Allan Appel Photo
This vacant corner lot where Dixwell meets Munson has long been sending up only green grass. It may sprout nine homes in the future as the housing authority continues to move forward divesting itself of non-productive properties.
At its board meeting this week, the housing authority’s commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to permit the lot, technically called number 7 Shelton Ave., to be developed by Beulah Land Corporation, a not-for-profit development arm of the Beulah Heights Pentecostal Church nearby on Orchard Street at Munson.
Beulah Land Development Corporation has already developed elderly housing and townhouse units on Orchard Street and in other areas around the popular church.
The Housing Authority of New Haven (HANH) came into the possession of the property, according to Vision Appraisal, in 2002. The purchase price at that time was $49,000.
The disposal of the land for $49,000 required approval from the federal department of Housing and Urban Development. It was granted in June of last year. Recently Beulah approached HANH and asked for a restructuring of the financing for the sale of the property.
To reduce the price of the nine houses to be built in the future, Beulah officials asked HANH to remain the owner of the property. That would in effect have HANH continue to pay taxes while Beulah did the development deal. The result would permit Beulah to sell their houses at more affordable prices.
In the process, none of the $49,000 purchase price would be paid to HANH right away. Instead the authority would receive a portion of the purchase price at each closing. At that time title would transfer to the homebuyer.
The deal entails two years to do the financing and pre-development, and three more years for the houses or “units” to be built.
Commissioners expressed some concern at the length of time the project will take. The concern was raised by board Chair Bob Solomon, who pointed out tha Beulah has owned the triangular strip of land between the church building and 7 Shelton for at least ten years. During that time, plans for a pharmacy have not come together.
The deputy director for special projects at HANH, Jimmy Miller, said an advantage of the new deal is that the development time would be capped; that was not the case with the 2010 arrangement.
So technically, the commissioners approved a lease, not a sale. It was approved unanimously.
HANH Sells Lot To Columbus House
In another disposition of vacant land, HANH agreed to enter into an agreement to lease the site of the former Sheffield Manor at 51 – 61 Division Street. In this instance, the partner is homeless care agency Columbus House.
By terms of the unanimously passed resolution, Columbus House pays HANH one dollar. That gives Columbus House a year to develop a feasible plan for redevelopment of the property for low-income housing.
Recently HANH worked out a proposal whereby it would turn over the disintegrating and hard-to-maintain Valentina Macri Court to Columbus House. In that case, the remaining tenants are being relocated.
Recalling what a “horrible” development Sheffield Manor had been and why HANH had had to tear it down, Bob Solomon asked for assurances from the staff that HANH would be able to exercise approval over the design of the project.
Miller said, “It has to come back to the board,” meaning HANH commissioners could still approve or disapprove the architecture as well as the finances for the development.
Allowing a parcel like the triangular one that Bob mentions to sit vacant and trashed for 10 years is not acceptable. Abandoned properties like this are directly linked to crimes, job losses, disinvestment, and stress, and the property owner should be held partially responsible for those problems. The city should take back the property and give it to someone who will have a contract to put it back to use.
People wonder why some of our neighborhoods are stuggling - poor policies by the city, as evidenced here, are largely the reason why. But since these policies and their results disproportionately impact people who do not have political power, such as children and poor people, they are largely ignored.