With fresh snow on the ground and excitement in the air, community members, partners, and leaders gathered inside 94 Hazel Street to celebrate a major milestone for affordable homeownership in New Haven. Despite the winter chill, the space was filled wall-to-wall with supporters eager to mark the official ribbon cutting for four new affordable homes on Hazel Street.
Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven (NHS) is proud to celebrate the completion of four newly constructed affordable homes at 86–100 Hazel Street in the Newhallville neighborhood. Designed in partnership with the Yale Urban Design Workshop (YUDW) and supported by Efficiency For All, this project expands access to affordable homeownership while improving energy efficiency in the surrounding community.
Credit: MONA MAHADEVAN PHOTO
Voices of Partnership and Progress
The ceremony featured remarks from a wide range of partners and leaders who made the project possible, including Jim Paley, Executive Director of NHS; Andrei Harwell of the Yale School of Architecture; Keith Krolak, Hazel Street architect; Lillian Brough of Efficiency For All; Keith Getter, Senior Relationship Manager of Partnership & Growth at NeighborWorks America; Nandini Natarajan, CEO of the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority; Seila Mosquera-Bruno, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Housing; Brittiany Mabery-Niblack, Alder representing Ward 20; Mayor Justin Elicker; Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz; Governor Ned Lamont; and Sylvia Cooper, buyer of one of the new homes at 98–100 Hazel Street.
Jim Paley opened the event by thanking the funders who made the project possible, including the State Department of Housing, Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, administrator of the State Housing Tax Credit Program, and the City of New Haven’s HOME funds. He emphasized that these critical subsidies allow NHS to sell homes at prices far below the cost of construction, ensuring they remain truly affordable for local families.
“This Is Just the Beginning”
Alder Brittiany Mabery-Niblack delivered a heartfelt reflection on the role of affordable housing in building strong communities. “Affordable housing creates stability; it creates trust,” she said, “It creates family.” Looking at the local and state leaders gathered beside her, she added, “This is just the beginning, we’re going to continue creating new homeowners.”
Mayor Justin Elicker echoed those sentiments, praising NHS for its long-standing impact across the city. “You drive around New Haven, the impact that you and your team have had is just incredible,” he said. The Mayor also highlighted the contrast between local efforts to expand affordable housing and broader federal challenges, underscoring why this work is more important now than ever.
Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz spoke to two of Connecticut’s most pressing challenges: housing affordability and rising energy costs. “Today, we’ve made some progress,” she said, noting that since 2019, the state has helped to create 14,000 affordable homes, with 7,000 more in the pipeline. “What’s exciting about today is that this is a model for how we get there.”
Governor Ned Lamont closed out the elected officials’ remarks with praise for NHS and the Hazel Street model. “There are a million reasons why I love this program,” he said. “Jim, we really need to replicate you a thousand times.” He emphasized the importance of homeownership as a pathway to wealth-building and highlighted the unique benefits of multifamily homes, which allow homeowners to build equity while generating additional income.
A Home and Hope for the Future
The most powerful moment of the ceremony came from Sylvia Cooper, one of the new Hazel Street homeowners. Her words filled the room, “We have hope,” she said. “There are brighter days ahead.” She went on to thank NHS’s HomeOwnership Center, adding, “You deserve an Oscar, for best supporting services, to believe in those who dare to dream!”
Following the remarks, attendees bundled up and gathered outside as Sylvia, fellow homebuyers, and community leaders cut the ribbon in front of the new homes, officially welcoming a new chapter for Hazel Street!
