{"id":372,"date":"2025-06-01T15:05:03","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T19:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/?p=372"},"modified":"2025-07-11T12:38:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T16:38:37","slug":"grant-program-funded-557-flooding-fixes-before-halting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/2025\/06\/01\/grant-program-funded-557-flooding-fixes-before-halting\/","title":{"rendered":"Grant Program Funded 557 Flooding Fixes Before Halting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

By Desirae Sin
UConn Journalism<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For years, many home\u00adown\u00aders in Hartford\u2019s North End neigh\u00adbor\u00adhoods could not afford cost\u00adly repairs to stop flood\u00ading in their base\u00adments relat\u00aded to over\u00adflows from the com\u00adbined sewage sys\u00adtem. Then, in September 2023, the state launched the Hartford Flood Relief and Compensation Programs (HFRCP) to aid Hartford res\u00adi\u00addents strug\u00adgling with flood\u00ading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In total, the state poured $9 mil\u00adlion into the HFRCP and helped hun\u00addreds of Hartford res\u00adi\u00addents to pre\u00advent fur\u00adther flood\u00ading with\u00adin their homes. But the pro\u00adgram ended in December 2024 and the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), the city\u2019s water and sewer agency, is still pro\u00adject\u00ading a few more decades to fully replace the city\u2019s sewer infra\u00adstruc\u00adture.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Gov. Ned Lamont announced the grants in 2023, he did so from the front lawn of a house on Granby Street, say\u00ading that the North End had \u201cbeen dis\u00adpro\u00adpor\u00adtion\u00adate\u00adly impact\u00aded by sewer over\u00adflows for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eligible home\u00adown\u00aders in the city who expe\u00adri\u00adenced flood dam\u00adage on or after Jan. 1, 2021, were able to receive finan\u00adcial assis\u00adtance and reim\u00adburse\u00adment for repairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The grants total\u00ading about $9 mil\u00adlion were part of the state\u2019s $85 mil\u00adlion con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adtion to the MDC\u2019s $170 mil\u00adlion improve\u00adment pro\u00adgram for the sew\u00ader\u00adage sys\u00adtem. The state\u2019s con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adtion also fund\u00aded improve\u00adments on more than 3,500 pri\u00advate prop\u00ader\u00adties on things like sewer lat\u00ader\u00adal repairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The grants for home\u00adown\u00aders ini\u00adtial\u00adly allo\u00adcat\u00aded about $5 mil\u00adlion to over 300 Hartford res\u00adi\u00addents. During the 2024 leg\u00adisla\u00adtive ses\u00adsion, an addi\u00adtion\u00adal $4 mil\u00adlion was added to the pro\u00adgram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This increase also expand\u00aded eli\u00adgi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty by includ\u00ading busi\u00adness and prop\u00ader\u00adty own\u00aders who did not reside with\u00adin the city limit. Connecticut\u2019s Office of the State Comptroller launched the pro\u00adgram and allo\u00adcat\u00aded funds to eli\u00adgi\u00adble res\u00adi\u00addents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur office was ini\u00adtial\u00adly grant\u00aded $5 mil\u00adlion to over\u00adsee a flood com\u00adpen\u00adsa\u00adtion pro\u00adgram. So, we launched the Hartford Flood Relief Compensation Program. We helped com\u00adpen\u00adsate res\u00adi\u00addents based on the dam\u00adage they had already received due to the neglect\u00aded infra\u00adstruc\u00adture in all of Hartford,\u201d said Madi Csejka, the controller\u2019s press sec\u00adre\u00adtary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In total, 557 appli\u00adca\u00adtions were approved with a total claim pay\u00adout of around $8.8 mil\u00adlion, accord\u00ading to the controller\u2019s office report<\/a> detail\u00ading the Hartford Flood Relief and Compensation Programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After deter\u00admin\u00ading their eli\u00adgi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty, appli\u00adcants were able to apply through the state government\u2019s web\u00adsite, in per\u00adson at the Blue Hills Civic Association (BHCA) or by mail. The appli\u00adca\u00adtion process required var\u00adi\u00adous forms of iden\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion and proof of res\u00adi\u00adden\u00adcy in Hartford, along with any insur\u00adance claims doc\u00adu\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion or record of repairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applicants would then have to wait for the pro\u00adgram admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtor to review their appli\u00adca\u00adtion and then receive a home inspec\u00adtion. If all went well, res\u00adi\u00addents would then receive pay\u00adments to cover repairs or reim\u00adburse them for repairs they\u2019ve already made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur part\u00adner\u00adship with BHCA fur\u00adther solid\u00adi\u00adfied [our] belief in the power of work\u00ading with com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions,\u201d Csejka said by email. \u201cThis pro\u00adgram could not have been com\u00adplet\u00aded with\u00adout their door-to-door out\u00adreach and appli\u00adca\u00adtion assis\u00adtance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although there were 776 appli\u00adca\u00adtions in total, 219 of those were denied or did not receive grants. Csejka said these appli\u00adca\u00adtions were denied for var\u00adi\u00adous rea\u00adsons. Some appli\u00adcants didn\u2019t respond to noti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtions of the next steps in the pro\u00adgram, oth\u00aders didn\u2019t qual\u00adi\u00adfy as their dam\u00adage was caused by ground flood\u00ading, some with\u00addrew their appli\u00adca\u00adtions and oth\u00aders didn\u2019t meet the Nov. 1, 2024 dead\u00adline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pro\u00adgram didn\u2019t just reim\u00adburse res\u00adi\u00addents for dam\u00adages. Scanlon said in a press release that it \u201chelped keep busi\u00adness\u00ades open, allowed fam\u00adi\u00adlies to stay in their homes, and com\u00adpen\u00adsat\u00aded peo\u00adple for irre\u00adplace\u00adable items lost in floods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One res\u00adi\u00addent of the Blue Hills neigh\u00adbor\u00adhood in the North End, attor\u00adney Cynthia Jennings, received finan\u00adcial aid from the HFRCP. She said she had lived with flood\u00ading her whole life and wit\u00adnessed water inun\u00addat\u00ading cars in dri\u00adve\u00adways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI lost all my mother\u2019s items after she died,\u201d Jennings said. \u201cEverything was mold\u00aded, so I couldn\u2019t save any\u00adthing,\u201d Jennings said. She said her base\u00adment had flood\u00aded sev\u00ader\u00adal times and recalled how her fam\u00adi\u00adly would wade through water to reach their wash\u00ading machine and dryer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jennings was approved for fund\u00ading to install a back\u00adflow pre\u00adven\u00adter in her base\u00adment, which pre\u00advents waste\u00adwater from flood\u00ading her home.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
