Olivia Gross Photo
Baines cuts ribbon on her new home.
Tamika Baines dreamed of owning her own home — then shed tears of joy as she realized that dream at a renovated former blighted property in Newhallville.
That happened Tuesday afternoon on the front porch of the home Baines has purchased on West Hazel Street with the help of nonprofit Neighborhood Housing Service.
NHS staff, the general contractor who oversaw renovating the home, the plumber, and friends attended in support of Baines as she cut a ceremonial ribbon for her now house.
The house in question used to be red and white, boarded up with warped floors, and occupied by asbestos and raccoons. Now, it’s a grand three-unit blue property with off-street parking, central air, and a finished basement.
Baines said that she grew up in Newhallville, and it has always been important to her to buy a home within the neighborhood.
She volunteers as a basketball coach and works as a behavioral therapist in the New Haven public school system.
“The city gets a bad rap but it’s where my heart is,” she said.
Baines said she hopes to purchase more homes through NHS and rent them out. She will be a tenant-focused landlord, she promised, helping people lead successful lives by having safe, comfortable homes.
“I just want to be the best example I can be,” she said. “I’m so blessed.”
The new house.
The back of the house.
Zillow
The same house years before the renovation: suitable only for raccoons.
She represents the kind of person NHS works with to help put down roots and stabilize city neighborhoods. NHS rehabilitates dilapidated old homes and builds new affordable homes on empty lots to help working families set down roots in New Haven. The group has concentrated on sections of Newhallville as part of its work, and turned around some 300 homes with 500 units citywide. With the help of tax credits and grants, the nonprofit can sell the homes below market rate — so that, say, a single head of household earning the area median income of $59,590 can afford to buy one. NHS also runs a Home Ownership Center that provides classes on home maintenance, money management, how to be a landlord, and vegetable gardening.
View from the third-floor unit. Keeping the windows intact was prioritized.
The new kitchens, modern and full of light.
NHS Executive Director Jim Paley said that this property took longer than most because of the pandemic and delivery delays.
“Overall, we took a loss, but it was so important for this neighborhood. Homeownership is getting very difficult,” he said. He said that NHS is aiming to provide opportunities for families to avoid the conditions created by megalandlords who spend the bare minimum on maintenance and renovations.
Jim Paley speaking to the crowd.
NHS is soon to break ground on the vacant lot right next to this home.
Director of Real Estate Development Michael Haynes noted NHS’s dedication to hiring minority-owned businesses to work on their projects. “We did our best to be inclusive and I can’t think of a better person to own the house,” he said.
Emerge CT, a nonprofit that employs formerly incarcerated people, completed the indoor demolition for this project. Executive Director Alden Woodcock explained that demolition is a great learning opportunity because you can see construction in reverse.
Minority-owned FAD Mechanical did the plumbing and heat for the property. Co-owner Henry Smith III went through the NHS process a few years ago himself and bought a home in Newhallville . “I came from a ‘hood house, and then bought my own,” he said. Smith and his partner Lawrence “Jay” McLaurin aim to spread the word that plumbing is a viable career choice.
Architect Julia McFadden provided the architectural sketches to NHS for this property pro bono: “I love seeing old homes being updated while keeping the history, especially at this price point.”
The crowd moved outside for the ribbon-cutting ceremony halfway through the open house. The NHS crew stood on the freshly wooded porch with Baines at the front, looking out at the street and her future.
Baines with State Rep. Robyn Porter.
State Rep. Robyn Porter said she was excited about welcoming Baines to the area: “People are looking to thrive, not just survive. Just think about the influence she’ll have – we can’t be what we can’t see…
“In Black and Brown communities we have not had the opportunity to build generational wealth. Homeownership can change that.”
Newhallville Alder Devin Avshalom-Smith said that “having another homeowner put down roots on the block will push everyone else to make the area a better place to live.” He said he looks forward to returning Newhallville to its reputation as the leading city neighborhood for Black homeowners.