The Inner City News e-Edition

City Hall Clash: Will The Real Tenants Union Please Stand Up?

by Mona Mahadevan

Tensions flared outside City Hall on Thursday as dueling Sunset Ridge tenants unions squared off, each calling itself the real union and dismissing the other as fake.

The confrontation marked the latest salvo in a months-long feud between the two groups claiming to represent the tenants of Sunset Ridge, a 312-unit, low-income apartment complex owned by the Capital Realty Group.

On the steps of City Hall, members of one union — backed by the Connecticut Tenants Union (CTTU) — celebrated that a majority of tenants at the Quinnipiac Meadows complex had signed union cards. Once the Fair Rent Commission verifies their signatures, the union will be formally recognized by the city.

In the middle of that announcement, members of the rival union — led by long-time tenant Sebastian Gomez and Fair Haven landlord Alejandro De Frutos — launched a counter-protest, chanting, “Stop extortion of the tenants!”

The CTTU-backed union fired back, shouting, “Fight! Fight! Fight! Housing is a human right!”

As tensions rose, a half-dozen police officers arrived and ordered the two groups to maintain 15 feet of distance.

The clash came as members of tenants unions at seven Capital Realty-owned properties across five states — including Park Ridge in West Hills — speak out about their experiences with mold, mice, roaches, untreated water leaks, and broken radiators. It also follows accusations from some Sunset Ridge tenants, who say Capital Realty is retaliating against them for speaking to CTTU organizers.

Thursday’s press conference itself focused on tenants’ living conditions and pushed on Capital Realty to agree to a collective bargaining process.

Cynthia Vega-Vieyra — a Sunset Ridge tenant of seven years and member of the CTTU-backed union — accused management of being “only concerned with their own financial and personal interests.” She said she and her neighbors are being forced to deal with “mold, cockroaches, 30-year-old carpets, mice, and flooding” in their homes, as well as “maintenance workers stealing from people” and “management trying to charge bogus $300 fees.”

Marcel Velano said it took almost three months for Sunset Ridge to fix his mother’s collapsed ceiling. And Tawana Galberth, a Sunset Ridge tenant, reported that management never addressed the mold growing in her home, even after, she said, she had told them she developed respiratory issues and “couldn’t breathe.”

“I rebuke the name of Sunset Ridge because they don’t represent me,” declared Galberth.

When asked about similar complaints for a separate article, Yoana Avila, a property manager at Sunset Ridge, told

the Independent that the property is “well-maintained with no violations or complaints regarding heat or hot water issues.” She said the complex “engaged a licensed mold inspection company, which confirmed there are no mold issues.”

From January through October, the Livable City Initiative received 38 complaints of health and safety violations at Sunset Ridge.

On Thursday, Mayor Justin Elicker said that Sunset Ridge, after operating without a residential rental license for seven months, has applied to renew their permit. As part of that process, LCI will conduct an inspection of the property on Monday.

When discussing the rival union during the press conference, Vega-Vieyra referred to them with air quotes, accusing Gomez and De Frutos of “seeking followers on social media” instead of organizing “people who reason or question their manipulative economic system.”

For months, CTTU organizers have accused Capital Realty of paying Gomez and De Frutos to set up a “fake” union — one openly supported by management, including in emails to the Independent. In a press release, CTTU claimed at least one member of the management-backed union is on Capital Realty’s staff.

On Thursday, De Frutos — who said he lives at Sunset Ridge but is not listed on a lease — denied having any formal ties, financial or otherwise, with management. He then accused CTTU of extorting tenants.

“If you’re gonna play Robin Hood, you should do that for free,” said De

Frutos. “These people are charging the tenants $20 to be part of the union. Our union does not charge a penny or dime to anybody.”

Gomez added that their group cooperates with management to address problems and has already gotten them to install cameras, replace floors, and resolve maintenance problems.

CTTU Vice President Luke Melonakos rejected the extortion claims. He said CTTU requests voluntary monthly dues of $10 — or $5 for tenants on fixed incomes — but does not require payment. “We’ve never kicked anybody out of the union because they didn’t pay dues,” he said.

In a separate interview, Raymundo and Hugo, former tenants of De Frutos, urged the Independent not to trust him. They described De Frutos as a “slumlord” and claimed to have lived without heat for five years at his property on 292 Ferry St.

“He’s not a good person,” said Raymundo. Hugo agreed, calling De Frutos “fake.”

Christina Molla and Jeanneth Morales, members of the De Frutos-Gomez union, said they are generally satisfied with their apartments.

In Spanish, Morales, who’s lived at Sunset Ridge for one-and-a-half years, said, “Anything that we say is damaged, they come and fix it for us.” She appreciates that renting the apartment was straightforward, even as an immigrant with “small children,” and that her rent is manageable.

Molla, also in Spanish, said her old apartment complex was “a real shithole.” She “thanks God” that she’s been able to live at Sunset Ridge, a place she described as calm and quiet.

When asked why they decided against the CTTU-backed union, both Morales and Molla pointed to their signs, which accuse CTTU President Hannah Srajer and Melonakos of extorting tenants.

Molla also alleged that Melonakos offered to pay her rent if she joined the union — a claim that Melonakos denied. Meanwhile, De Frutos said his union gathered 230 signatures, a number that Melonakos contests. Melonakos said the CTTU-backed union collected 162 signatures, a number that De Frutos contests.

If those tallies are accurate, then both groups have won support from a majority of tenants. Melonakos explained that the overlap might reflect tenants signing a document asking if they want better living conditions without knowing which union they were agreeing to join.

“That’s part of why this whole thing is so annoying and distracting,” he said. “The point is, by our count of 162, and by whatever number they claim to have, enough tenants at Sunset Ridge feel that the conditions are bad enough to” make “the choice to unionize.”

Atwater Thanksgiving Melds Languages, Generations

by Laura Glesby

A class of fourth graders from Fair Haven School serenaded over 100 seniors in English, Spanish, and Cherokee at the Atwater Senior Center’s Thanksgiving gathering early Tuesday afternoon.

Music teacher Anna Denos conducted as the children sang, drummed, and shook maracas to the gentle beat.

“Oh, that’s nice — Spanish and English!” commented 81-year-old Juana Curbelo from a table near the front as the students sang a bilingual “Demos Gracias.”

This year, the community meal and performance was organized by staff of the nearby Mary Wade senior care center, Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller, and representatives of the police and fire department. It featured dozens of volunteers from the Fair Haven Community Management Team, Fair Haven Community Health Care, CitySeed, Grand Avenue Special Services District, and a variety of city staff, local politicians, and community members. Police and Fire Department affiliates, Fair Haven Community Health Care, the management team, the Rotary Club, and State Reps. Al Paolillo and Juan Candelaria contributed a total of $3,000 to make the gathering happen.

The senior center, said city Elderly Services Director Tomi Veale, is a place where community members can check in on each other and look out for one another’s mental and physical health. “We are

like family,” she said.

Miller said that Fair Haven School’s participation in the event represents “the future of this building that we want”: a vision of the Atwater Senior Center as a

place for intergenerational connections.

Two of the fourth graders who performed on Tuesday noted that their favorite part of the performance was the medley of languages.

“I was so nervous,” one of them said.

Another said that the Cherokee song, “Wen’deyaho,” was especially exciting to sing because “it’s another language to learn.”

Their performance encapsulated one beloved feature of the Atwater Senior Center, according to 75-year-old West River resident Alice McKenzie.

McKenzie said she’s been coming to events at the senior center for about four months. When she first stepped inside, she felt nervous about not knowing how to speak Spanish. She wondered if she’d be able to find a sense of community where many people who might not be able to understand her, and where she might not be able to understand them. But she pushed herself to go anyway, figuring, “Somebody there would translate for me.”

McKenzie recalled sitting in the back of the room her first time at Atwater. “One of the ladies came and asked me if I was all right,” she recalled. “That made me feel good… It means so much.”

“The people here are like a family,” McKenzie said. “They know my leg bothers me.”

When she waits outside for her ride home, someone’s often there to wait with her.

And when she arrived for the Thanksgiving lunch on Tuesday morning, she initially sat in the back of the room — but she said that a staff member approached her and helped her move closer to the front, where they knew she would be able to hear better.

“And now I can laugh and enjoy,” McKenzie said.

She wound up sitting at a table with Curbelo, who said she started coming to programs at the Atwater Senior Center about two months ago.

“I was feeling kind of lonely,” Curbelo said. “I decided to come here to make friends, socialize.” She attended structured events, like bingo, but sought “mostly to have the company of the people.” She’s run into people she’d previously lost touch with.

“That made me feel better,” she said. “I don’t feel lonely anymore.”

That’s exactly the message that one fourth grader hoped to convey to her elders through the performance.

“No matter where they go,” the student said, “they can always make a friend.”

Health Chief Takes City’s Pulse

by Paul Bass

Bond is asking everyone in town that question as she plots the 2.0 version of how local government keeps the city healthy.

Bond didn’t have time to do that when she took over as New Haven’s health director in 2020. Months into her tenure, Covid-19 shut down the city — and thrust her department into the forefront of keeping the community connected and alive. She did get started on other ideas she had for upping the city’s public health game, but she had to operate in crisis mode. For years.

Finally, in 2023, “I felt like we started shifting,” Bond said. Now her department is moving forward with renewed efforts in conjunction with community agencies to keep substance abusers alive, make vaccines available, protect kids from lead paint and illegal smoke-shop concentrated-THC peddlers.

Bond spoke about those plans in a health department check-up interview on WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven.”

“Responding to a pandemic did not give me the opportunity to reconnect with my community, where you meet with individuals, you build or reestablish relationships,” Bond, who grew up in New Haven, recalled Thursday. “People had to trust me immediately. It was a true challenge, but it also brought us together. New

Haven was a model… we had one of the highest vaccination rates and response efforts across the country. Now I’m looking forward,” Bond said, to building on a longer-term vision for public health in New Haven.

The department is in the final weeks of conducting an online survey of New Haveners as part of a “Community Health Assessment.” The quick survey asks people about their health needs, trust in the health system, and trusted sources of information. Click here to take the survey. The department has hired a firm to con-

duct focus groups to supplement the effort. Bond plans to use the results as part of crafting a five-year plan for the department’s next steps.

Meanwhile, she has reconstituted a lead paint task force to stay on top of the department’s efforts to monitor complaints about health risks in homes and help property owners obtain money to help pay for remediation. When the city hired Bond, tackling lead paint was the controversy of the hour and focus of public attention until Covid-19 changed the channel. The department did put in place

a dashboard to monitor the status of lead paint cases and hire more inspectors. It has also worked on educating the public about lifelong health risks to children under 6 from lead paint.

“Over 80 percent of our housing stock in the city of New Haven was built before 1978, so it’s an issue that is not going to go away, but it is preventable,” Bond said.

This month the health department also joined 20 area counterparts in launching an “EndStigma” campaign to tackle substance abuse: It aims to help the estimated four out of five people unable to obtain help to get treatment and to enlist the community in helping prevent fatal overdoses, including through Narcan distribution and training.

An estimated 48 people have died from drug overdoses in New Haven this year. Cases have dropped locally and nationally but remain a big concern. Bond’s office partners with harm-reduction organizations monitoring spikes in overdoses.

In response to public outcry over the proliferation of illegal-cannabis-dealing smoke shops, Bond’s department has worked with other agencies to inspect and take action against scofflaw storefronts.

And as for Covid 19 — not to mention the flu, shingles, Mpox, RSV — the health department is making vaccinations available, especially to people who otherwise can’t afford them, at its newish headquarters at Chapel and Hamilton streets.

Nonprofit’s Pitch Prompts Mental Health Debate

by Mona Mahadevan

A proposal to begin providing on-site mental health and substance abuse treatment to residents of a sober home sparked a passionate debate among neighbors over whether the change would make the West River neighborhood more or less safe.

The debate over safety and property values came up Tuesday night during a Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) meeting, when representatives of Prosperity House, a nonprofit that supports people recovering from addiction, presented their proposal for the single-family house at 190 Winthrop Ave.

On the second floor of City Hall, Karen Tyson, the founder of Prosperity, and Imani Knight, a case manager, spent an hour advocating for a special exception to turn their Winthrop sober house into an American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Level 3.1 residential facility for 12 adult men. The home currently houses 14 men.

A sober house is an alcohol- and drugfree residence that offers a structured, supportive environment for people recovering from addiction. As per state guidelines, sober homes don’t provide “formal substance use disorder treatment services.” Sober homes are not certified by any state agency, though the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) compiles a list of open beds

in homes approved by groups like the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR).

According to that list, as of Nov. 18, Prosperity has three open beds across its five houses in New Haven.

Unlike sober houses, Level 3.1 residential facilities provide low-intensity clinical treatment and are regulated by the state Department of Public Health. The programs offer “24-hour direct care and deliver low-intensity services,” aimed at helping residents learn “personal responsibility” and reintegrate “into the network systems

of work, education, and family life.”

State guidelines mandate that Level 3.1 facilities are staffed 24 hours per day, offer at least five hours of recovery services per week, and provide psychiatric assistance to residents, either on site or via telemedicine.

The people admitted must have a “moderate or severe substance use disorder” and may have a “co-occurring” mental health diagnosis.

Currently, there are no Level 3.1 programs in the Greater New Haven area. In a phone interview with the Independent on Wednesday, Tyson said the 3.1 designa-

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tion would bring “no changes to what we do at all” at 190 Winthrop. Prosperity’s five houses, she noted, already offer more “structure” and “accountability” than most sober homes, including a requirement that residents receive treatment during their stay.

The 3.1 designation would primarily allow residents to access more clinical services, such as therapy, on site. Tyson said Prosperity Counseling, a partner organization to Prosperity House, already provides those services to residents at Winthrop,

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New Train Cars En Route For Hartford Line

by Dereen Shirnekhi

A life-sized model of a train car now stands in the parking lot of Union Station — as the state invites riders to tour and give feedback on the “more comfortable, more reliable” trains that are set to join the CTrail Hartford Line in 2027.

Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto joined Mayor Justin Elicker and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz for a tour of the train car model and a press conference at Union Station on Monday to celebrate the improvement in Connecticut’s fleet of trains.

The 60 new train cars, which were ordered in August 2023, will replace all the Mafersa coaches that are currently part of the Hartford Line’s fleet and be used on the Metro-North Waterbury and Danbury branch lines. They travel up to 125 miles per hour (the current fleet travels up 110 miles per hour depending on the locomotive type) and include an ADA-accessible bathroom on each end of a pair of train cars. There are also four workstation tables per car and an outlet and USB charging port at each seat pair. There is also storage for four bicycles in each car as well as strollers, plus wifi and real-time route information displays.

The trains will begin to be tested in late 2026 and are expected to be available for passengers in early 2027.

The current trains’ equipment is from the ’90s. The new cars have a 40-year design life. Eucalitto said that older equipment increases the likelihood of an uncomfortable or delayed, cancelled rides.

(Amtrak’s equipment is from the ’80s, and that’s why trains are delayed so frequently, according to Eucalitto.)

“As one of the busiest train stations in the region, we want to make sure that our travel is comfortable for our consumers,” Elicker said.

Elicker, who always takes the train to New York City for Christmas with his

family to visit his mother- and father-inlaw, said he thinks about “affordability and comfort” when making a travel decision. “That helps you make a decision on whether or not to fly or to drive or take the train.”

“This is an exciting step forward for Connecticut commuters,” Bysiewicz echoed. “We are continuing with our

state’s commitment of modern, reliable rail service.”

In 2024, Eucalitto said, over 800,000 passengers rode the Hartford Line. He also said that these trains are the first European model rail cars to be brought to the U.S. Eucalitto repeated the refrain of the press conference: “They’re more comfortable, they’re more reliable.”

The new trains, with their two-by-two seating, some tables, extra-wide aisles, and ADA accessibility, hold 80 seats per car. The older trains include about 90. But according to Eucalitto, the Department of Transportation isn’t expecting a decrease in ridership.

“We’ll have more capacity,” Eucalitto said. Older trains include three rail cars in a set, while the new trains include four. Besides, Euaclitto said, “once you provide people with better amenities, they’ll want to use the equipment more often. If they get on and it’s old, it breaks down, they don’t have an ADA-accessible bathroom, that makes it for a less than ideal passenger experience.”

“It’s great because no one wants to sit in the middle!” Bysiewicz remarked at the two-by-two seating during her tour of the train car.

All 60 train cars cost a total of $320 million, for purchasing and designing. The money comes from the State Bond Commission.

The public can tour the train car model themselves on non-holiday Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. from now until Jan. 6, 2026. Riders can provide feedback here. The exterior design will change, and it’s not the full length of a train car, though an image on the back wall gives the illusion of one. Eventually, Eucalitto said, the Department of Transportation wants to replace not just the Hartford Line service but also the Waterbury Branch and Danbury Branch.

City Opens 2 Warming Centers As Cold Weather Sets In

by Christina Lee

Winter is almost here, and Janice Hart is — once again — ready to help.

Around this time each year, her car trunk is stuffed with supplies for her volunteer work. Since 2005, Hart, who lives in Hamden, has been providing homecooked meals to New Haven’s warm-ing centers at least four times a week, she said.

Spending nearly four hours a day in the kitchen, Hart prepares large aluminum trays of rice and beans, cabbage, and curry chicken, large enough to serve 100 people — all on her own.

“It’s something I look forward to. It’s just my own instinct to help,” Hart told the Independent. “It’s second nature to me.”

Each winter, Hart’s volunteer work supports warming centers in the effort to provide a safe and warm place for unhoused New Haveners to escape the cold.

This year, two warming centers began operations this past weekend.

In the Mill River district, there is the 180 Center, located at 438 East St., and in the Dixwell neigh-borhood, there is the

Varick Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, located at 242 Dixwell Avenue.

In a statement released on Thursday, Mayor Justin Elicker announced that the centers will operate on “a walk-in basis, 7 days a week, generally between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., with extend-ed hours during extreme weather.”

Hart is among the many volunteers who step up to provide food each night at the Varick Memorial warming center. According to Shellina Toure, director of programming at Varick Memorial, the center also receives help from community organizations like Bridges of Hope, the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, Haven’s Harvest, and Yale student volunteers. This year, the groups Ja-maican Women’s Group and Pillars of Promise are also set to support the center.

Varick’s warming center has a capacity for 35 people, and set up for its first night of the season on Sunday. The center plans to stay open until April 15.

Similar to Varick, the 180 Center has also been preparing to welcome those who need shelter from the cold. They also opened on Sunday. The center will be operating at a capacity of 33 people, where visitors are offered a 2-inch thick yoga

mat to sleep on, and a hot dinner served each night. When the center reaches capacity, warming center supervisor Teddy Natter will refer them to an-other warming center.

Although its warming center is open from

7 p.m. to 7 a.m., the 180 Center continues to stay open for outreach. When the mats come off in the morning, the center then prepares to serve breakfast and lunch.

The food at the 180 Center, like at Varick, is provided by local food pantries,

Vox church, and Nat-ter himself.

For two of the nights, Natter spends around three hours cooking food at his home and brings it into the center. He typically prepares a complete meal consisting of a meat, vegetable, starch, and some bread and butter.

The center’s operations, according to Natter, would not be possible without the financial support of United Health. He described the financial contribution as a “considerable” amount that allows the center to buy supplies like the sleeping mats.

Natter explained that for anyone interested in donating to the 180 Center, or supporting the warm-ing centers’ operation, the center “could always use donations of hats, gloves, socks, and anything hygiene oriented.”

The 180 Center’s warming center is now in its fourth year of operation. Overseeing the centers’ night-to-night operations, Natter is driven by his empathy.

Natter recalled that there was a time when he was “right alongside them,” before he was able to bet-ter his life. “I want people to have more opportunities to succeed,” Natter said.

Gorilla Lemonade, Chicago Anti-Violence Crew Find Unity

by Lisa Reisman

Four members of a Chicago-based group devoted to stopping gun violence gathered with New Haven’s Gorilla Lemonade team on the sidewalk in front of Seven Haven grocery store on Sylvan Avenue to celebrate a new collaboration that will see the local beverage brand expand to the Windy City.

That was the scene on a recent Saturday night, when representatives from the Unity Movement stopped by the Hill. Spearheaded in Chicago by hip-hop artist, poet, and community activist Qadir “Goalden Chyld” Hakim, the Unity Movement’s mission is to stop gun violence and foster peace and unity in the trenches of that city’s most dangerous neighborhoods.

The occasion was to mark a new partnership with Gorilla Lemonade, a New Haven beverage line with the tagline community over competition that pours 25 cents from every bottle sold back into the community.

“We connect with individuals that a lot of people are afraid of and have counted out and don’t know how to talk to, those who society has labeled lost causes,” Goalden Chyld, standing alongside Gorilla Lemonade co-founder Kristen Threatt, told the crowd of 50 clad in UNITY skull caps and Gorilla Lemonade garb in the crisp evening air; in July, he brokered a truce between two gangs after a 10-year war. “We’re down in the trenches, we’re recruiting, we’re uplifting.”

Gorilla Lemonade, “Powered by Unity.”

In the Unity Movement, Threatt and co-founder Burkett-Thompson found the Chicago distributor they had been seeking to expand their brand nationally. “You’re looking at someone who’s already put in the footwork, knuckles on the ground, stopping gun violence, who knows the city, the store owners,” Threatt said.

“He’s not just talking about it, he’s doing it, and people are taking notice,” he went on, referring to the support the

Unity Movement enjoys from such power players as Snoop Dogg, philanthropist Pamela Joy Blackman, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Jackson, as well as the sheer influence Goalden Chyld wields with his 126,000 Instagram followers. More than anything, it was how their interests align.

“Unity,” Threatt said, as a car crawled along, window down, a face peering at the crowd.

At that moment, a man, introducing himself as Dino from Waterbury, ap-

proached Goalden Chyld. “I came here because I’m frustrated, I’m depressed, the kids in my neighborhood need me, they dying, and I want to help,” he began.

A group drew in, phones up, videotaping the interaction, hanging on his every word.

He wanted to stop them from the feuds over dirt bikes, over perceived slights, from posturing as tough, show them a better way. “I want to be a beacon of light for them, but I don’t know how,” he said.

After thanking Dino for coming forward, Goalden Chyld began. “A lot of the problems we face come from being disconnected,” he said. “When we’ve got Gorilla Lemonade, and Black men coming together, starting businesses, now when we put it out there, it looks good, and it really is good because we really that.”

Near the back of the crowd, Reese McLeod, president of the Elm City Freddy Fixer Parade Committee, and Gorilla Lemonade team member, was observing the action. “Anytime Black men are doing things that are positive in the community, I’m there to support and pitch in.”

Isaiah Crowe, another member of the Gorilla Lemonade team, sounded a similar refrain. “Brian and Kris are teaching kids that there are other ways to succeed than sports and music,” he said. “They built their business from scratch as a way to invest in this community, and they’ve brought a lot of people together along the way. This new collaboration will just make it bigger.”

From a few feet away, Burkett-Thompson, the Gorilla Lemonade co-founder, was nodding. “Young people are used to wars and gun violence but our brothers in Chicago are gonna change the game so that generations later on, they ain’t gonna know anything about that,” he said. “They’re gonna make money, and that’s what it’s all about, taking the violence away, and replacing it with opportunities for generational wealth in our community. “To be one small part of that is everything.”

Officials: Connecticut Residents Face Health Coverage Losses, Cost Spikes In January

by Karla Ciaglo

HARTFORD, CT — Thousands of Connecticut residents could see their health insurance become unaffordable on Jan. 1 if enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expire at the end of the year, Connecticut’s U.S. senators and state officials warned Friday. The lapse would trigger steep premium spikes, widespread coverage losses and long-term strain on the health system, they said.

The subsidies, expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic and extended through 2025, are set to lapse at midnight Dec. 31 unless Congress acts. Access Health CT CEO James Michel said subsidized households would face an average annual premium increase of about $6,200, though many families are receiving renewal notices showing much higher hikes.

Michel said the impact would be immediate. He estimated that 30% to 35% of Access Health CT’s roughly 150,000 customers could lose their plans altogether.

“Many simply won’t be able to pay January’s bill,” he said. “They’ll be uninsured on Day One.”

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said about 20 million Americans rely on ACA marketplace plans and will feel the impact “instantly” if Congress allows the subsidies to expire. He said Connecticut residents are already seeing projected annual increases between $6,000 and $25,000 — costs “most low- and middle-income families cannot absorb.”

Murphy cited a recent trip to South Florida — the state with the nation’s highest ACA enrollment rate — where he met a couple with four children who both have serious health conditions and said they could afford coverage for only one of them if the subsidies lapse. He said their situation mirrors choices many Connecticut families will face.

“Families should not be deciding who stays insured and who takes the risk of dying,” he said.

Murphy also criticized congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump for allowing the subsidies to expire, saying the move supports tax cuts “for the wealthy and corporations.” He said Democrats declined to support a budget that “throws people off their health care” and said he was disappointed some lawmakers backed reopening the government without securing protections for the subsidies.

Fellow Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Republican leadership has promised a December vote on extending the subsidies and that Democrats are prepared to support the measure unanimous-

ly. He called the situation “a self-inflicted wound” that Congress could still avoid.

“It’s straightforward,” Blumenthal said.

“Extend the health care tax credit — whether for three years or with updated

eligibility — or simply pass a clean extension.”

He urged Republicans to back the measure and “eliminate the anxiety families are feeling about whether they can afford coverage.”

Congressional Republicans have been meeting to come up with alternate solutions to extending the subsidies, through things like health savings accounts, flexible savings accounts or cash payments. Blumenthal said Republican proposals would not meaningfully replace health insurance, saying that HSAs are not insurance and therefore not a solution.

“Two thousand dollars in an HSA won’t get you through the first day of a serious illness,” he said.

He pointed to specific Connecticut examples. A family of four in Milford earning $133,000 a year would see their monthly premium rise from $921 to $2,882; a married couple earning $59,000 would see theirs increase from $673 to $2,680, he said.

As a result of lost coverage or premium spikes, Blumenthal said many people will wind up in emergency rooms, which would drive up costs for everyone.

Questions about your bill?

Yale New Haven Hospital is pleased to offer patients and their families financial counseling regarding their hospital bills or the availability of financial assistance, including free care funds.

By appointment, patients can speak one-on-one with a financial counselor during regular business hours. For your convenience, extended hours are available in-person at Yale New Haven Hospital once a month.

Dates: Nov. 17, 2025, Dec. 15, 2025, and Jan. 20, 2026

Time: 5 - 7 pm

Location: Children’s Hospital, 35 Park St., 1st floor, Admitting

Parking available (handicapped accessible)

An appointment is necessary. Please call 855-547-4584.

Spanish-speaking counselors available.

Ribbon Cut On 64 Affordable Apartments At Ex-Cleaners

by Mona Mahadevan

Sixty-four affordable apartments are now open — and already half occupied — on the site of a formerly contaminated ex-laundry facility in the West River neighborhood.

The spacious, modern, below-market-rate units are part of a $28 million redevelopment made possible by public funds.

City and state officials gathered Monday morning to cut the ribbon on the city’s newest apartment complex, Monarch Apartments, located at 149 Derby Ave. Over 50 people crammed into the lobby to hear how subsidies from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA), state Department of Housing (DOH), and city of New Haven allowed the developers, the Avon-based Honeycomb Real Estate Partner and Weatogue-based Vesta Corporation, to finish the all-affordable construction just a year after breaking ground.

The four-story complex has been in the works for more than three years. It’s located next door to Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School and near the Cofield Estates, another affordable housing development in the West River neighborhood.

The complex offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Four apartments are designated for residents earning no more than 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), or $90,950 per year for a family of four. Twelve cap income at 50 percent of AMI, and the rest are set aside for people earning less than 60 percent of AMI.

During the press conference, city and state officials praised the development, citing its use of public-private collaboration and its reuse of a once-contaminated parcel.

Nandini Natarajan, chief executive officer of CHFA, called the complex’s lot an “underutilized site that needed to be moved in a different direction from its industrial past.”

That site previously housed Monarch Cleaners, a commercial laundry facility that washed and dried clothes for decades beginning in 1900. The lobby of Monarch Apartments is decorated with old pictures of the cleaners.

“The Monarch does represent what’s

possible when we bring together public resources, private expertise, private dollars, and community priorities,” added Natarajan.

Mayor Justin Elicker and Board of Alders President / West River Alder Tyisha Walker-Myers emphasized the importance of the complex’s affordability and argued that developers in the city need to prioritize affordable units more broadly.

“We’re passionate about not just growing, but doing it inclusively,” declared Elicker. He criticized other cities for constructing “all market rate” buildings, often by destroying existing structures “to put up these fancy places.”

“We do not do that in New Haven,” said Elicker. “Almost all of our development is on two types of sites: parking lots or abandoned factories that are not used anymore.”

Walker-Myers echoed Elicker’s commitment to what she termed “responsible development.”

“If you look at the housing stock right now, people are being priced out of places that they grew up. I don’t want to be part of that,” said Walker-Myers. West River residents need affordable housing, she added. “I don’t like to

come to the table unless somebody’s talking about affordable housing.”

Some housing advocates have argued that policies requiring apartment buildings to set aside below-market-rate units

— such as the city’s Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance, proposed by the Elicker administration and passed by the Board of Alders in 2022 — make it too expensive for developers to build and slow the construction needed to address the nation’s housing shortage.

In this case, said Lewis Brown, managing principal of Honeycomb, the abundance of state subsidies designated for affordable housing made it possible to build the complex with no market-rate units.

According to Brown, rough $8.5 million of the roughly $28 million project came from CHFA, with $7.5 million in the form of a first mortgage. The state DOH supplied the second mortgage with $4.7 million, and the city of New Haven contributed $500,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act funds. The project received roughly $11 million in the form of a tax credit equity: essentially, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits disbursed by CHFA and syndicated through PNC and Webster Banks. They also collected $1 million in a state brownfield grant for environmental remediation, and the developers themselves contributed $1.7 million.

“Because it’s rent controlled, we need all of the layered subsidies” for Monarch to be financially feasible, explained Brown. That’s true in part because it costs roughly the same to build a low-income building as a market-rate complex, especially if those low-income apartments offer the same quality and amenities as their market-rate counterparts.

“Connecticut has put their money where their mouth is,” said Brown. It’s “super refreshing” to see that, in addition to the non-financial support provided by state agencies.

Mark Wilson, the city Neighborhood and Commercial Development Manager, said many of the affordable developments he’s seen have shared a similarly large and layered capital stack.

“A lot of developers are finding the money that follows affordable development is quite attractive,” said Wilson, citing the abundance of subsidies and low-interest loans available in Connecticut. Once the initial tax benefits expire, he explained, public funds from places like the Local Capital Improvement Program are often needed for below-market-rate projects to remain financially feasible for developers.

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Make Collecting Family Health History Part Of Your Thanksgiving Plans

by Derrick Lane By BlackDoctor.org

For some, being home for the holidays means lots of extra family time, often with multiple generations coming together to celebrate under one roof. Most likely, your conversations at this time will center around what’s new at work or what trip you went on over the summer. This November, we’re asking you to take advantage of this rare opportunity to take the conversation in a different, proactive direction.

Bright Pink is a national nonprofit focused on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer. As up to 25 percent of breast and ovarian cancers are familial or hereditary, having an understanding of your family health history landscape can act as a powerful roadmap for you and your healthcare provider. We want to help you understand why it’s important, what information to collect, and what to do with your family health history when it’s collected.

The Facts

Having a first-degree relative (a mother, sister, or grandmother) who has had breast or ovarian cancer can double your risk. And, if their cancer was the result of a genetic mutation, that can be passed down across generations by either parent. When this happens, your risk of breast cancer can be as high as 87% and as high as 54% for ovarian cancer. There are many actions that women can take to reduce their risk or detect these cancers early (the 5-year survival rate for breast and ovarian cancer when detected early can be greater than 92 percent!), but

it takes an initial understanding of that risk to identify what actions may be most meaningful for your health.

Your Thanksgiving Game Plan

Between travel delays, turkey cooking time, and holiday shopping plans, the holidays can become jam-packed. That’s why Bright Pink wants to help equip you with the tools you need to gather your family health history and assess your risk, and a game plan to fit it all into what can be a hectic long weekend.

Step 1: Collect your questions beforehand.

When looking at your family health history, both your parents’ sides are equally important in determining your personal level of risk. While breast and ovarian cancer history are important, other types of cancer can also be indicators of an inherited genetic risk, so capture everything you can. Ask:

• Who had cancer?

• What type of cancer?

• How old were they at diagnosis?

Step 2: Explain why you are asking.

These conversations can be difficult, and talking about family health history may not be part of your normal dinner discussions. Consider starting the conversation this way: “I recently read about how family health history information can help prevent disease or diagnose it early. I realized that I don’t know much about this in our family! Do you mind if I ask a few quick questions to help understand what this could mean for my health?” Or, bring

it up while discussing what you’re thankful for – your health, something that generations of women before us didn’t have access to. When you know your risk, you can be proactive!

Step 3: Collect what you can. This process isn’t foolproof, and you may have to do some digging to get all of this information. If you aren’t able to answer every question, don’t let that discourage you. You’ve taken an amazingly proactive step by collecting what you can.

Step 4: Assess Your Risk

After you’ve learned as much as you can about your family health history, it’s time to put that knowledge to work. Visit AssessYourRisk.org to complete a digital quiz that asks questions about your family health history, personal health history, and lifestyle to deliver a personalized report on your baseline risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Email this report or print it and bring it to your next primary care appointment!

A New Thanksgiving Tradition

The last item of your game plan might be the most important: sign up for Bright Pink emails so we can remind you to ask about family health history again next year. This isn’t a one-and-done practice. Family health history can change from year to year. A new development could end up being the most important piece of information you need to be proactive about your health.

Make sure you’re following Bright Pink on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for Thanksgiving Game Plan tips and inspiration all week leading up to Turkey Day.

Saxophonist from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to Play a Night of Jazz in New Haven

On Friday, December 5 at 8 p.m, Neighborhood Music School will host a jazz concert featuring Grammy-winning saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith, performing with a band of friends. Hendrickson-Smith tours with The Roots and appears on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, where he has been the saxophonist since 2014.

Ian Hendrickson-Smith is a remarkably versatile alto, tenor, and baritone saxophonist (and flutist) whose career spans decades and genres. He is one of the most in-demand horn players, having played or toured with artists including Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars, Al Green, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Bob Dylan, St. Vincent, Celine Dion, Queen Latifah, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Lizzo, and many others. Over his storied career, he has earned six Grammy Awards, performed at major international venues, and built a reputation for a rich, soulful tone and blues-influenced melodic style. As a recording artist, Ian has released twelve jazz albums as a leader, including The Lowdown, which reached No. 7 on the national jazz charts.

For one night only, Neighborhood Music School welcomes Hendrickson-Smith alongside an incredible lineup of talented funk, soul, and jazz musicians: Al Street

Seating is limited and tickets are on sale now – buy here! Doors open at 7:45pm. Tickets at $25 for general admission and $10 for students.

The concert will take place in the NMS Recital Hall, a cozy venue that allows audiences to hear every nuance of the music up close. With limited seating, the event offers a rare chance to experience top-tier jazz in an accessible, community-centered space. Neighborhood Music School is the largest non-profit community arts organization in Connecticut and one of the ten largest in the country. Founded in 1911 as part of the settlement house movement serving new immigrants to New Haven, we now serve more than 2,400 students from 80+ cities and towns annually. Students of all ages receive individual and group instruction in music, dance, drama, and film, and participate in over 100 weekly ensembles. In addition, we house an arts-integrated preschool and an independent, theatre-based middle school. We provide close to $500,000 in financial aid and tuition support to more than 500 students each year.

Tickets for the December 5 concert are available now through the NMS website.

Mental Health Debate

which is why she expects the day-to-day operations to remain largely the same.

Because the Winthrop home serves people early in their recovery process, Tyson argued that having more services in-house could help prevent relapse by smoothing the transition between in-patient treatment and independent living.

In addition, said Tyson, most insurers allow residents of a 3.1 facility to extend their stay for up to six months, whereas coverage for sober homes is typically capped at three months.

State data show that 48 people have overdosed in New Haven so far this year.

In an email sent on Friday, Nov. 14, Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers, whose ward includes 190 Winthrop Ave., told Knight that she would “not be opposing your application.” She said she lives on Winthrop Avenue and hasn’t “had a problem with 190 Winthrop Ave.”

During Tuesday’s BZA meeting, Knight said, “Our mission is to provide structured, clinically supervised, and compassionate housing for individuals in recovery who are integrating into the community.” She requested the “reasonable accommodation” of a special exception under the Fair Housing Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Connecticut General Statutes.

According to Knight, there have been zero complaints about 190 Winthrop Ave. since the home was opened in 2014. All 14 of the current residents would quality for the 3.1 facility, she added, as they all have moderate or severe substance use disorders and mental health diagnoses.

Walter Teague, a Winthrop homeowner and local bishop, was the first neighbor to speak in opposition.

“No one’s denying the need for the service,” said Teague. “It’s not the service, it’s the where.”

He commended Tyson for doing “a phenomenal job with the sober house,” describing all the current residents as “very respectful.” But, he warned, a Level 3.1 facility would be a “whole different dynamic,” as it’ll include people who need clinical treatment for mental health issues.

“If they’re off their meds, you don’t know” what’s gonna happen, said Teague. “And that’s just the facts.”

Cheryl Jackson, another Winthrop homeowner, also commended the sober home. She then echoed Teague’s fear of living next door to people with mental health diagnoses.

“I don’t want to be a neighbor to that,” said Jackson, worrying that people “off [their] meds” will harm kids on Winthrop. Willie Hayes, an operations manager for Prosperity House, responded by describing the safety rules already in place or planned for the facility.

He said residents would continue to be subject to quiet hours and a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m, and they would still not be allowed to host visitors. The home will also have two staff members on site 24/7, as well as an on-call clinician for conflict resolution.

They’ll also put all medication into a se-

cure room that only staff can access.

“The reason why you feel safe in the environment? Because any time anyone leaves that property, we know where they’re at,” said Hayes. “I can tell you where every single person is at any given moment. They have to personally communicate with me or other house managers.”

Knight added that future residents will still have to submit to a biopsychosocial screening, which involves a rigorous review of their clinical, legal, and medical histories. She said the home wouldn’t admit anyone convicted of violent or sexual offenses, and would turn away people with mental health disorders severe enough to prevent them from being “self sufficient.”

