History

In 1967, the Council of Churches and Synagogues of Stamford, Connecticut sponsored the creation of New Neighborhoods, Inc. as an independent, secular nonprofit 501(c)(3).

Gertrude “Pat” Marshall was a member of the original board of directors and was selected as the first executive director and president where she served the community in this capacity through the end of the 1980’s. Pat became known throughout the community as the mother of the affordable housing movement in Stamford.

New Neighborhoods’ first property opens, providing 88 families with affordable rental housing.

With community support, New Neighborhoods develops a comprehensive West Side revitalization plan for Federal funding.

Park opens and is dedicated for use by West Side residents – New Neighborhoods files federal funding application for park development adjoining MLK Apartments.

New Neighborhoods develops its first home ownership units with the purchase and renovation of a two-unit house.

Seven dilapidated brick row-homes are transformed into attractive homeownership condominiums.

New Neighborhoods converts another deteriorated two-family house into four 2-bedroom homeownership units.

Linden Place (ten units) and Ann Street (six units) condominiums are completed and sold to income-qualified buyers.

Linden Terrace Condominiums (six units) opens.

New Neighborhoods’ First Development in Stamford’s South End. Elmcroft Condominiums opens with twelve units of owner-occupied housing for income-qualified families.

New Neighborhoods develops and opens 28 condominium units for first-time homebuyers on Stamford’s West Side.

Howard Quinn became the second Executive Director of New Neighborhoods in 1990 after leading a similar organization in Long Island. At this time, New Neighborhoods had already made numerous parks and home improvements throughout the west side of Stamford creating over 100 first-time homeowners from previously vacant land or through the renovation of blighted properties.

At this time, Martin Luther King, Jr. Apartments was New Neighborhoods’ only rental property, providing 88 affordable housing units to the west side of Stamford. Under Howard’s leadership through 1998, New Neighborhoods would grow to four properties with a total of 158 affordable housing units.

Ten units of affordable ownership housing, and New Neighborhoods’ first modular development opens on Clinton Avenue adjacent to the Mill River.

Waterside Green Condominiums opens, a successful joint-venture with Fairfield 2000, with 95 award-winning owner-occupied units in Stamford’s South End.

Belltown Manor opens. New Neighborhoods completes its conversion of the former Belltown School into 27 affordable rental units for senior residents.

The Atlantic Apartments open with 28 renovated and new units of LIHTC rental housing for individuals and seniors.

Stillwater Heights Apartments open with 15 renovated and new two and three bedroom units of LIHTC rental housing for families.

Ross Burkhardt became the third leader of New Neighborhoods in 1999 when he was appointed the Executive Director. Prior to joining New Neighborhoods, Ross served as the Executive Director of Broad Park Development Corporation, in Hartford CT.

When Ross joined the company, New Neighborhoods had six staff members and owned and managed four Stamford Properties with 158 affordable housing units. Under Ross’s leadership through early 2017, New Neighborhoods would grow to 11 properties with a total of 444 affordable housing units owned and/or managed by New Neighborhoods and a staff of 22.

As a consultant to Pacific House, New Neighborhoods assists with the financing and development of 17 Berkeley Street into ten SRO units for the homeless.

A state-of-the-art child development center is opened on the premises of Martin Luther King, Jr. Apartments.

New Neighborhoods and Mutual Housing Association of Southwestern Connecticut (MHA) partner to purchase a 121-unit midrise of affordable family rental housing.

New Neighborhoods renovates a historic single-family rental home in the proposed Mill River corridor.

Franklin Place is completed and opens, providing four affordable owner-occupied condominiums.

MLK, Jr. Apartments, is rededicated following completion of renovations and upgrades with $11 million HUD/FHA-insured refinancing from KeyCorp Capital Markets, the first significant rehabilitation since 1972.

A full-time coordinator, contracted through Family Centers, connects residents of New Neighborhoods with community resources and programs that can help them set and achieve goals to improve their lives and neighborhoods.

Madison Smith Apartments opens 10 units. Its name honors Neighborhood Services’ Executive Director, the driving force in the project’s development. Received the Connecticut Community Development Association’s Partnership Award.

Samuel’s Court opens in Danbury – 28 supportive rental housing units. New Neighborhoods’ first property outside Stamford developed with LIHTC funding in partnership with Alderhouse Communities.

New Neighborhoods acquires Norwalk building and adds a Community Room and Management Office. The 57-unit affordable rental housing building includes units for veterans and homeless.

New Neighborhoods and Mutual Housing complete a $15 million LIHTC-funded rehabilitation, preserving 121 units of affordable rental housing.

New Neighborhoods acquires and rehabs four bank-owned condominium properties, which are sold to low-and moderate-income families.

Marshall Commons opens. 50 units of LIHTC affordable housing. New Neighborhoods’ first rooftop solar panels. Received the Stamford 2030 Platinum Award for Leadership in Sustainability, and the Connecticut Community Development Partnership Award.

