Federal grant set to help Hartford residents become homeowners

HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) - Hartford has some of the lowest home ownership rates in the state.

A new federal grant is set to help remove some barriers for residents of the capital city.

“I love my home. That’s my baby,” said Delene Falcon of Hartford.

Delene has lived in Hartford for about 20 years.

She became a homeowner six years ago.

“That’s my joy and my gem. I love my home,” Delene said.

With the help of the Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (SINA), Delene was able to purchase her first home in Hartford.

She knows there are a lot of barriers residents of the city face when it comes to home ownership.

“A lot of times, renters they get moved around. They don’t have resources. They’re trying to get by so they don’t have a solid foundation to make the changes necessary in the community,” said Delene.

The homeowner occupancy rate for Hartford is at about 27-percent.

“It’s very low. That puts us at the lowest owner occupancy in the state and probably one of the lower occupancy rates of any community in the country,” said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin.

In the Frog Hollow neighborhood of Hartford, only 7-percent of residents are homeowners.

In the Northeast neighborhood 23-percent are.

To help promote homeownership in these neighborhoods, the city has received a $1.5 million federal grant.

Funds from the grant will be used towards various education and outreach initiatives so that more residents here in Hartford can become homeowners.

“And we believe that home ownership can have a powerful impact in the life of a family and on a neighborhood,” said Logan Singerman, with SINA.

The grant is funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is spread out over three years.

“We know that it helps increase the status of individuals. It also helps increase generational wealth over generations which has long lasting effects,” said Liany Arroyo, Director of Hartford Health And Human Services.

To learn more about homeowner assistance in Hartford, click here.

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