Good morning! The City of New Haven is evicting close to 20 residents of a three-year-old homeless encampment along the West River in Connecticut.
Eviction notices were posted on their tents, citing “serious health and safety concerns,” such as open fires, defecation, trash and the building of permanent structures, as reasons for the removal. The homeless residents have until late Wednesday to move before authorities get involved.
Outreach workers have offered relocation assistance. According to a 2022 Annual Point-in-Time Count report, Connecticut is home to nearly 3,000 homeless residents. Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
Connecticut will extend its home heating assistance program until March 31. However, the state hasn’t spent any of the $30 million fund because of unusually warm winter conditions and rising oil costs, Governor Ned Lamont said. The fund directly pays utility companies for applicants’ heating bills. Households could receive up to $600 depending on their income.
Plans to establish a 1.5-mile long AirTrain connecting LaGuardia Airport to the Long Island Rail Road were canceled. New York Governor Kathy Hochul met with technical experts and Port Authority officials on Monday and determined the AirTrain would not be a cost effective transit solution for riders. Instead, the authority will improve existing MTA Q70 LaGuardia Link services and create a new non-stop airport shuttle service.
A new tuition-free, boys only middle school will open in Bridgeport this fall. The Covenant School of Bridgeport will focus on educating students from underserved communities. The school will open with a total class of 30 students, but hope to increase their student population to 60 students in the near future.
The Town of East Hampton is facing opposition for its plans to establish the Wainscott Commercial Center. The 50-lot industrial subdivision — among the largest developments in the Hamptons —has undergone the required environmental reviews, but residents are concerned the center will increase traffic, contaminate the Georgia Pond and worsen drinking groundwater sources. East Hampton’s planning board will host a public hearing on Wednesday.
Burials at two Brookfield cemeteries have been temporarily paused. The Central Cemetery Association’s last volunteer, Jeff Nolan, quit after no longer being able to manage burials by himself and has been calling for Central and Laurel Hill cemeteries to be run by professionals since 2017. Legislators have introduced a bill that would allow the state to temporarily assume management, care and administration of a cemetery.
New York’s Department of Labor will improve the state’s notification system following recent layoff issues. A new Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) online portal will include expedite layoff notices, quickly connect people looking for work to new career options and improve procedures for laying off remote employees. These WARN notice filings were sent to over 240,000 state workers in 2020.
The Connecticut Department of Education will provide $11.5 million to continue funding the Summer Enrichment Program in 2023 and 2024. The program provides high-quality and accessible summer enrichment opportunities for Connecticut children through donations to nonprofit education organizations. First beginning in 2021, these new funds will total to $32 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding dedicated to the program.
Nearly $10.5 million in Community Investment Funds were awarded to the cities of Bridgeport and New London. In Bridgeport, $3.5 million will be used in the completion of the East End development, known as the Civic Block. Another $4.5 million will be used to upgrade the Grand Street Bridge, and nearly $2.5 million will be used to renovate the South End Community Center. The fund also awarded $7.2 million to construct New London’s new Community and Recreation Center.
