June 15, 2010

RELL SIGNS BILL FOR GOODWIN STUDENT HOUSING

By Christine McCluskey, Journal Inquirer

Legislation signed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell last week clears the way for at least 30 units in the East Hartford Housing Authority's King Court complex to be renovated by Goodwin College.

Goodwin could renovate the state-subsidized units, which are now vacant, and make them available to students who meet the low- and moderate-income housing requirements to live there.

Students who lived there could then walk to nearby Goodwin and not need transportation to get to their classes, Rep. Henry Genga, D-East Hartford, said.

He said many of the students would likely be single parents.

"It would be very convenient for them and their families," Genga said.

"It's a great opportunity and another plus for East Hartford," he added.

The 30 vacant units were built in 1952 and have become vacant over the past five years, most of them recently, as the Housing Authority hasn't had the money to refurbish them, Housing Authority Executive Director Robert Counihan said.

The work that needs to be done is mainly refurbishing kitchens and bathrooms, Counihan said.

No current tenants will be moved out of their units, Counihan and Todd Andrews, Goodwin's vice president of college relations and advancement, said. There are 80 units total in King Court, of which 50 are occupied.

Details about whether the college or the Housing Authority would own the 30 vacant units to be refurbished, who would maintain them, and exactly how many units would be renovated remain to be worked out in an agreement between Goodwin and the Housing Authority.

Andrews said Goodwin hopes to acquire the 30 units from the Housing Authority, but approvals from other state agencies would be needed for that to happen.

"The legislation merely opened the door for us to work with the Housing Authority on this project," Andrews said. He said the legislation got the proposal over a "significant hurdle," though.

The project could cost millions of dollars, and so the timeline of the renovations depends on the funding Goodwin is able to get for them, Andrews said. He said the college is now looking for sources of funding.

"It is going to take some time to put all of the pieces together," he said.