She also said that people who relapse or violate a rule will be referred to a facility that offers a higher level of care.

Nearly anyone with a substance use disorder has a mental health diagnosis, argued Tyson. “Nothing’s going to change” in terms of who lives in the home.

Later in the night, Knight said, “I feel less safe walking down to the corner of George and Winthrop,” where there’s people with “needles in their arms” or even “murders,” compared to “standing on the corner of 190 Winthrop Avenue.”

“You can’t not tell the truth,” exclaimed Teague. When city staff asked him not to interrupt others’ statements, he left the room.

Homeowners also opposed the facility out of concern for their property values.

One resident, who identified herself as P.T., asked, “What about the value of all of our homes that are in the community? Has that been taken into consideration?”

Before he left, Teague agreed, saying, “Raise your hand if you’re someone who wants to buy my house when I have two sober houses and a possibility of, now, a mental health facility.”

William Mathis, a local pastor, responded by arguing that the facility has reduced crime and improved the neighborhood’s overall livability.

“The situation” around substance abuse “has turned around,” said Mathis. “When a service is provided immediately within the community as opposed just to scattering them, there is transformation.”

Tyson pointed out that Prosperity has developed a relationship with law enforcement, reducing the overall incidence of crime on Winthrop. “Crime is what determines property values,” she said on Wednesday.

Richard, a former client of Prosperity, reminded the BZA on Tuesday that “mental health and addiction is not a moral defect.”

He said the house “saved” his life, as well as the lives of his loved ones and his community more broadly.

“Proper housing is not a reward,” said Richard. “It’s a foundation for people to succeed.”

BZA was required to refer the matter to the City Plan Commission (CPC), so the board didn’t make a final decision on the request.

Tyson told the Independent on Wednesday that she’ll host a community meeting with neighbors and Walker-Myers to clari-

HEAD START PROGRAM ENROLLMENT

Available spots for Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 at Dr. Reginald Mayo, John S. Martinez and other neighborhood schools, for the 2025-2026 school year To apply visit 54 Meadow Street New Haven or online at nhps.net.

Children must be age 3 by September 1,2025

Play Base Learning Curriculum 6 hour day program

Texas Redistricting Map Blocked as Supreme Court Appeal Begins

By Blaise Gainey, Andrew Schneider

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has quickly appealed to the Supreme Court a ruling that the redistricting passed by lawmakers at the urging of President Trump was based on racial gerrymandering.

“Any claim that these maps are discriminatory is absurd and unsupported by the testimony offered during ten days of hearings,” Abbott, a Republican, said in a statement. “This ruling is clearly erroneous and undermines the authority the U.S. Constitution assigns to the Texas Legislature by imposing a different map by judicial edict.”

A three-judge panel had earlier Tuesday placed a temporary block on the map that Republican lawmakers passed this summer and ordered the state to use the district maps from the last two elections. The map that was overruled had been drawn to give Republicans an advantage in flipping as many as five House seats held by Democrats.

“To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map. But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map,” wrote the ma-

Face Health Coverage Losses

“Make no mistake: your health care costs will rise, even if you think you’re fine,” he said. “The ripple effect will go through our entire health care system and the whole economy.”

Leslie Silverman described the personal stakes if subsidies expire.

A self-employed marketing consultant diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2008, she said the medications that keep her stable cost nearly $7,000 a month without insurance.

“This exchange is a lifeline for so many of us,” she said. “I’m not going to die without this medication — I’m just going to become more and more disabled.”

Nationally, according to the Congressional Budget Office, about 2 million Americans will lose insurance at the start of 2026 if the subsidies lapse, with millions more expected to lose coverage over the following decade. The nonprofit KFF projects marketplace premiums would more than double nationwide — an average increase of 114% — if Congress does not act. Older adults would see the sharpest spikes.

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said families cannot absorb the increases. “Hundreds a month changes a family’s world,” he said. “Thousands a month is catastrophic.”

If Congress does not act before Dec. 31, Connecticut families will be billed for the full cost of January premiums before lawmakers return to Washington. Editor’s note — This story has been edited.

jority from a three-judge panel.

The panel heard a trial on the case in October. The plaintiffs included several civil rights groups and individuals.

The ruling is a blow to Trump and the Republicans in a nationwide redistricting race that began in Texas this summer.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, also said he would appeal the ruling on the “Big Beautiful Map” which he called “entirely legal” in a statement.

Democrats praised the court ruling.

“Race was always a driving factor and a driving factor to make it harder for minority Texans,” said Texas Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher in an interview.

“This map was drawn to make it harder for them to have an impact in elections.”

The court’s decision, in a 2-1 ruling, comes at a pivotal moment. Around the country, Trump is pressing Republican state lawmakers to reshape congressional voting maps to hold the party’s slim majority in the House and support his agenda.

Using their heavy Republican majority in the legislature, Texas lawmakers passed a map in August designed to help their party grow its ranks in the 2026 elections for the U.S. House.

The process gained national attention when Democrats in the legislature fled the state for over two weeks to delay a vote and Republican leaders threatened to arrest them. Democrats argued the new map weakened the voting power of Latino and Black communities.

The redistricting in Texas also prompted California Democrats to act. This month California voters passed an initiative allowing redistricting that could help Democrats win five seats in that state.

Was it partisan gerrymandering or racial gerrymandering?

Republicans in the Texas Legislature passed the map saying it was designed to improve their party’s chances of winning five congressional seats. They noted that, unlike in some states, the law in Texas does not prohibit redistricting for partisan advantage and that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that federal courts could not intervene when it’s done.

But partisan gerrymandering can of-

ten overlap with racial gerrymandering, which is illegal. Opponents of the map argued in court that it intentionally diminished the voting power of minority communities.

The 160-page opinion was written by District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown, who was appointed by Trump during his first term as president. His ruling drew upon statements and contradictions in what Republican lawmakers said as the maps were passed.

A letter the Department of Justice wrote to encourage the redistricting, ended up being grounds the court used to block the effort.

The judges noted that when Gov. Abbott originally called lawmakers into session to draw the map, he cited a letter from justice department officials criticizing districts that had majority non-white voting populations as “racial gerrymanders.” In other words, the letter implied the districts as they stood gave non-white voters an advantage and that had to be reversed. Eventually, Texas Republicans said the map was not intended to correct for a racial tilt but for partisan gain.

That letter put lawmakers, who for years had denied their use of race when making maps, in “a difficult spot” according to University of Texas at Austin political scientist Josh Blank, because they were “ultimately saying opposite things.” Brown’s ruling criticized the construction of the letter itself, which was sent by Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division. “It’s challenging to unpack the DOJ Letter because it contains so many factual, legal, and typographical errors,” Brown wrote.

“This decision is a rebuke of Donald Trump and to some degree a rebuke of lawmakers in Texas,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political scientist with the University of Houston. “They think the process was flawed and the Department of Justice was not credible in their legal arguments.”

Rep. Gene Wu, Democratic leader in the Texas House, said Tuesday’s ruling shows the courts still hold true to American principles.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES/HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEW HAVEN (ECC/HANH)

MOVING TO WORK (MTW) FY2025 ANNUAL REPORT

Section II and Section VII of the Authority's Moving to Work Agreement {the "Agreement") requires that before the Agency can file its Approved Annual Moving to Work Report and Report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (the "HUD") that it must conduct a public hearing, consider comments from the public on the proposed amendments, obtain approval from the Board of Commissioners, and submit the amendments to HUD.

The thirty (30) days comment period begins on Monday, November 3, 2025, to Tuesday, December 2, 2025. Copies of the Moving to Work (MTW) FY2025 Report, will be made available on the agency website www.elmcitycommunities.org, via Facebook www. facebook.com/ElmCityCommunities or via Instagram, elmcitycommunities_hanh.

You are invited to provide written comments addressed to: ECC/HANH, Moving to Work FY2025 Annual Report, Attn: Evelise Ribeiro, Director of Compliance and Moving to Work Initiatives. 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 or via email to: eribeiro@ elmcitycommunities.org.

Pursuant to said Sections II and VII), a public hearing where public comments will be accepted and recorded is scheduled for Thursday, November 20, 2025, 3:00pm, via TEAMS:

Meeting ID: 265 634 263 754 1 Passcode: Ng6E4ny9 Dial in by phone

+1 872-240-4494,361153891# United States, Chicago Find a local number Phone conference ID: 361 153 891#

Any individual requiring a Reasonable Accommodation to participate in the hearing may call the Resident Compliance and Support Manager at (203) 498-8800, ext. 3170 or at the TDD Number (203) 497-8434.

Maintainer I

The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for Maintainer I. Wages: $25.15 to $30.26 hourly. For additional information and to apply online by the December 15, 2025 closing date, please visit: www.wallingfordct.gov/government/departments/human-resources/. Applications are also available at the Department of Human Resources located in Room #301 of the Town Hall, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

Assistant Building Official

The Town of Wallingford is accepting applications for Assistant Building Official. Wages: $79,529.00 to $100,878.00 annually. For additional information and to apply online by the December 15, 2025 closing date, please visit: www. wallingfordct.gov/government/departments/human-resources/. Applications are also available at the Department of Human Resources located in Room #301 of the Town Hall, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone: (203) 2942080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES Request for Proposals

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Proposals for Pay Per Use Laundry Services

A complete copy of the requirements may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Monday, November 3, 2025 at 3:00PM

360 Management Group

Invitation for Bids

Agency Wide Plumbing Services

360 Management Group is currently seeking bids from qualified contractors to perform plumbing services. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing. cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Monday, November 24, 2025, at 3:00PM.

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking Proposals for Communication Media Consultant Firms. A complete copy of the requirements may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Monday, December 15, 2025 at 3:00PM

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

Invitation for Bids

398-400 Concord Street Drainage System Improvements

The Housing Authority of the City of New Haven d/b/a Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids from qualified firms for drainage system improvements at 398-400 Concord Street. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on

Elm City Communities is currently seeking bids from qualified contractors to perform Moving Services on our property’s agency wide. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal. https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway/ beginning Monday, November 24, 2025 at 3:00 pm

Monday, November 24, 2025 at 3:00 pm

PUBLIC WORKS MAINTAINER II

The Town of Wallingford Department of Public Works has openings for Maintainer II. Applicants should possess 2 years’ experience as a laborer in construction work involving the operation and care of trucks and other mechanical equipment, or 2 years training in one of the skilled trades and 1 year of experience in construction operations, or an equivalent combination of experience and training. A valid (CDL) Class B or higher is required. $24.87 - $29.16 hourly plus retirement plan, paid sick and vacation time, life insurance, 13 paid holidays, family medical & dental insurance, and promotional opportunities. To apply online by the closing date of September 12, 2025, please visit: www.wallingfordct.gov/government/de partments/human-resources/. Applications are also available at the Department of Human Resources located in Room #301 of the Town Hall, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

Galasso Materials LLC,

a quarry and paving contractor, has positions open for the upcoming construction season. We are seeking candidates for a variety of positions, including: Scalehouse Dispatcher/ Equipment Operators and Laborers. NO PHONE CALLS. Please mail resume and cover letter to “Hiring Manager”, Galasso Materials LLC, PO Box 1776, East Granby CT 06026.

Galasso Materials is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status

The Glendower Group

Request for Qualifications

Project Architect

The Glendower Group is currently seeking proposals from qualified firms for Architectural & Engineering Services for the Redevelopment of George Crawford Manor. A complete copy of the requirement may be obtained from Elm City’s Vendor Collaboration Portal https://newhavenhousing.cobblestonesystems.com/gateway beginning on Monday, November 10, 2025, at 3:00PM.

Listing: Technician Apprentice

Opening for a full time HVAC/Oil/Heating Technician Apprentice. Candidate must possess a technical school certificate in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, oil, propane and natural gas. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email HRDept@eastriverenergy.com

**An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled and Veterans**

METERING SUPERVISOR

The State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management is recruiting for a Criminal Justice Grants and Contracts Specialist (Grants and

Custodian

Maintenance workers needed for the Wallingford Public Schools to work the 2:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. shift. Hourly rate: $20.27 to $26.41. Requires some experience in building maintenance work. The closing date will be October 20, 2025. To apply online, please visit: www.wallingfordct.gov/government/departments/human-resources/. Applications are also available at the Department of Human Resources located in Room #301 of the Town Hall, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

The Town of Wallingford, CT is accepting applications for Metering Supervisor. Wages: $115,203 to $144,003 annually. For additional information and to apply online be the November 4, 2025 closing date, please visit: www.wallingfordct.gov/government/departments/human-resources/. Applications are also available at the Department of Human Resources located in Room #301 of the Town Hall, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Phone: (203) 294-2080; Fax: (203) 294-2084. EOE

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NORWALK, CT IS REQUESTING PROPOSALS FROM QUALIFIED INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTING (IPA) FIRMS OR INDIVIDUALS TO PROVIDE AUDIT SERVICES FOR ITS PORFOLIO OF ASSISTED HOUSING AND RELATED PROGRAMS. TO OBTAIN A COMPLETE COPY OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS,

CONTACT GUILLERMO BENDANA, PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST AT GBENDA@NORWALKHA.ORG PROPOSALS ARE DUE AT 2:00 P.M. ON 11/19/2025.

NORWALK HOUSING IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. ADAM BOVILSKY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

360 Management Group

3, 2025, at 3:00PM.

Looking for a full-time welder in our shop-Skills include but not limited to MIG/TIG welding, plasma ARC-Structural steel and miscellaneous metals. Please send your resume to: Jillherbert@gwfabrication.com

ELM CITY COMMUNITIES

November 3, 2025 at

Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

NOTICE

AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICA PARA

NOTICE

NOTICE

LA AUTORIDAD DE VIVIENDA DE NEW HAVEN (ECC/HANH)

Construction Equipment Mechanic preferably experienced in Reclaiming and Road Milling Equipment. We offer factory training on equipment we operate. Location: Bloomfield CT We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

INFORME ANUAL DE TRABAJO (MTW) DEL AÑO FISCAL 2024

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Contact: Tom Dunay Phone: 860- 243-2300

VALENTINA MACRI RENTAL HOUSING PRE- APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE

Email: tom.dunay@garrityasphalt.com

Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

La Sección II y la Sección VII del Acuerdo de Trabajo de la Autoridad {el "Acuerdo") exige que antes de que la Agencia pueda presentar su Plan y Informe Anual de Tra bajo Aprobado al Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de los EE. UU. (el "HUD"), debe realizar una audiencia pública, considerar los comentarios del público sobre las enmiendas propuestas, obtener la aprobación de la Junta de Comisionados y presentar las enmiendas al HUD.

Garrity

Asphalt Reclaiming, Inc seeks:

HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this development located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this development located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

Reclaimer Operators and Milling Operators with current licensing and clean driving record, be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

HOME INC, on behalf of Columbus House and the New Haven Housing Authority, is accepting pre-applications for studio and one-bedroom apartments at this development located at 108 Frank Street, New Haven. Maximum income limitations apply. Pre-applications will be available from 9AM TO 5PM beginning Monday Ju;y 25, 2016 and ending when sufficient pre-applications (approximately 100) have been received at the offices of HOME INC. Applications will be mailied upon request by calling HOME INC at 203-562-4663 during those hours. Completed preapplications must be returned to HOME INC’s offices at 171 Orange Street, Third Floor, New Haven, CT 06510.

El período de comentarios de treinta (30) días comienza el viernes 1 de noviembre de 2024 y finaliza el sábado 30 de noviembre de 2024. Se pondrán a disposición copias del Informe Moving to Work (MTW) del año fiscal 2024 en el sitio web de la agencia www.elmcitycommunities.org o a través de Twitter, www.twitter.com/ECCommunities o a través de Facebook www.facebook.com/ElmCityCommunities.

Contact: Rick Tousignant Phone: 860- 243-2300

NOTICIA

NOTICIA

Se le invita a enviar comentarios por escrito dirigidos a: ECC/HANH, Moving to Work FY2024 Annual Report, Attn: Evelise Ribeiro, 360 Orange Street, New Haven, CT 06511 o por correo electrónico a: eribeiro@elmcitycommunities.org. De conformidad con las Secciones II y VII mencionadas, se ha programado una audi encia pública en la que se aceptarán y registrarán los comentarios públicos para el lunes 25 de noviembre de 2024 a las 3:00 p. m. a través de RingCentral: https://v.ringcentral. com/join/185686287?pw=d7db4e4f735df6289ed5adfb24f3f113

NOTICIA

Email: rick.tousignant@garrityasphalt.com

Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

VALENTINA

MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

VALENTINA MACRI VIVIENDAS DE ALQUILER PRE-SOLICITUDES DISPONIBLES

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

Union Company seeks:

ID de la reunión: 185686287

Contraseña: yaw6Zk28PK

O marque:

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510

Contact Dana at 860-243-2300

+12679304000 Estados Unidos (Filadelfia, PA)

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510 .

Tractor Trailer Driver for Heavy & Highway Construction Equipment. Must have a CDL License, clean driving record, capable of operating heavy equipment; be willing to travel throughout the Northeast & NY. We offer excellent hourly rate & excellent benefits

HOME INC, en nombre de la Columbus House y de la New Haven Housing Authority, está aceptando pre-solicitudes para estudios y apartamentos de un dormitorio en este desarrollo ubicado en la calle 109 Frank Street, New Haven. Se aplican limitaciones de ingresos máximos. Las pre-solicitudes estarán disponibles 09 a.m.-5 p.m. comenzando Martes 25 julio, 2016 hasta cuando se han recibido suficientes pre-solicitudes (aproximadamente 100) en las oficinas de HOME INC. Las pre-solicitudes serán enviadas por correo a petición llamando a HOME INC al 203-562-4663 durante esas horas.Pre-solicitudes deberán remitirse a las oficinas de HOME INC en 171 Orange Street, tercer piso, New Haven , CT 06510

Email: dana.briere@garrityasphalt.com

Código de acceso/ID de la reunión: 185686287

Contraseña de acceso telefónico: 9296952875

Women & Minority Applicants are encouraged to apply

Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer

Números internacionales disponibles: https://v.ringcentral.com/teleconference

NEW HAVEN

Construction

Cualquier persona que requiera una adaptación razonable para participar en la audien cia puede llamar al Gerente de adaptaciones razonables (203) 498-8800, ext. 1506 o al número TDD (203) 497-8434.mber (203) 497-8434.

NEW HAVEN

NEW HAVEN

242-258 Fairmont Ave

Seeking to employ experienced individuals in the labor, foreman, operator and teamster trades for a heavy outside work statewide. Reliable personal transportation and a valid drivers license required. To apply please call (860) 621-1720 or send resume to: Personnel Department, P.O. Box 368, Cheshire, CT06410.

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA

242-258 Fairmont Ave

242-258 Fairmont Ave

All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA

Listing: Mechanic

2BR Townhouse, 1.5 BA, 3BR, 1 level , 1BA

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V Drug Free Workforce

All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center

All new apartments, new appliances, new carpet, close to I-91 & I-95 highways, near bus stop & shopping center

Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258

Immediate opening for a full-time mechanic; maintenance to be done on commercial diesel trucks and trailers. A valid driver’s license is required in order to run company errands efficiently and safely. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email hrdept@eastriverenergy.com

Listing: Commercial Driver

Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258

***An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, including disabled and veterans***

Pet under 40lb allowed. Interested parties contact Maria @ 860-985-8258 CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host,General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor ofPitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster St. New Haven, CT

Continuum of Care, New Haven, Connecticut –

Senior Sales Representative Wanted

241 Quinnipiac Avenue, New Haven which are two bedrooms and rent from $1,950-$2,000 and include heat, hot water and cooking gas, private entrance, off street parking and onsite laundry. I have a couple with washer/dryer which are $2,000. Please bill 241 Quinnipiac Avenue, LLC, 111 Roberts Street, Suite G1, East Hartford, CT 06108.

Also, I have a 3 bedroom unit at 254 Fairmont Avenue, New Haven. They rent for $2,050 and the tenant pays all the utilities. Off street parking and private entrance. Section 8 welcomed.

LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID

Full Time Class B driver for a fast-paced petroleum company for days and week ends. Previous experience required. Competitive wage, 401(k) and benefits. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email HRDept@ eastriverenergy.com

CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host,General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor ofPitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster St. New Haven, CT

CT. Unified Deacon’s Association is pleased to offer a Deacon’s Certificate Program. This is a 10 month program designed to assist in the intellectual formation of Candidates in response to the Church’s Ministry needs. The cost is $125. Classes start Saturday, August 20, 2016 1:303:30 Contact: Chairman, Deacon Joe J. Davis, M.S., B.S. (203) 996-4517 Host,General Bishop Elijah Davis, D.D. Pastor ofPitts Chapel U.F.W.B. Church 64 Brewster St. New Haven, CT

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Also, I have a 2 bedroom at 248 Fairmont Avenue, New Haven. They rent for $1,950.00 and the tenant pays all the utilities. Off street parking and private entrance. Section 8 welcomed.

Advertising and the cultivation of existing and new advertising clients is key to the growth and continued success of The Inner-City News. The paper is delivered weekly to businesses, schools, shopping outlets and wherever newspapers can be found. This is a remote sales position.

Work closely with the Publisher and editor to create a successf

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

SEYMOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY

360 Management Group

Invitation for Bids

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

Agency

Please bill the Fairmont Avenue to 258 Fairmont Avenue, LLC at the same billing address as 241 Quinnipiac Avenue. I will be the contact person for them to call at 860-231-8080, ext. 161.

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

Listing: Technician Apprentice

A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

Sealed bids are invited by the Housing Authority of the Town of Seymour until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at its office at 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 for Concrete Sidewalk Repairs and Replacement at the Smithfield Gardens Assisted Living Facility, 26 Smith Street Seymour.

A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority Office, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

A pre-bid conference will be held at the Housing Authority Office 28 Smith Street Seymour, CT at 10:00 am, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

HCC encourages the participation of all Veteran, S/W/MBE & Section 3 Certified Businesses Haynes Construction Company, 32 Progress Ave, Seymour, CT 06483 AA/EEO EMPLOYER Salary (base pay) + Commission to be discussed Potential local travel. Senior Sales Representative Qualifications and Skills: Communicates well and has strong written and verbal communication skills. Knows effective ways to market products and services and learns about new offerings quickly.

Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority Office, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

-

LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID: CONTINUUM OF CARE, NEW HAVEN is requesting licensed and insured contractor bids for their property located at 979 Quin nipiac Avenue, New Haven. Complete first floor kitchen renovation. Scope to include new kitchen layout. Owner to supply new cabinets. Scope to also include new flooring of area. Job also includes complete first floor bathroom renovation. This includes a complete gut (down to studs) of the bathroom. Environmental testing will be conducted by the owner. Scope includes supplying and installing new step in shower stall, vanity, toilet, tile flooring and wall finishes, tile 4ft wainscot is desired, lighting, grab bars by toilet and showers, exhaust fan with motion sensor, and baseboard heating. The scope of work to include floor drain for the bathroom. Scope to include replacement of existing windows, entry doors. Owner to select tile style, colors, and style of faucets and light fixtures. Further detailed information will be given on the scheduled site visit. GC price should include dumpster and permit feeds. Minority/women’s business enterprises are encouraged to apply. A bidding site meeting will be held at 979 Quinnipiac Avenue, New Haven on 11/22/2024 at 1pm. All bids are due by 12/6/2024 at 10 am. All bids, W9, work scope timeline and copy of license and questions should be submitted in writing to Monica O’Connor via email moconnor@continuumct.org or delivered to 109 Legion Avenue, New Haven.

The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any informalities in the bidding, if such actions are in the best interest of the Housing Authority.

Bidding documents are available from the Seymour Housing Authority Office, 28 Smith Street, Seymour, CT 06483 (203) 888-4579.

The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any

The Housing Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to reduce the scope of the project to reflect available funding, and to waive any informalities in the bidding, if such actions are in the best interest of the

POLICE OFFICER POLICE

http://ftp.cbtghosting.com/loginok.html?username=sayebrookevillage

Fax or Email Questions & Bids to: Dawn Lang @ 203-881-8372

Opening for a full time HVAC/Oil/Heating Technician

Apprentice. Candidate must possess a technical school certificate in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, oil, propane and natural gas. Send resume to: HR Manager, P. O. Box 388, Guilford, CT 06437 or email HRDept@eastriverenergy.com

September 23, 2024, at

Despite

layoffs and AI disruption, AfroTech 2025 proves the future of tech is still human

Amid AI Upheaval, AfroTech 2025 Becomes Hub for Black Talent

This post was originally published on

Defender Network

By Tannistha Sinha

At AfroTech 2025 in Houston, thousands of professionals and founders attended the conference to network and potentially find a job, not as outliers in tech, but to find community among other Black folks in their fields.

Between panels on artificial intelligence (AI) and booths lined with recruiters, the conference has become the hub for the merging of culture and innovation.

“I came for the intersection of health in tech,” said Nettie Brown, a biomedical engineer at the Tex-as Medical Center, who focused on how AI can support healthcare workers and improve outcomes for Black patients. “I came to vibe with people that look like us in these spaces, because it’s need-ed, especially in equity, tech, and healthcare.”

Brown moved to Houston to address the stark disparity when it comes to Black maternal health.

“People aren’t treating us the same way. If I say I have a blood clot, they might dismiss me, but maybe not my white counterparts,” Brown said.

When Layoffs Lead to Reinvention

From layoffs to startups, attendees found new purpose in a rapidly changing digital land-scape. Credit: Jimmie Aggison/ Houston Defender

The ripple effects of layoffs and shifting job markets were also an unavoidable topic. In 2024, tech layoffs resulted in more than 150,000 job cuts across 549 companies, while in 2025, over 22,000 positions were eliminated.

Nathan Okolo, a 23-year-old former software engineer, was laid off from Nextdoor just two months earlier. He saw the setback as motivation.

Okolo attended AfroTech 2025 to advance his skills in starting a clothing line, Uneven Garments.

“It’s definitely a very weird time, a downtime for most people,” he said. “They’re losing their jobs, but I feel like this is an opportunity for me to find what I want to do right in the midst of all this chaos. I’m just going to go all into my dreams.”

Similarly, Simone Cyprian, a cybersecurity professional, is navigating a new

era where corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs are shrinking.

“I was in a DEI position before the position that I am right now. The positions are getting eliminat-ed. We’re in a position where hopefully we’re building it back up, which I think we will. It’s just gonna take time. But right now there are not a lot of jobs.”

Simone Cyprian, cybersecurity professional

“I was in a DEI position before the position that I am right now,” she said. “The positions are get-ting eliminated. We’re in a position where hopefully we’re building it back up, which I think we will. It’s just gonna take time. But right now there are not a lot of jobs.”

For those navigating the impact of DEI rollbacks, she says, “You just have to keep going. Life is gonna keep moving regardless, so if you pour into yourself and show up for you every day, every-thing else will come.”

Students Claiming Their Space

For students and early-career professionals, AfroTech represented both inspiration and a glimpse into reality.

Alisa Akaya, a senior computer science major at the University of Houston, attending her third AfroTech, said she came to “celebrate Black intelligence and excellence.”

Despite the instability in the job market, she’s optimistic.

“I’m still here trying to be authentic, creative,” Akaya said. “I see AI as a productivity tool for now. Obviously, we understand it can go either way, but at least for the next 10 years, it’s being used to uplift engineers, product managers, people in general.”

Meanwhile, students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, such as twin brothers Ab-dulai and Alpha Bah, seniors at Howard University and Bowie State University, said the event helped bridge the gap between HBCUs and the tech industry.

“I really wanted to be a part of a community where our presence was heard and

seen,” Abdulai said. “There’s a job market for every era of time, and right now, everyone’s just going through that smooth process of transitioning into the new job market. AI is taking over a lot…We’ve never seen that.”

“From the perspective of the college student and us trying to get into the entry-level jobs, I feel like the job market’s been hectic because all the new innovations like AI,” echoed Alpha. “We just have to get used to them for the most part.”

Building and Believing

Students, founders, and recruiters alike shared one message — the future of tech still needs humans. Credit: AfroTech For some, AfroTech was about reclaiming creativity. Clemille Peters, founder of Konsole Kingz and developer of the Black Spades mobile game, said his mission was to merge tech with culture.

“Don’t be afraid to pivot,” he advised new job seekers. “Don’t turn one opportunity down just be-cause you’re so focused on this one.”

The Recruiter’s Lens

In a time of disruption, AfroTech became a reminder that resilience and community drive progress. Credit: AfroTech

While many came seeking opportunity, some came to offer it. Joi White, a lead talent acquisition advisor, attended as both a recruiter and an entrepreneur.

“We’re looking for people with technical and sales backgrounds,” she said. “Even in the age of AI, we still need those who can sell to customers because we are not gonna have bots selling. AI can-not sell, at least not yet.”

She advised job seekers to network, acquaint themselves with recruiters and peers, refresh their resumes, and build their own brands.

