New Haven Independent

Sylvia Cooper, the acting residential services manager, presented a plan at Tuesday’s Housing Authority of New Haven (HANH) meeting to establish an FSS (Family Self Sufficiency) center at the authority-owned building at 295 Wilmot Rd.

“The folks over in Westville Manor area are our Cinderella, our stepchildren,” Cooper told the HANH commissioners. “They feel left out there, due to the geography, and this program is very important to them. I hope you will let us make it happen!”

She then proceeded to lay out the proposal for the center. It is to be a room filled with computer equipment, where homework help for kids, workshops on budgeting, getting a G.E.D., upgrading computer and other skills are offered.

Currently, she explained, some 70 families citywide avail themselves of these services, but they are given at the HANH headquarters in a catch-as-catch-can manner. The new project will be centralized out in West Hills, in no small part, said Cooper, “because that population simply hasn’t had easy access to our work. And we’re not going to interfere, but augment, what small program is already out there.”

Part of the project will include purchase of a van to bring the families (39 out of 70 have their own transportation) to the new Wilmot Road center.

“This can really change lives,” she told the commissioners. “In the time I’ve been working on the FSS, eight families, through learning the process in our workshops, have moved out of public housing and closed on their own homes. Let’s be the fairy godmother.”

Did the commissioners approve? “With a theatrical presentation like that?” said board Chairman Robert Solomon wryly. “And on the merits, absolutely.” Then a positive vote was duly taken.