Christine Palm

Congratulations to the Town of Haddam, which received a $4,550,000 grant award for Serving Our Seniors – Affordable Senior Housing and Senior Center. This adaptive reuse, ADA-accessible project in Higganum Village will transform the former elementary school to create a new Senior Center and sidewalks connecting to downtown. Thirty-three units of affordable senior housing will be created. The site will also host the community food pantry, a multi-generational park, and a dog park. The former school auditorium will be available for public use.

Many stakeholders were involved in making sure the former school was put to good use for all the town, (see photo of townwide meeting “charrette” some years back), and I am pleased that in making this generous grant, the State of Connecticut is recognizing the worth of this project.

The Haddam project was one of eight under the third round of the Lamont Administration’s recently launched Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant program.

Administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), the program was created in 2021 with the purpose of funding a wide range of revitalization projects that will spur the growth of new jobs. This third round of grants leverages approximately $105 million in non-state dollars.

“We created this grant program to help our towns and cities build more housing and improve our ability to attract businesses and grow jobs,” Governor Lamont said. “These grants are targeted toward projects that will make neighborhoods even more attractive for private investments and increase new opportunities for residents.”