2026-09-16 - Community Development Committee

00:02[laughter]

00:13Is it

00:15on the store?

00:24>> I don't know exactly.

00:30as far as the farms

00:34delivered the heavy stuff.

00:35[clears throat]

00:36So they had like

00:40a lot of

00:58>> [clears throat]

01:07>> Good question.

01:13>> Listen, Jesus would have

01:16[clears throat]

01:20worried about it.

01:42While we're waiting, please make sure

01:59Good evening. We're going to call this

02:01meeting to order.

02:03City of New Haven meeting agenda

02:05community development committee.

02:07Wednesday, September 16th, 2026, 6 p.m.

02:10Board of Olders Chambers meeting can be

02:12viewed on board of olders YouTube.

02:16The comm board of elders, no notice, the

02:19community development committee will

02:21meet in person at 6 PM on Wednesday,

02:23September 16th, 2026 in the board of

02:25olders chambers located at 165 Church

02:28Street, New Haven, second floor to hear

02:31and act upon the following items.

02:33LM-2026-0398

02:37Order of the Board of Alders of the City

02:39of New Haven authorizing the city of New

02:41Haven mayor or controller to enter into

02:45a 10year lease agreement from July 1st,

02:482026 to June 30th, 2036

02:53with options to renew with Christian

02:55Community Action, Inc. regarding the

02:59property at 124 Silven Avenue, New

03:02Haven, Connecticut. This item is on file

03:05and available for public inspection in

03:07the office of legislative services, 165

03:10church,

03:12New Haven per order. Honorable Carmen

03:14Rodriguez, chair of test honorable

03:16Michael Smart, city clerk. If you need

03:19any accessibility related

03:20accommodations, please contact

03:222039467651

03:26voice or 2039468582

03:30TTY in accordance with the city of New

03:32Havencoid9

03:35guidelines. Masks are now optional.

03:37Public may send comments to public

03:39testimony at new havenct.com.gov.

03:44Excuse me. I will start from my right.

03:47Um, committee members introducing

03:50themselves.

03:52>> Um, good evening. Walter Hubbert, w

03:54three.

03:55>> Wat,

03:58w 16.

03:59>> Carmen Rodriguez, w six.

04:00>> Frank Douglas, w

04:02>> Christine Kim, w seven. Mandy Martinell,

04:05w

04:06>> Thank you. At this time, we will ask the

04:08presenters to come forward.

04:11And as you approach, please remember

04:13name and address for the record. Thank

04:15you.

04:21Good evening. Carlos, deputy community

04:24services administrator at Heaven.

04:27Address is 114 Sierra Street, New Haven,

04:30Connecticut.

04:31>> Thank you.

04:34>> Thank you so much for the opportunity to

04:36present tonight. um I'm coming um to you

04:39um requesting your support um to approve

04:44a new lease agreement with Christian

04:46[clears throat] action and it with

04:49Christian action you know um the the

04:53original lease we have been expired in

04:562023 after 10 years um they have been a

05:00monthto-month tenant since then and um

05:03they have now the opportunity to apply

05:05for a low grant um to fix the facilities

05:10and um they require to have a long-term

05:13lease to be able to apply for it. Um

05:15which is why I'm coming to you tonight.

05:17Um they have been doing a great job in

05:20our community helping families um who

05:22are unhoused and in very much need um of

05:28housing assistance.

05:30Yeah, I would like to on your

05:31consideration for this.

05:34>> Thank you. Is there any questions from

05:37any committee members?

05:39>> Alder Douglas.

05:40>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um,

05:43why 10 years? [laughter]

05:44>> Um, the Department of Housing, the

05:47Canary Department of Housing requires at

05:49least a 10-year lease and is the 10

05:51years lease is also based on the

05:53regional lease. We executed in 2013 with

05:56the approval of the board of governors.

05:58Um, so we did not change any terms um

06:00from the original lease, but we want to

06:03make sure that we're also complying with

06:05the O requirements as well.

06:07>> So, uh, were you all comfortable with

06:09the monthtomonth?

06:12>> Um, I know it's a crazy question, but

06:15I'm just curious.

06:17>> This I

06:20let me just say that this list was

06:22overseen by another department that

06:24didn't catch

06:29Thank you. Thank you for your answers.

06:32Thank you, Madam Chair.

06:34>> No problem.

06:34>> Any other questions from committee

06:36members?

06:37>> Alder Kim.

06:38>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, I had a

06:40question on um feedback from the

06:43neighborhood and neighborhood residents

06:45um about the the facility at 124 Silven

06:50um how how the relationship it has been.

06:54I know Christian community actually does

06:55a great job in outreach and very

06:57community focused, but how do they feel

06:59and how do they feel on having this

07:01facility continue in in in this um

07:04function for another 10 years and

07:06possibly longer?

07:08>> I have heard a lot of complaints about

07:10organizations not CCA.

07:13>> Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.

07:15>> No, no problem. Alder Kim, Alder Hover.

07:19>> Thank you, Madam Chair. So um to address

07:23um author Ken, I am the author woman of

07:25that word and I work very closely with

07:28CCA. Um and they have done a tremendous

07:32job. They have two properties in the in

07:36actually my ward. Um one is on Congress

07:40I believe and the other one is on Silven

07:43Silven Avenue. Um they just did the

07:46park. Um they always having activities

07:49there.

