Courtney Receives Award from Habitat for Humanity of Eastern CT for Supporting Construction of 14 New Homes in Norwich

NORWICH, CT - Last night, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) received an award from Habitat for Humanity of Eastern CT in recognition of his work in Congress to secure $900,000 for the City of Norwich that was used to support construction of 14 homes.

At Habitat for Humanity of Eastern CT's Building Hope & Homes celebration in Mystic, Courtney joined Leslie Souvenance, the owner of the 14th home built with support of the federal funding.

Left to right: Norwich Mayor Swarnjit Singh, Rep. Joe Courtney, homeowner Leslie Souvenance, and Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Eastern CT Sarah Lufler.

This is part of Courtney's continued work to meet eastern Connecticut's housing supply needs to lower costs for current residents and new workers moving to the region. From 2020-2025, the Norwich-New London job market grew 33% faster than the Connecticut statewide average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, increasing demand for quality affordable housing.

In 2021, Congressman Courtney strongly supported passage of the American Rescue Plan Act, which provided unprecedented direct funding to cities and towns across Connecticut to address community needs. The City of Norwich awarded $900,000 of its American Rescue Plan funding to Habitat for Humanity of Eastern CT, which the non-profit organization used to support construction of 14 homes across Norwich.

This year, Courtney helped pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan housing reform bill which clears pathways to new housing construction nationwide. In particular, expanded use authority for Community Development Block Grants (CBDGs) included in the bill will support Habitat for Humanity of Eastern CT in expanding their model for new home construction in the region.

Earlier this month, