Norwich City Manager John Salomone wanted to use a good portion of the city’s American Rescue Plan grants to create a plan that would attack blighted housing, boost the city tax rolls and create more affordable homeownership.
Pretty quickly, he realized he didn’t have to create the program. It existed in the successful, well-respected local agency Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut.
“We had a concept originally to take the abandoned and foreclosed properties, and instead of just turning around and selling them, to renovate and sell them, so they would go back into the neighborhood as positive places,” Salomone said. “Then I started thinking about it. I’ve always admired the houses that Habitat puts up, and they have a lot of expertise, so maybe we could partner and enhance the project for us, take the administration away and leverage the money and get more out of it.”
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