of Seymor First Selectwoman Anne Drugonis. "A huge thank you to Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro for supporting this project and believing in the value of it for Seymour, Beacon Falls and the entire Valley. This funding is going to open up a $100,000,000 private investment that will benefit all of our residents. This is the largest development project our communities and the Valley will see."

Town of Stratford:

  • This project will provide Flood Protection Measures for the Stratford Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF). The upgraded piping and pumping would increase the capacity of the station to pump treated effluent during storm events. Specifically, federal funding would enable the Town of Stratford to refortify an existing dike around the WPCF, upgrade stormwater piping and upgrade the stormwater pump station all to prevent open flows of untreated sewage that result from flooding.

"The Town of Stratford is deeply appreciative that our hazard mitigation plan to reduce the flood risk at our water pollution control facility is among the projects submitted by our dedicated and attentive Congresswoman, Rosa DeLauro, for funding by Congress in the coming fiscal year," saidMayor Laura R. Hoydick. "The stormwater system upgrade project is part of our comprehensive Coastal Community Resilience Plan and would support public safety by protecting a community lifeline serving 98% of the town's residents; have regional and local impact; provide environmental justice; and protect the natural environment. The federal funding would provide a needed financial boost as we work to implement our broad plan."

Town of Wallingford:

  • This project will assist Aquatics Center addition to the Wallingford Family YMCA- West Side Branch to teach swim lessons, water therapy, Parkinson water classes, water aerobics, member and community lap swim, competitive swimming, family time, water polo and more.

"Our ‘Just add Water' Aquatics Center vision is to inspire the community to achieve their goals as a first time swimmer, water therapy participant, or competitive athlete," said Executive Director of Wallingford Family YMCA Sean Doherty. "Our pools provide the opportunity to strengthen the body, while building character. Our pools are a place where the Greater Wallingford Community can come together and will change the lives of everyone, as no one is ever turned away due to the inability to pay. On behalf of the Wallingford Family YMCA Board of Directors, staff, members and participants we thank Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and her office for their support of our vision to ‘Just Add Water'!"