FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

SEN. OSTEN, HEBRON OFFICIALS WELCOME STATE FUNDNG TO INSTALL COMMUNITY WELLS FOR PLANNED HOUSING

HEBRON – State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) and Hebron officials today welcomed the news that the State of Connecticut has awarded Hebron a $2,106,000 state grant for the Hebron Town Center Initiative that will bring recreation, economic development, and future developments in town, including affordable housing.

Currently there is insufficient water capacity to grow the Hebron town center, and this infrastructure grant will help install community wells, which will help enable the construction of approximately 52 housing units on a 16.5-acre parcel of land on Church Street that St. Peter’s Episcopal Church purchased last fall.

“In a lot of small Connecticut towns, population growth and housing growth and economic growth is often stifled by a lack of basic, necessary infrastructure like water lines, sewer lines, storm water management and electrical service. This state grant for Hebron, with a population of about 9,600 people, is absolutely key to unlocking the water that will be needed to serve new homes, grow Hebron’s population, its tax base, and launch more economic activity. I’m very happy for Hebron,” Sen. Osten said.

“This state grant is huge. It’s going to get the ball rolling in a few different ways. It’s going to give us money to do exploratory drilling on the property,” Hebron Town Manager Andy Tierney said. “This project will be a big economic boost for the center of town, and I want to thank Senator Osten for listening to us and getting this grant through.”

Amy D’Amaddio, president of the Coalition on Diversity & Equity (CoDE) which seeks to improve affordable housing, economic development and education in Hebron, Marlborough, Andover and Columbia, said she’s excited with the changes the grant can bring.

“It’s important to recognize that segregation will continue without state government making investments in infrastructure. People can’t move to these areas, and we can’t see the development that we want to see, without government supporting infrastructure like water and sewer lines,” D’Amaddio said. “The community well that will be built on St. Peter’s property will make this housing a reality.”

The Hebron grant is part of a total $23 million in state funds that have just been awarded to eight towns and cities under the third round of the recently launched Connecticut Communities Challenge Grant program. Administered by the state Department of Economic and Community Development, this program was created in 2021 with the purpose of funding a wide range of revitalization projects that will spur the growth of new jobs.

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