Since New Haven was first gridded into nine central squares, planners and politicians have attempted to create an ideal urban environment in its city scape. As a product of more than three centuries of ambitious efforts, the city remains an ever-changing canvas. Its designation as an "All-American City" in 1998 and 2003 reflects New Haven's committment to positive change.

Like the city it serves, the Housing Authority of the City of New Haven (HANH) has also been an innovator in the field of urban planning. HANH was established in 1938 in response to the United States Housing Act of 1937, which offered federal loans to local housing authorities to redevelop neighborhoods. Historically, HANH has been dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of its residents.  While assumptions about the proper means to accomplish this mission have changed since HANH's inception, the Housing Authority remains committed to finding new ways to provide quality affordable housing for New Haven.

Within a year of its creation, HANH's first board had developed a large-scale plan, known as Elm Haven, to build new housing on the edge of the deteriorating Dixwell neighborhood.  Believing that total redevelopment would stop the expansion of the slum, Elm Haven's planners imagined a "modern utopia" for low-income residents moving from some of the city's worst housing. Elm Haven was HANH's first housing development and one the earliest public housing projects in the nation. Quinnipiac Terrace and Farnam Courts were subsequently completed in 1941. As World War II swelled the population of New Haven with wartime labor, these family developments were noted for their effective use of space in a city facing a housing crisis. The planners did not anticipate that these rationalized arrangements would be detrimental, as later analysts would show, to the social well-being and security of their residents.

Following the War, New Haven remained in a housing shortage and the Housing Authority was the leading builder of new units in the city.  HANH bid for the development of moderate income housing at McConaughy Terrace, Brookside, and Rockview on the western outskirts of New Haven.  These projects were controversial from their planning stages.  Critics disagreed with the principle of publicly funding middle-income units, and derided the development's uniform architecture.  Yet these critics failed to acknowledge a more fundamental design flaw in these units: their isolation, both to central New Haven and to the nearby suburb of Hamden, which divided itself from the complexes with a well-maintained chain-link fence.

Despite the expansion of Elm Haven and Farnam Courts in the 1950s and 60s, New Haven could not satisfy its housing needs. The limits of large-scale development, like the ten-story tower at Elm Haven completed in 1955, were becoming clear even as the federal government expanded its efforts to redevelop urban areas under the Great Society program. Critics argued that their isolation fostered a "city within a city" effect that disintegrated tenants from the larger community. 

HANH's focus shifted from housing low-income families to sheltering an expanding elderly population in the early 1970s. A variety of highrises and garden apartment complexes were built in nearly every neighborhood of the city. Of these units, the most experimental project was the Oriental Masonic Gardens, built in 1971 in West Rock.  Its completely modular design made it "the vision of the housing projects of the future." But the price of this convenience was quality; within a decade, the failing units were demolished by HUD for their poor construction and replaced by the present-day Westville Manor.

By the 1980s, it was clear that HANH's affordable housing stock did not adequately meet the needs of a changing city.  While the number of low-income families and individuals was expanding in New Haven, there were few resources for public development of new affordable housing.  Meanwhile, HANH's housing stock began to show its age, with ever-increasing maintenance needs and outdated site designs, unit designs and building systems.  Administrative and maintenance problems exacerbated these conditions. During the 1990s, HUD planned federal receivership of the agency and it was placed on HUD's "Troubled Agencies" list.

Despite these obstacles, New Haven has every reason to be optimistic about the future of public housing in the city: 

• In 1989, Elm Haven began to be redeveloped, and with a HOPE VI grant, it has been completely rebuilt as the Monterey Place neighborhood.  In 2003, HANH received its second HOPE VI redevelopment grant for the reconstruction of Quinnipiac Terrace.
• In 1998, Mayor John DeStefano and the HANH Board of Commissioners brought in a new management team, which has effectively transformed the agency into a high performer.  In annual HUD evaluations, which score housing authorities on factors such as financial management and capital maintenance, HANH's score improved from 33.76 points (out of 100 total points) in 1998 to 72.7 points in 2001, and continues to rise yearly.
• In 2001, HANH received HUD status as a Moving to Work (MTW) agency. As one of fewer than 30 MTW agencies nationwide, HANH is granted flexibility from many regulatory requirements so that we can more effectively meet the local needs of our own community.
• MTW status has enabled HANH to undertake major redevelopment and modernization projects to improve our public housing portfolio, including significant work at West Rock and Eastview Terrace.  Also, our elderly housing will soon receive major renovations. 
• HANH has increased its number of accessible units to accomodate the housing needs of New Haven residents with disabilities.

HANH's first and foremost MTW goal is to transform its public housing stock into housing of choice by 2007. MTW status is critical for HANH's ability to achieve this goal - as is the proven committment of the City of New Haven, its Mayor, and its agencies and staff.  Most importantly HANH has developed the people resources - a rejuvenated city-wide resident organization, VOICES; active tenant councils; and dedicated staff members - all of whom are critical to the real transformation of New Haven public housing.

Sections adapted from Robert A. Solomon, "Building a Segregated City: How We All Worked Together," Saint Louis University Public Law Review, Vol 16:2, 1997.

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The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven
360 Orange Street
PO Box 1912
New Haven, CT 06511

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