State

Guv Grants Renters Relief; Eviction Moratorium Extended Thru July; Grace Periods For April, May

by | Apr 10, 2020 1:19 pm | Comments (4)

Gov. Ned Lamont issued a series of statewide renter protections in his latest Covid-19 executive order — extending the state’s eviction moratorium through July 1, requiring landlords to grant a three-month grace period for April rent payments and a two-month grace period for May rent payments, and allowing tenants who have been impacted by the coronavirus to use parts of their security deposits to cover unpaid rent.

Continue reading ‘Guv Grants Renters Relief; Eviction Moratorium Extended Thru July; Grace Periods For April, May’

CT Voices: Recession Likely, Depression Preventable

by | Apr 2, 2020 5:23 pm | Comments (1)

Emily Hays Photo

New Haven’s downtown remains quiet as neighbors practice social distancing.

Spend now. Tax the wealthy later.

Connecticut Voices for Children delivered that straightforward message Thursday during a virtual press conference at which the advocacy group released details from its latest report.

The report put forward several recommendations on how the state and federal government should respond to a coronavirus-linked recession and how to recover from it. (Read the full report here.)

Continue reading ‘CT Voices: Recession Likely, Depression Preventable’

Bysiewicz Adapts To Covid-19 Routine

by | Apr 1, 2020 6:18 pm | Comments (1)

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz Wednesday on WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven.”

You may have seen President Trump and Vice-President Pence next to each other in public delivering pandemic updates.

But Connecticut’s governor and lieutenant governor? They’re under order to stay apart until the spread of Covid-19 passes. And they’re following the order.

Continue reading ‘Bysiewicz Adapts To Covid-19 Routine’

State Pressed On Protections For Vulnerable People Seeking Social Services Amid COVID-19

by | Mar 23, 2020 5:15 pm | Comments (0)

Thomas Breen File Photo

New Haven Legal Assistance Association’s Shelley White (left) signed the letter to the state alongside three other legal aid organizations.

As low-income workers lose jobs or hours during the coronavirus public health crisis, New Haven legal aid is asking the state to eliminate barriers to those workers getting help, like fears that undocumented family members might get deported after going to the doctor.

Continue reading ‘State Pressed On Protections For Vulnerable People Seeking Social Services Amid COVID-19’

School-Justice Advocates Ready “March 4 Equity”

by | Mar 4, 2020 2:14 pm | Comments (1)

Harry Droz Photo

Ready to March: Jesse Turner & Robert Goodrich at WNHH FM.

Jesse Turner is ready to don his bright green fluorescent sneakers and his beat-up walking man hat” to march for educational justice in Connecticut — and he’s inviting everyone else who cares about fairness in our schools to join him.

Continue reading ‘School-Justice Advocates Ready “March 4 Equity”’

AG Tong Targets Juul For Targeting Youth

by | Feb 25, 2020 5:31 pm | Comments (4)

Christopher Peak Photo

AG William Tong at Hillhouse.

After announcing a multi-state probe into Juul Labs, the electronic cigarette manufacturer that’s been faulted for creating a public-health crisis, Attorney General William Tong sat down with high-schoolers in New Haven Tuesday to hear their take on the epidemic.”

Their answers weren’t what Tong expected to hear.

Continue reading ‘AG Tong Targets Juul For Targeting Youth’

Found $$ May Fix Newhall Foundations

by | Feb 20, 2020 1:28 pm | Comments (1)

St. Mary Street, in the neighborhood where remediation took place.

Sam Gurwitt Photos

Walter Morton at WNHH FM.

As Walter Livingston Morton IV was digging around in state bonding ordinances this spring, he found a welcome surprise: $6 million still lying around in an old state-issued bond for remediation of the Newhall Street area in the southern part of Hamden.

Continue reading ‘Found $$ May Fix Newhall Foundations’

Scramble On To Close $10.8M Schools Gap

by | Feb 20, 2020 9:17 am | Comments (27)

Christopher Peak Photo

Mayor Elicker (at right, with Yesenia Rivera): “Hens are coming home to roost” after years of irresponsible city budgeting.

Almost certain to be flat-funded once again, the city’s public schools are facing another year of drastic budget reductions.

The latest round of cost-cutting could reduce the number of high-school electives, trim the length of the school year and pack school buses — to get only halfway through the budget shortfall the district will likely have to close next school year.

Continue reading ‘Scramble On To Close $10.8M Schools Gap’

Dwight Gets The School-Funding Message

by | Feb 5, 2020 8:54 am | Comments (23)

Christopher Peak Photos

School CFO Penn: New Haven behind by an “awful lot of money.”

Dwight neighbors examine school district’s proposed plan.

Mark Griffin had a front-row seat at opening night of a new neighborhood road show starring local education officials — and left vowing to write to his representatives from New Haven to Hartford to Washington, seeking more money for public schools. 

Continue reading ‘Dwight Gets The School-Funding Message’

Schools Ready $12M Road Show

by | Feb 4, 2020 4:19 pm | Comments (13)

Aside from restricted Alliance grants, the state’s funding has been flat for most of the decade.

After back-to-back years of budget slashing, New Haven’s Board of Education concluded it has built up enough trust in its financial management to ask for a $12.5 million increase in funds for next school year — and is taking its case directly to the public.

Continue reading ‘Schools Ready $12M Road Show’