New Haven Independent

Jim Paley, NHS’s first and only executive director (pictured pointing out his agency’s latest acquisition on Hudson Street) has been helping New Haveners move into affordable homes for more than a quarter century. The agency has built or rehabbed more than 200 homes, and averages 12 to 15 new projects a year.

Paley observed a project in Texas that he believed would fill an important gap back in New Haven — providing homeowners with the training to do their own home improvement and critical maintenance skills.

“We recognize that many of our home buyers are low-income, and bringing in a plumber or an electrician, just for the site visit, could cost them a whole day’s pay.”

So NHS bought an abandoned building on Hudson Street, right behind its office complex on Sherman Avenue, and plans to turn it into a Home Improvement and Energy Conservation Laboratory.

The project would meet the second part of NHS’s three-part mission statement: increasing homeownership throughout New Haven; making homes functional, beautiful and affordable; and helping neighbors take charge of their neighborhoods.

At a meeting of the Whalley, Edgewood, Beaver Hill Management Team back in September, Paley shared his plans with his neighbors and asked for a letter of support to take before the Zoning Board of Appeals, since the project needed a variance in order to use the building as a classroom. In previous lives it had served as a church and an auto repair shop, Paley said. He was showered with appreciation for what NHS has done over the years — not just helping families move into affordable homes, but helping stabilize marginal neighborhoods. The management team happily provided the letter of support, and the ZBA granted the variance at its October meeting.

NHS is working on getting funding to transform the empty shell into a LEED-certified green building, which will cost significantly more upfront but will be energy efficient and therefore more economical to operate — not to mention a great teaching tool in itself. Paley expects the total cost to be around $350,000, including beautifying the grounds.

In the cavernous, empty building, Paley described some of the do-it-yourself projects that people can work on to become proficient at household maintenance. Click hereto listen.

“We’ll be looking to see what kinds of skills would be most useful to people and bringing in experts from the community to teach those classes,” Paley said. And he and his staff and board members are working on creative funding strategies for the classes themselves, so as not to put a burden on low-income homeowners. One idea is to charge tuition, but then give a gift card for an equal amount from a home improvement store to those who finish the class.

Paley said he expects the lab to be up and running by next summer. One last bit of good news: because all homeowners could benefit from these skills, access to the classes will not be limited to just those who come through NHS. Almost all homeowners could benefit from some practice with a wrench, a hammer, and a screwdriver.