Sewer Separation Construction in Hartford's North End neighborhood.<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/DSC_0017-min-681x1024.jpg\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/DSC_0017-min-681x1024.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-368\" style=\"width:400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/DSC_0017-min-681x1024.jpg 681w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/DSC_0017-min-199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/DSC_0017-min-100x150.jpg 100w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/DSC_0017-min-768x1155.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/DSC_0017-min-1021x1536.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/DSC_0017-min-1362x2048.jpg 1362w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/DSC_0017-min-1200x1805.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/DSC_0017-min-1980x2978.jpg 1980w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/DSC_0017-min-scaled.jpg 1702w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 681px) 100vw, 681px\">
Sewer sep\u00ada\u00adra\u00adtion con\u00adstruc\u00adtion in Hartford\u2019s North End. The MDC is dig\u00adging up streets and installing two pipes, one for waste and one for stormwa\u00adter. Photo by Justin Doughty<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Besides the work to stop flood\u00ading on pri\u00advate prop\u00ader\u00adty, con\u00adtrac\u00adtors for the MDC are work\u00ading on the pub\u00adlic part of the sys\u00adtem through\u00adout the North End. In some areas they are dig\u00adging up the streets and installing two pipes, one for waste and one for stormwa\u00adter. In oth\u00aders, they are lin\u00ading pipes and repair\u00ading old pipes to pre\u00advent leak\u00adage and other prob\u00adlems. Jennings said the sight of \u201ca big black and yel\u00adlow truck \u2026 maybe 10 to 20 of them every day\u201d\u2014the work\u00aders mak\u00ading these upgrades\u2014has become part of life. \u201cThey are lin\u00ading the pipes under\u00adneath the ground, and they\u2019re going through the man\u00adhole cov\u00aders for most of them, unless they have to dig the street up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the grants to repair pri\u00advate prop\u00ader\u00adty were given to res\u00adi\u00addents of the North End, Csejka said. \u201cBut any\u00adone in Hartford was eli\u00adgi\u00adble to apply.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the controller\u2019s office report on their pro\u00adgram, the north\u00adern half of Harford saw the most appli\u00adca\u00adtions, with the Blue Hills neigh\u00adbor\u00adhood out\u00adweigh\u00ading the rest of Hartford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe neigh\u00adbor\u00adhood of Blue Hills is locat\u00aded at the epi\u00adcen\u00adter of flood\u00ading. As such, it has seen the most appli\u00adca\u00adtions at 274,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same report includes the pay\u00adouts to each region, with Blue Hills receiv\u00ading the most funds, near\u00adly $2.8 mil\u00adlion. The sec\u00adond region to receive the most funds was Upper Albany at about $1.9 mil\u00adlion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But regions with high\u00ader prop\u00ader\u00adty val\u00adues had a high\u00ader aver\u00adage pay\u00adout, due to the dif\u00adfer\u00adent costs each home required and the high\u00ader prop\u00ader\u00adty val\u00adues. The West End and Frog Hollow had the high\u00adest aver\u00adage pay\u00adout per prop\u00ader\u00adty at around $21,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With severe weath\u00ader caused by cli\u00admate change, it\u2019s like\u00adly flood\u00ading in the city will remain a prob\u00adlem until it\u2019s been addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis ses\u00adsion, we request\u00aded $4 mil\u00adlion be allo\u00adcat\u00aded to the pro\u00adgram by the [state] leg\u00adis\u00adla\u00adture,\u201d Csejka said. \u201cBudget sea\u00adson is always a con\u00adtentious one. Our office remains hope\u00adful that the leg\u00adis\u00adla\u00adture will find the funds to close out the Hartford Flood Relief and Compensation Programs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

TOP PHOTO: Cynthia Jennings shows jour\u00adnal\u00adists where the back\u00adflow pre\u00adven\u00adter was installed in the base\u00adment of her Hartford home. Photo by Christine Woodside<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Desirae SinUConn Journalism For years, many home\u00adown\u00aders in Hartford\u2019s North End neigh\u00adbor\u00adhoods could not afford cost\u00adly repairs to stop flood\u00ading in their base\u00adments relat\u00aded to over\u00adflows from the com\u00adbined sewage sys\u00adtem. Then, in September 2023, the state launched the Hartford Flood Relief and Compensation Programs (HFRCP) to aid Hartford res\u00adi\u00addents strug\u00adgling with flood\u00ading. In\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":932,"featured_media":377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[20],"class_list":["post-372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grant-program","tag-grant-program"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/files\/2025\/05\/Jennings-in-basement-by-Woodside-scaled.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/932"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=372"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1198,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372\/revisions\/1198"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/hartford-north-end-chronic-flooding-sewage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}