Wishing everyone a joyful, healthy, and prosperous 2026. As we welcome the new year, let’s celebrate the strength, resilience, and spirit of our community. May 2026 bring hope, opportunity, and continued growth, and may we work together to make Waterbury an even better place to live, work, and raise our children.
At the same time, Connecticut continues to support thousands of residents from paying significant medical debt. I'll dig deeper into how these efforts are making a real difference.
The state is dedicating millions of dollars to help homeowners make energy-saving upgrades. I'll break down how the new and vital program works.
These are the sections in today's email:
- Toy Drive For Children In Need
- Erasing Medical Debt
- Funding for Home Energy-Saving Upgrades
| Toy Drive For Children In Need |
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It was an honor to donate gifts at the annual CJR Holiday Toy Drive! The community's generous contributions will brighten the holidays for more than 400 families. This display of compassion and warmth at CJR's Waterbury Campus on Prospect Street is what the holiday season is all about.
I am grateful to CJR staff and volunteers as well as all the community partners for their work in supporting the toy drive. It makes a tremendous difference for the children in our community.
The state announced it has helped erase some or all of the medical debt for 40,000 Connecticut residents, a move to help those struggling to pay medical bills. Those affected should have received a letter in the mail this month notifying them that their debt has been forgiven.
The governor's office says the debt is forgiven at a fraction of its face value - typically costing a few pennies on the dollar.
This is the third round of the initiative, which has now eliminated $198 million in medical debt for 160,000 Connecticut residents since December 2024. CLICK HERE to learn more about the program.
| Funding for Home Energy-Saving Upgrades |
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The state has approved $18 million to launch the Housing Environmental Improvement Revolving Loan and Grant Fund. The new program is designed to help homeowners and affordable housing developers make energy-saving upgrades that lower utility costs and improve safety and comfort.
The program will support:
- More efficient heating and cooling systems
- Insulation and building upgrades
- Other improvements that reduce energy waste
It also tackles a big problem that often stops projects before they start: health and safety issues like asbestos, outdated wiring, mold, and moisture that must be fixed before energy work can move forward.
Funding breakdown:
- $6 million to help lower-income homeowners remove health and safety barriers so their homes qualify for weatherization and efficiency programs
- $12 million to help developers upgrade existing multifamily affordable housing with energy-efficient retrofits
This investment makes housing more affordable, cuts energy costs, and ensures more Connecticut residents can benefit from energy efficiency, regardless of income or ZIP code.