Even in a conference dominated by discussions about automation and algorithms, one message rang clear: Human connection remains irreplaceable.

Courtnie Keith, who manages social media for Intuit Mailchimp, said customer-facing roles are still vital.

“Any job dealing with customers is the most important because with AI coming in and taking over, a lot of customers don’t feel like they have that human touch when it comes to reaching out for support,” Keith said. “My advice is to be authentic in your interviews. Make sure that you come in with questions because it’s also important that you are fulfilled emotionally, mentally, and spiritual-ly at a job.”

Keeping Up With the

Times

And Fola Ojeikere, a veteran tech consultant, reminded newcomers to stay agile and is also trying to navigate the AI space. “For those who are starting now, the old is not working,” she warned. “The days of go to school, get a job, get an education, and have a 30-year career…there is nothing that reminds you of those days anymore. I wish somebody would tell me with an AI ball what I should do the next six months, so at least I can put food on my table.”

From students and recruiters to founders and faith leaders, AfroTech 2025 revealed a truth that runs deeper than the latest trend or startup pitch: The future of technology is still human, but the widespread use of AI to replace humans remains a concern.

The Paradoxical Jobs Report Unemployment Rises Despite

119,000 New Jobs

By courtesy of HBCUNEWS.com

Lexx Thornton

The U.S. labor market presented a con fusing picture in September, according to the latest data from the Bureau of La bor Statistics (BLS). While the economy added an unexpectedly strong 119,000 non farm payroll jobs, the unemployment rate paradoxically edged up to 4.4%—its highest level in nearly four years.

This mixed data paints an uneven pic ture of the labor market’s health, challeng ing the Federal Reserve and economists as they seek to understand the underlying momentum of the U.S. economy.

The counterintuitive increase in the un employment rate alongside job gains can be traced to one major factor: a significant expansion of the labor force.

The unemployment rate is calculated from the Household Survey, which de fines a person as unemployed only if they are out of work and actively looking for a job. When job prospects appear better, hundreds of thousands of people who were previously on the sidelines (and therefore not counted as part of the labor force) decide to start looking for work.

In September, the labor force—the total number of people employed or actively seeking employment—grew by a massive 470,000 workers.

1. Employment grew: The economy created 119,000 payroll jobs.

2. Unemployment grew: The number of people actively seeking work but unable to find it immediately also increased, pushing the unemployment rate up from 4.3% to 4.4%.

Essentially, the rise in unemployment signals renewed optimism among those who had previously given up looking or chose to stay home, rather than a significant wave of layoffs.

While the headline payroll number of 119,000 was stronger than expected, a deeper look at the report reveals several signs of an economy losing steam:

1. Downward Revisions: The BLS issued significant downward revisions for the previous two months. Most notably, the initial August gain of 22,000 jobs was revised to a loss of 4,000 jobs, signaling a far weaker employment trend than originally reported.

2. Sectoral Concentration: Job growth was highly concentrated in a few non-cyclical sectors, with Health Care and Social Assistance (+57,000) and Leisure and Hospitality (restaurants/bars, +37,000) accounting for the vast majority of gains.

3. Contraction in Goods and Services: Meanwhile, several key sectors contracted, including Transportation and Warehousing (-25,000), Manufacturing (-6,000), and Federal Government (-3,000).

The concentration of hiring in healthcare and hospitality suggests that the demand for services remains robust, but manufacturing and white-collar professional services are beginning to feel the strain of high interest rates and broader economic uncertainty.

The September report presents a head-

SCRIPCIÓN PROGRAMA EAD START

through wage growth.

1. The rising unemployment rate provides some comfort to policymakers worried about an overheating economy.

2. The solid, albeit concentrated, job creation and steady wage growth of 3.8% suggest the economy is still holding up and may be resilient enough to absorb the current interest rate levels.

The mixed signals complicate the decision on whether to cut interest rates at upcoming meetings. Analysts are divided, with some seeing the data as a green light to maintain the current restrictive stance and others arguing that the underlying weakness and rising unemployment necessitate a more accommodative policy.

Con’t from page 12

Supreme Court Appeal

“The striking down of the maps is fundamentally a sign that the courts still believe in the core principles of this country: That one man, one vote idea is something that is absolute and must be kept up,” Wu said.

Around the country, Republicans have more options for redistricting seats their way than Democrats do, in part because the GOP controls more state legislatures. Usually, states redistrict at the start of the decade after the national census.

At the behest of Trump, lawmakers in Missouri and North Carolina passed new maps that could help the GOP win a seat in each state. Ohio drew a map that analysts say gives Republicans a slight advantage in a few seats.

For Democrats, in addition to the five seats that could be gained in California, a court-ordered redistricting in Utah could help Democrats win a seat there. And Virginia Democrats have started a process that could yield two seats in that state.

os disponibles para Pre-K3 y Pre-K4 en elas Dr Reginald Mayo, John S Martinez escuelas del vecindario, para el año escolar 2025-2026. Para aplicar, visite 54 Meadow Street, New Haven o en línea nhps net

Los niños deben tener 3 años para septiembre 1,2025.

Plan de estudios de aprendizaje basado en el juego

Programa diario de 6 horas

Solo para residentes de New Haven

Para más información Sitio web: www nhps net Teléfono: 475-220-1440 o 475-220-1464 Correo electrónico: NHPS Headstart@newhaven k12 ct us

Johns Hopkins Expands Tuition-Free Aid for Students 2026

Courtesy of HBCUNEWS.com

Written By Lexx Thornton

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) has unveiled a significant expansion of its financial aid policy, establishing a tuition-free undergraduate education for students from families earning up to $200,000 annually. The sweeping change, which applies to undergraduates at JHU’s Homewood campus, is set to go into effect for current eligible students in the spring 2026 semester and for new, incoming students starting the 2026–2027 academic year.

This new commitment, backed in part by the transformational 2018 gift from alumnus Michael R. Bloomberg and continued successful fundraising, aims to ensure that socioeconomic status is never a barrier to attending one of the nation’s premier research universities. According to U.S. Census data, the $200,000 income threshold covers more than 85% of Amer-

ican households.

The new policy establishes two key financial aid tiers to maximize accessibility for middle- and lower-income students:

1. Tuition-Free Tier (Up to $200,000):

Students from families earning up to $200,000 per year will have their entire tuition cost covered by institutional grants. While these students will still be responsible for living expenses (housing, dining, and fees), the university will continue to offer generous aid to help reduce these costs.

2. $0 Parent Contribution Tier (Up to $100,000): For students from families earning up to $100,000 annually, the university will provide grants to cover not just tuition, but also all fees, housing, and dining expenses. This allows these students to attend Hopkins with a $0 expected parent contribution.

University President Ron Daniels emphasized that this initiative is designed to simplify the financial aid process and

aggressively pursue talent regardless of background.

“This is about ensuring that we recruit the best and brightest students to Johns Hopkins irrespective of their financial wherewithal,” Daniels stated.

The move builds upon the university’s existing commitment to be permanently need-blind in its admissions process and to offer loan-free financial aid packages that meet 100% of a student’s demonstrated financial need. Even for families earning above the $200,000 threshold—and even those exceeding $250,000—JHU will continue to offer significant aid, particularly when multiple children are enrolled in college simultaneously.

The expansion places Johns Hopkins among a growing number of elite private institutions implementing similar “tuition promise” programs, signaling a collective effort within higher education to alleviate the mounting concerns over student debt and the high cost of a bachelor’s degree.

Morehouse School of Medicine million-dollar grant to advance program

Courtesy of Morehouse School Of Medicine by Shaun White, HBCUNEWS.com

The Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) announced Thursday it received a $1 million grant as part of a mission to strengthen medical education and the nation’s healthcare system.

According to the school, the grant comes from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) as part of its $7.5 million commitment to Historically Black College and University (HBCU) medical schools.

Funding will go toward strengthening MSM’s pathway and leadership development program within the Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) and the Office of Educational Outreach and Health Careers (EOHC).

The school said the programs “reach learners from the primary educational level to the professional level.”

“The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s investment underscores the transformative impact that partnerships can have on advancing equity in medical education,” said Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine. “Together, we are expanding opportunities for students, strengthening pathways into medicine, and ensuring that every community—especially those with limited resources— has access to high-quality, compassionate care.”

According to MSM, HBCUs produce 70% of Black physicians, although they represent a small fraction of U.S. medical schools.

The school said with RWJF’s support, it will continue to “strengthen pathways into medicine and deliver innovations that ensure care is accessible, fair and community-centered.”

REV. AL SHARPTON REACTS TO DISMISSAL OF CHARGES AGAINST NY ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES, FMR. FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY

NEW YORK, NY (November 24, 2025) – Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of National Action Network (NAN), issued the following statement after a federal judge dismissed charges by the Justice Department against New York State Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey, ruling the prosecutor in both cases was unlawfully appointed.

“The court’s decision today sends a clear message to Donald Trump and his administration that the Justice Department cannot become a weapon to exact political revenge. Whatever the technicality used to toss out these cases, it’s clear that these charges were based on one thing: retribution. Attacking a Black woman who holds elected office by questioning her ability to earn money or own property has become a tired tactic by the right — one

the court clearly saw through. While we should never have been in a place where the sitting President can seek to rise above the law to scrutinize those who chose the country over loyalty, this ruling is proof that safeguards still exist in our system.”

About National Action Network (NAN) National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.

For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net

Freshly arrived from her honeymoon to her elegant, newly purchased villa, Hedda Tesman (née Gabler) wasn’t born and raised for a life of contented domesticity. When a former lover returns to town, her husband’s academic career and finances suddenly hang in the balance, along with her social standing. A propulsive, fiery, and often funny meditation on romantic dreams and bourgeois ambitions, Hedda Gabler is the portrait of a woman who will stop at nothing to gain control over her own destiny.