Connecting Meriden and New Haven With HUD's ConnectHome Program

Representatives from New Haven and Meriden Housing Authorities and HUD officials at the Meriden Commons complex.

Shared common areas of Meriden Commons complex.

Exterior view of the Meriden Commons complex.

On June 7, 2018, the HUD Hartford Field Office held a joint meeting with the Meriden and New Haven Housing Authorities regarding HUD's ConnectHome program (https://connecthomeusa.org/). The goal of the meeting was to provide program updates and to discuss the successes and challenges faced by the Meriden Housing Authority (MHA) during its first two years of program designation. Discussions covered action plans, internet access and providers, securing devices through donations and digital training for residents. The New Haven Housing Authority (NHHA) also presented its plans to track resident usage of programs to better understand outcomes and measure program success.

The meeting concluded with a tour of MHA's newest property, Meriden Commons, which, like other public housing developments MHA has developed in the past five years, includes building-wide wi-fi in support of their commitment of connectivity for all residents.

Meriden Commons is a newly constructed, mixed-income development located in the heart of downtown Meriden and right across from the City's newest park that includes an outdoor amphitheater and walking paths with green space. Adjacent to the park is a new train station that will provide service linking New Haven to Springfield beginning in late June, 2018.

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