07:50um even engaging with the residents. So

07:54um I will definitely contest that um the

07:58my constituents um are very comfortable

08:02[cough and clears throat] with

08:02supporting CCA because so am I.

08:06>> Any other questions from any alters? So

08:10I too am going to speak in favor of this

08:13item. I was recently at an event across

08:15the street from there and I have to tell

08:18you that this is one of the the the most

08:23um

08:26housing [clears throat] housing um

08:28communities that are very wellkept as my

08:32colleague from Alder Hubard mentioned

08:35and that they are in connection with her

08:37a lot and they will reach out. This

08:39young lady also is the director, the

08:42direction um from Christian Community um

08:45services on Silvin Avenue where Alder

08:48Hubard is is again um the representative

08:50and they invite us and ask us to come

08:53over at any time um to hear what's

08:57what's going on. So again, I am in

08:59support of this item as well.

09:02Thank you.

09:06>> Second question. Thank you. Thank you.

09:08Um, how many how many families are you

09:11about to deal with right now?

09:14>> This past year they held 85 families.

09:17>> 85 families.

09:20That's amazing.

09:21>> And like 94 children involved with those

09:23families.

09:26>> Haven't heard any bad things about

09:29>> any other questions from committee

09:31members? [snorts]

09:33Thank you so much for your presentation.

09:35>> Thank you. I appreciate

09:43At this time, I'd ask if there's anyone

09:45from the public wishing to speak on this

09:47item.

09:50Oh, my apologies. My apologies.

09:54[clears throat]

09:55Okay. My apologies on that. Again, for a

09:57second time,

09:59anyone from the public wishing to speak

10:01on this item? And for a third time, is

10:05there anyone from the public wishing to

10:07speak on this item?

10:08>> Chair makes a motion we close the

10:09public.

10:10>> Second.

10:11>> The motion has been made and seconded.

10:14The public portion is closed.

10:17>> I'm sorry. All in favor?

10:19>> I.

10:21>> Any opposed? Any obstensions? The eyes

10:23have it. The public portion has been

10:26closed.

10:28Committee members any

10:31>> Madam Chair

10:32I move that we

10:35accept this [clears throat and cough]

10:38proposal and passes second.

10:41>> Okay. Any other committee members

10:43wishing to speak on it?

10:47>> Okay.

10:51the motion. [clears throat]

10:56>> Alder.

10:57>> Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to

10:59speak in favor of this tenure lease. It

11:01makes sense for their security and

11:03placement in the city. It seems like

11:05Alder Hubard, who is the alder for the

11:08um I'm sorry, Community Action,

11:11Christian Community Action. I'm just

11:14messing that up in my head, so I have

11:15looked.

11:17uh it seems like they're a great

11:18organization for the community and they

11:20are housing I mean more children than

11:22adults so that it's a task in itself and

11:25so I would like to just speak in thank

11:27you madam chair

11:28>> alder

11:29>> thank you madam chair I'm also in favor

11:32um of this order I want to also

11:36recognize

11:38um Alder Winggate for being here and

11:41attending our meeting even though his

11:43meeting is later um but also thank um

11:46the CSA and the city for recognizing

11:49that when a very strong partner that is

11:52so needed for an issue that is plaguing

11:55us across the city with lack of housing

11:59and unhoused especially families when

12:02things are so unaffordable

12:04um that when when a partner like

12:07Christian Community [laughter] Action

12:08asks the city for a longerterm lease and

12:11help because it will get them because

12:13they're doing the work in finding state

12:15other grants for renovation to make the

12:18property even better and um the city

12:21partners working in conjunction to think

12:24outside the box and and bringing this

12:26forward to us um in in a timely manner

12:28is you know the partnerships that we

12:32need um across like continually. So

12:34thank you so much to the CSA and for the

12:37elders um in support of this. Thank you

12:39Madam Chair.

12:40>> Any other Alder?

12:43>> Thank you Madam Chair. Um, as I stated

12:46before, I am definitely in favor um on

12:49um

12:51this because one CCA is a very very very

12:56strong and supportive partner um not

12:59only in the Hill, I know they also have

13:01um a residence program um on Winchester

13:07Avenue as well. Um one thing I can't

13:10contest to is that they are very

13:12involved in the community. They don't um

13:14just have, you know, events on their

13:16properties. They also show up to the CMT

13:19meetings, to regular community meetings.

13:21They're always engaged. Um never once

13:24have I had any ordering problems, any

13:27arrests at either facilities that they

13:30um have. Um always been peaceful and

13:34they are definitely an asset to any

13:36community, not even just to mine. So I

13:39am definitely in favor of this item.

13:41Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Alder

13:43Hubbert. Any other

13:46comments, questions? No.

13:48>> Okay.

13:51So, now all those in favor of moving the

13:54item forward

13:57say I.

13:58>> I.

13:59>> Any opposed? Any absentions? The eyes

14:02have it. This item is moving forward.

14:06>> Madam Chair,

14:08>> Mr. Mr. Chair, Vice Chair,

14:09>> I move to a [clears throat] second.

14:13>> Second. The item has been moved and

14:16second. All those in favor?

14:18>> Any

14:20abstensions? The eyes have it. We are

14:23ajourned.

14:27>> [clears throat]

14:32[laughter]

14:36>> Okay. Don't put them all the way over

14:38the coming right.

14:40[laughter]

14:45>> Are you

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