New Haven officials mark start of deal at Continuum of Care with ribbon cutting
Connecticut Job Corps centers to pause operations in June
Most ribbon cuttings mean big changes are coming. This one was designed to keep things mostly the same. At one apartment complex on Ella Grasso Boulevard and another one on Blake Street, more than 100 people and families rent apartments with the help of the Continuum of Care.
Continuum helps folks dealing with mental health, developmental, and addiction issues, and the homelessness that often goes with them.
'Continuum offers a full array of services for individuals, including crisis stabilization, residential treatment, supervised apartments, supportive housing,' Jim Farrales, the President & CEO of Continuum of Care, said.
The landlord who had been renting all those apartments to Continuum clients for all those years told Continuum they were looking to sell. A buyer from New York was interested. Continuum knew that meant the new landlord was probably going to jack up the rents.
So, the continuum went to local officials, who worked with the State Department of Housing and the Department of Economic and Community Development. DECD has something called the Community Investment Fund
'It's not just for economic development projects,' Deputy Commissioner Matthew Pugliese of the Department of Economic and Community Development, said. 'It's for projects in communities that are going to help support the people that are underserved in those communities.'
That money, along with other public and private funding, helped Continuum buy the two apartment complexes. That means all those people and families can stay right where they are, in apartments they can afford, with case workers on site to help them stay on track.
'This supportive housing model is designed to help individuals have the support they need to successfully live full lives here in the community,' Continuum's Farrales said.
Some things will actually change. Continuum plans to upgrade and renovate many of the units.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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