Latino Priorities Unveiled, New Housing Development, Veterans To Be Honored

January 25, 2024

I was proud to serve on two panels as officials unveiled the top priorities of Latino and Puerto Rican communities across our state. The results will help us build a better future. Keep scrolling to find out the top three issues affecting our neighborhoods.

Crews are in the midst of building brand new, affordable housing in our district. City and state leaders toured the new property at Grove and Linden Street. Please look below to see how those apartments are coming together.

And, two local veterans will be enshrined into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame this evening. I'll dig deeper into how these heroes served our country overseas and at home.

You will find the following sections below:

  • Latino Priorities in 2024
  • New Affordable Apartments Under Construction
  • Two Waterbury Veterans To Be Honored
 
Latino Priorities in 2024
Thank you to Rep. Felipe, Rep. Santiago, and Rep. Sánchez for contributing to eye-opening panels.

The Latino and Puerto Rican community came together for an amazing, sold-out summit of legislators, educators, advocates, and constituents to unveil the top Latino priorities of 2024. This event was the culmination of the work UConn put together to figure out the Latino and Puerto Rican policy agenda. Officials traveled around the entire state, spoke to Latino communities, and heard their voices.

Housing is by far the #1 concern for Latinos in not only Waterbury but the rest of the state. Constituents are worried about affording rent, covering heating bills, and getting evicted especially as costs continue to rise. According to a new report from the Connecticut Voices for Children, Latino and Black residents in Connecticut face a higher change of losing their homes and getting evicted. The report suggests more government action is required to promote affordable housing, which is why UConn and state lawmakers are getting involved.

The other top Latino priorities in 2024 are education and mental health. The Connecticut General Assembly’s Latino & Puerto Rican Division of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity will be working with the appropriate committees to address these issues head-on. Our collaborative approach will help us find solutions and implement effective policies to improve the lives of the Latino community.
 
New Affordable Apartments Under Construction
As mentioned above, our district is concerned about housing, and there is some good news. Construction is well underway at Linden Place, a mixed-income housing complex on the corner of Grove and Linden Streets. State and city leaders toured the project earlier this week to see all the progress in our neighborhood.
Linden Place will include 44 apartments with affordable and market rate housing. The revitalization project is expected to open in July. Thank you to Commissioner of Housing, Seila Mosquera-Bruno, for coming to Waterbury to check out this project.

Linden Place Apartments are a joint project between NeighborWorks New Horizons and the Harold Webster Smith Foundation, which is funded by the Department of Housing.
Click Here To Learn More About the Apartment Complex
 
Two Waterbury Veterans To Be Honored
The state will be inducting several veterans tonight, including two from Waterbury, into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame. The honor goes to local veterans who have made noteworthy contributions to their communities following their military service.

Michael Dalton served in the U.S. Army 1st Air Cavalry in Vietnam. Since then, Dalton has dedicated his life to cleaning every Waterbury veteran's tombstone dating all the way back to the French and Indian War. You can learn more about his life by CLICKING HERE.
The Waterbury Observer featured Michael Dalton's work in 2022.
Waterbury resident Peter Tragni will also be honored tonight. He served in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. He is now a retired Danbury police sergeant. 

Thank you for your service to our country followed by your enduring passionate work and volunteerism to our great state. You have, in your own way, made our communities a better place for all, especially our veterans.