Community Building & Organizing
Through engagement and organizing, we encourage residents to take charge of their neighborhoods.NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION IS MORE THAN HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
Our holistic approach to community building focuses on placemaking. We encourage residents to take charge of their neighborhoods, by working with community management teams, resident driven groups and even new non-profits.
Join the 2026 Resident Leadership Program and learn the skills you need to become a resident leader and enact comprehensive change in the community!
The upcoming Resident Leadership Program will be hosted in the evenings on a weekly basis from April through June. We will host the classes in our Home Improvement and Energy Conservation Laboratory, accessible from our offices at 333 Sherman Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511. We will deliver five classes on various topics over eight weeks. Click the button below to learn more about the class topics and to sign up!
Your Voice MATTERS
Take our Survey
Are you a Newhallville resident? Do you have opinions about your neighborhood? Now’s your chance to let your voice be heard!
Click the link below to participate in a brief survey that will help us to provide better services to the community. Your response will be kept confidential. For the ID, please enter your address as indicated on the instructions. Thank you for playing a role in revitalizing your neighborhood!
NeighborWorks Week 2026
NeighborWorks Week is always a reminder that strong neighborhoods are built through people showing up for one another, and this year was no exception. At the Ivy Street Community Garden and Greenhouse, many volunteers throughout the week helped us prepare the space...
OUR IMPACT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
Resident Leadership
We’ve trained over 200 residents through Community Leadership Institutes (sponsored by NeighborWorks America) and NHS Resident Leadership Workshops.
Beautification
We work with artists to facilitate installation of murals and other public art throughout Greater New Haven.
Fun
We celebrate our community with annual events like the Multicultural Family Festival, Newhallville Community Festival, Water Festival, block parties, and a Valentine’s Breakfast for NHS homeowners.
EVERYONE DESERVES A HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD
“We meet people where they are and listen. Then we assess the public image, market forces, physical conditions, and resident engagement in each neighborhood where we work. This enables us to build healthy neighborhoods with our partners and volunteers.”
DEVELOP YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Our Resident Leadership Program can help you:
Unlock your innate leadership skills, with classes like Art and Science of Leadership and Understanding Power for Community Change
Discover how to find and map your neighborhood’s unique resources, and learn to use them to make a positive difference in the community
Learn techniques to create change in classes on Leading Great Meetings & Planning Successful Campaigns
SPEAK UP
Community Management Team meetings occur once a month in each police district.
Find out what’s happening in your neighborhood as city representatives, businesses and other residents share information and address neighborhood issues.
Connect with your neighbors & civic leaders
Share your thoughts about neighborhood issues with local government officials, who are there to serve you.
Volunteer
“I chose NHS because I wanted to work outside, engage with community members, and learn about a local organization doing niched but broad work.”
~Kathryn Paton, Yale student, NHS volunteer
LIGHTEN UP
The Project Lighten Up initiative seeks to use the installation of lights as a means to improve perceptions of safety and as a tool to help reduce certain rates of crime in the Newhallville neighborhood. Contact Stephen for more information: scremin-endes@nhsofnewhaven.org and read our blog post linked below to learn more!
START A GARDEN
Apply what you learned in our Gardening workshops and fill a vacant lot with healthy vegetables and beautiful plants. Gather New Haven can help you start a community garden.
BEAUTIFY YOUR YARD WITH A FREE RAIN GARDEN
A rain garden diverts water than runs off your roof away from the municipal storm water system and into a garden filled with water-tolerant plants. This prevents runoff from flowing into the sewer system, polluting our rivers and oceans. Rain gardens also allow rain and snowmelt to seep into the ground, where it is naturally filtered before returning to the groundwater table.
In times of drought, plants (trees, flowers, agricultural crops, garden vegetables) need an extra source of water. A full groundwater table can support plants during a drought. A depleted groundwater table leads to saltwater contamination, resulting in less food for people and wildlife.
(some restrictions apply)
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You will get updates on our latest events, invitations to our celebrations.
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