Joseph J. Crisco, Jr.

Crisco Welcomes Grants Worth $600,000 for Housing in Ansonia and Derby

State Senator Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. (D-Woodbridge) today announced the award of two $300,000 grants—one each for housing rehabilitation in Ansonia and Derby. Senator Crisco said the grants are part of the federal government’s Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program, administered by the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).

Senator Crisco worked on behalf of both the Ansonia and Derby applications while they were under consideration by DECD officials. Projects to qualify for funding through the Small Cities Grant program usually include economic development initiatives, construction of affordable housing, and improvement of municipal facilities or community centers.

“The Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program is vital to the well-being of small cities like Ansonia, in this case allowing it to pursue a project that simply must be done to improve the quality of life for residents, and doing so without increasing local property taxes,” Senator Crisco said. “In this instance, the funding will be used to continue a housing rehabilitation program that got underway last year, a project in which at least 15 housing units will be substantially improved.”

In Derby, the city plans to re-establish a housing rehabilitation program that had previously been funded, but for which funds had been depleted. Senator Crisco said the program will provide financial assistance to low- and moderate-income applicants for a variety of housing rehabilitation needs including window and roof replacement, other weatherization improvements, and heating system upgrades.

“Derby’s plan to use these funds to rehabilitate designated housing stock clearly demonstrates the value of the state’s Small Cities Grant program, because if the city was left on its own, there simply wouldn’t be enough money in the budget to address the issue,” Senator Crisco said. “It’s always very gratifying to see how these partnerships—in this case between all three levels of government—bring beneficial projects to fruition, bringing relief to residents and municipal budgets alike.”

Senator Crisco is the Senate chair of the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee, vice chair of its Banks Committee and Commerce Committee, Ranking Member of its Internship Committee, and serves on the Legislative Management Committee and Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee.