BRIDGEPORT
- In a bold move to address the chronic shortage of affordable
housing, Catholic Charities has announced plans to build 34 supportive
housing units in the Hollow section of Bridgeport.
The units
will be built on and near the Thomas Merton Center campus.
The plan also calls for a project with Habitat for Humanity on
nearby Catherine Street, and 16 units in East Bridgeport.
CAPTION:
Architectural rendering of "Catholic Charities Homes"
to be built beside the Thomas Merton Center.
The Merton
Center project, to be called "Catholic Charities Homes,"
will include 26 one-bedroom units, four two-bedroom apartments,
and four three-bedroom apartments. The one-bedroom units will
be built on the site of the Merton Center parking lot on 43 Madison
Avenue. The two-and three-bedroom units will be built around the
block on Catherine Street.
An Urgent
Need
"Providing affordable housing is one of the most urgent needs
in the region," says Al Barber, Chief Executive Officer
of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Bridgeport. "It is also
a complex process requiring diverse financial resources, funding,
and partnerships. We believe that Catholic Charities is uniquely
positioned to have an impact on the issue and reach out to the
working poor. We have credibility in the housing arena, property
control, and experience working with the homeless population."
Bridgeport
Mayor John Fabrizi welcomed Catholic Charities as a partner
in the city's effort to provide affordable housing in the Hollow,
the most densely populated neighborhood in the city, which also
houses a large number of single mothers and their children.
"The Merton
Center has been a beacon of hope for poor and homeless people
in our region and has earned the respect of the entire community,"
the Mayor says. "With this announcement, Catholic Charities is
contributing substantially to my administration's goal of creating
1,500 new or rehabilitated housing units over the next two years.
"There is no doubt these efforts will have a very positive impact
on the neighborhood."
Bishop William E. Lori, who is chairman of the board of
Catholic Charities, thanked the Merton Center Advisory Board and
its Chairperson, Jeanie Tisdale, for moving the project
forward.
"I'm very
grateful to all the board members who had the vision and commitment
to provide housing for the poor," Bishop Lori says. "The diocese
has considerable experience in housing for the elderly through
Bishop Curtis Homes, and now, through Catholic Charities, we hope
to have an impact on the need for affordable housing for the homeless."
CAPTION:
Looking over plans at the construction site, with the Merton Center
in the background, are Catholic Charities CEO Al Barber, Merton
Center Board President Jeanie Tisdale, and Bill Hoey, who oversees
housing efforts for Catholic Charities. (Photo by John Glover)
"It's important
to look at the whole person. It's not enough to feed people, provide
support services and stop there. We need to couple housing with
these other services if we're going to break the cycle of poverty
for these children," adds Tisdale. "If we help to create a safe
environment and the children have a world view that is safe, then
they can enter it and become productive. The children who come
into Merton Center are beautiful and bright- eyed. Our challenge
is to keep that look and preserve that hope in their faces, so
that they will be successful. "The nine units we presently have
at Merton House have made a huge difference in the lives of those
who live there," Tisdale continues. "We know that housing works
to anchor a life, and we hope to do more."
2008
Opening
Barber says that plans for "Catholic Charities Homes"
have been drawn up, including architectural drawings, and negotiations
have already begun with Mutual Housing of Southwestern Connecticut,
which will build the project while Catholic Charities provides
services. The plan will now begin to move through the zoning and
permit process. Work could begin in 2007, with a 2008 opening.
Funding for
the project will include a $180,000 grant from the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), tax credits, individual
donations, and private foundation money to subsidize rental costs
that are passed on to the tenants. Catholic Charities will also
seek ongoing funding to provide social and supportive services
to help tenants remain in the units.
Other
Projects
This project is but one of several housing initiatives of Catholic
Charities. The Merton Center campus presently offers single room
occupancy (SRO) units through the Merton boarding house on Washington
Avenue. Catholic Charities is also teaming up with Habitat for
Humanity to renovate a duplex on Catherine Street. The renovation
project is slated to start this winter.
CAPTION:
Catholic Charities is also renovating the historic Conger House
in East Bridgeport into 16 apartments for the homeless.
The Bridgeport
region of Catholic Charities also sponsors the Scattered Site
Housing network of ten families which has provided housing for
people with serious illness for over a past decade. The largest
Catholic Charities' project now under way is "Conger House" on
the historic Washington Park Green on the East Side of Bridgeport.
Work has already begun to renovate the former mansion into 16
apartments for the homeless of the greater Bridgeport area. Catholic
Charities is partnering with Mutual Housing, which will undertake
all renovation and construction. Catholic Charities will then
handle all admissions, supervision, and the providing of support
services.
"The
Solution"
"Unlike emergency shelter and transitional housing, which are
also critically needed, permanent supportive housing is really
the solution," says Bill Hoey, Catholic Charities vice-president/
Bridgeport area executive, who oversees housing initiatives.
"Emergency
shelter takes people off the street and that is critical, but
we also need to address the long-term affordable housing issue
of working-poor families." The Merton Center project represents
a major step forward for Catholic Charities, which has long worked
with the poor and homeless throughout the diocese.
"The Merton
Center project will provide the opportunity for a full continuum
of services beginning with providing sanctuary for the homeless
who need a hot meal. Now, in addition to counseling and medical
services through St. Vincent's, we can offer them permanent supportive
housing and then the hope of transitioning to self-sufficiency,"
says Hoey, noting that it's a powerful progression for the homeless.
"Our goal is to give people options at each step of the process
as they move forward."
"Affordable
housing is not just a homeless issue, it is a significant problem
for the working poor," Hoey adds. "Soaring real estate values
have priced the poor out of Fairfield County. This lack of affordable
housing is also the root of many social problems in Fairfield
County. Family health, nutrition, relationships, and education
are affected by a lack of quality housing."
(Catholic
Charities is a leading provider of nutrition, mental health, adoption,
and family support services to people of all faiths in Fairfield
County. For more information, call 372-4301, ext. 391, or click
here.)
-30-
BRIDGEPORT
- Following a successful Open House Expo on June 12, the city's
six Catholic elementary schools are still accepting entries for
the raffle for 20 half scholarships, to be drawn on
June 21. 
Hundreds
attended the Expo held at the Cardinal Shehan Center. Principals,
teachers, and students were present with information on each "Cathedral
Education Cluster" school. The six elementary schools that
form the Cathedral Education Cluster are Saint Peter School, Saint
Ann School, Saint Ambrose School, Saint Andrew School, Saint Augustine
School at Saint Emery Parish, and Saint Raphael School.