Allan Appel Photo
The newest business owned and operated by a resident of the Housing Authority of New Haven is about to hit the streets … with vending carts selling tasty franks.
The founder of Boodie Watt’s Hot Dogs Yulonja Hoskie took the opportunity during the public comment session at Tuesday night’s HANH meeting to announce that her new venture will launch in April.
A resident of McConaughy Terrace in West Rock, Hoskie plans to deploy four vending carts selling hot dogs largely at HANH locations throughout the city. Her dogs are going to go for two bucks each.
She asked the commissioners to let her know when there are HANH events so she can cater them.
As part of its program to bring along as many residents as possible to self sufficiency, HANH gives a preference to resident-owned businesses when they submit bids or proposals for HANH-related work.
In a telephone interview after the meeting Hoskie said she had already benefited from the HANH resident revolving loan fund, which provides capital to resident-owned businesses. She had to submit a business plan that specifically indicates how the business will benefit HANH residents.
Hoskie plans to hire four public-housing tenants to man or woman the carts. Her role will be supervise and to supply. Hoskie received a loan of $20,146 to capitalize the business. She used it to buy the carts and other equipment like fire extinguishers and also the food.
The loan is at zero interest but must be repaid within a year, she said.
After her presentation to the commissioners, she took a seat next to Yul Watley, the owner of Advanced Construction Technologies (ACT) company, who also happens to be her dad.
ACT was one of the first resident-owned businesses; Yul Watley too started out disseminating dogs. So Hoskie in a sense grew up in the business. She prepared more formally by taking courses in business law and organization at Gateway Community College.
After some years, Yul Watley switched fields and now his new venture has significant contracts rehabbing HANH apartments at Westville Manor and around the city.
Ironically he said that in his efforts as the general contractor to hire resident-owned subs, or subcontractors, he was disappointed that few responded to his proposals.
“They need to step up to the plate,” he said.
HANH board chair Bob Solomon reassured Watley that the authority would work with him.
Hoskie said that as part of her sense of community she will designate at least one day a month “when kids eat free.”
Very interesting. This seems like a good initiative that perhaps should be expanded to working families that could use a supplemental income source like a small business or shop that might help them get off public assistance and it could be administered through the city, perhaps through economic development.