Elmcrest Terrace Opens. The rehabilitated former nursing home provides 18 units of supportive rental housing for parenting women in addiction recovery. New Neighborhoods assumes property management role.

New Neighborhoods partners with BNT in the LIHTC-funded development of a Bridgeport site that provides 48 units of mixed-income rental housing, 38 of them affordable.

Samuel’s Court and Fair Street Apartments rooftop solar arrays at 50 kW each are installed under power purchase agreement with the Connecticut Green Bank.

Martin Luther King Jr. Apartments installs new energy plant including co-generation (CHP) unit, which provides heat, hot water and electricity to the building, providing guaranteed cost savings.

William J. Healy II became the fourth official leader of New Neighborhoods in the spring of 2018 when he was appointed the President and CEO, filling a leadership transition gap that lasted over year. Prior to joining New Neighborhoods, Jamey served as the Vice President of Elderly Housing Development and Operations Corporation (EHDOC) based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Prior to EHDOC, Jamey served eight years as the Mayor of Canton, Ohio, and three years in the Ohio House of Representatives.

When Jamey joined the company, New Neighborhoods had a staff of 16 employees and owned and managed 10 properties with 426 affordable housing units. Within the first five years of Jamey’s leadership, the company has grown to 22 properties with 846 total affordable housing units that New Neighborhoods owns and/or manages with a staff of 58 total employees.

New Neighborhoods acquired controlling interest of this 40 unit property, in partnership with New Milford Affordable Housing. New Neighborhoods will also assume management responsibility for this property. Indian Field was originally developed by WIHED in 2009 as a LIHTC property.

New Neighborhoods acquired the GP interest of this 74 unit property in partnership with the US Veterans Administration. New Neighborhoods will also assume management responsibilities for this property. Victory Gardens was originally developed by WIHED in 2021 as a LIHTC property.

New Neighborhoods acquired controlling interest of this 62 unit property. New Neighborhoods will also assume management responsibility for this property. The Eleanor was originally developed by WIHED in 2009 as a LIHTC property.

New Neighborhoods acquired controlling interest of this 48 unit property. New Neighborhoods will also assume management responsibility for this property. The Eleanor was originally developed by WIHED in 2009 as a LIHTC property.

New Neighborhoods has assumed Management Control of 8 properties, with a total of 176 units, in partnership with Building Neighborhoods Together (BNT).

Milestone Apartments, located at 1793 Stratford Avenue in Bridgeport, sitting along the eastern corridor downtown was originally developed in 2015 by Bridgeport Neighborhoods Trust. This mixed-use property combines 30 apartments, with affordable rents ranging from 30% of the area median income (AMI) and up, with roughly 7,000 square feet of ground floor office space.

The Alliance for Community Empowerment currently occupies roughly 6,000 square feet of office space providing educational daycare services.  Twenty of the apartments have project-based vouchers, and all of the units are designated for elderly tenants or those with disabilities.

On October 27, 2023, New Neighborhoods acquired 100% ownership of this property as part of a 176-unit portfolio acquisition from BNT.  As part of this lengthy acquisition process, New Neighborhoods took over managing this property back in December of 2022.

Financing Sources of the Original Development:

• Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) • Connecticut’s Department of Economic & Community Development • Wells Fargo • City of Bridgeport • Local Initiatives Support Corporation • The Connection

Gateway Apartments, located at 570 West Street in Bridgeport, sitting along the western entrance to downtown was originally developed in 2017 by Bridgeport Neighborhoods Trust.

This mixed-use property combines 30 apartments, with affordable rents ranging from 30% of the area median income (AMI) and up, with roughly 4,000 square feet of ground floor office space and a conference/community room, currently occupied by Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust’s corporate office.  Twenty of the apartment have project based vouchers, with some of the units reserved specifically for people coming out of homelessness.

On October 27, 2023, New Neighborhoods acquired 100% ownership of this property as part of a 176-unit portfolio acquisition from BNT.  As part of this lengthy acquisition process, New Neighborhoods took over managing this property back in December of 2022.

Financing Sources of the Original Development:

• Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) • Wells Fargo • State Interagency Committee for Supportive Housing • Connecticut’s Department of Economic & Community Development • City of Bridgeport • Local Initiatives Support Corporation • Corporation for Supportive Housing, Community Capital Fund

Liberty Commons, located at 273 West Avenue in Bridgeport, was originally developed in 2021 by Bridgeport Neighborhoods Trust in their continuing efforts to revitalize the city’s Downtown West area. This property provides 18 affordable and mixed income apartments, with four units specifically set aside for households earning at or below 25% of the area medium income (AMI).

On November 9, 2023, New Neighborhoods acquired 100% ownership of this property as part of a 176-unit portfolio acquisition from BNT.  As part of this lengthy acquisition process, New Neighborhoods took over managing this property back in December of 2022.

Financing Sources of the Original Development:

• Connecticut Department of Housing • City of Bridgeport • Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston • People’s United Bank, now M&T Bank • Bridgeport Landing Development • Local Initiatives Support Corporation • Leviticus Fund