City of Norwalk breaks ground on Oak Grove, a 69-unit affordable housing project

Yesterday, Monday, December 4, Mayor Rilling, the Norwalk Housing Authority, Lt. Governor Bysiewicz, Sen. Duff and Federal and State Leaders Celebrate the Groundbreaking of Oak Grove, a 69-unit Affordable Housing Project with a Brand-new Learning Center.

Oak Grove will consist of 69 rental apartments that are one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom sizes. The apartments will be restricted to households earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income. Eighteen units will be limited to 30% of Average Median Income (AMI), seventeen to 50% of AMI, seventeen to 60% of AMI, and seventeen to 80% of AMI. The project will leverage eighteen project-based Section 8 housing vouchers administered by the NHA. The average income of NHA's Section 8 voucher-holding families is less than $25,000 a year.

The project site is also well situated for future residents to access jobs, retail, education, healthcare and public transit. It is located approximately one mile west of the US-7 and I-95 interchange, within walking distance of numerous businesses along Connecticut Ave. It is also a short drive from the South Norwalk train station, CT State Community College (formerly Norwalk Community College), and Norwalk Hospital.

The new Learning Center, managed by the NHA, will offer free afterschool programs to K-5th grade students living at Oak Grove. The Learning Center aims to close the academic achievement gap for low-income children through a research-based curriculum that is specifically geared towards the needs of residents. It includes homework help, one-on-one literacy tutoring, STEM and art activities, yoga and physical fitness, computer lab, cultural events and special field trips. The Learning Center will accommodate 50 spots reserved for families living in Oak Grove, giving these underserved families stable and free access to year-round educational programming. The Learning Center also provides quality jobs for Learning Center instructional staff and a reliable afterschool care facility for children, whose parents and caregivers are often at work after school hours.

Oak Grove is the first project sponsored by NHA's non-profit development arm, Sound Communities, Inc. Oak Grove is a joint venture between Sound Communities and Heritage Housing, Inc., a Norwalk-based affordable housing developer. The project is being financed through a $5.8 million grant from the CT Department of Housing, a $1.8 million grant from the State's Community Investment Fund, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, as well as other funding sources.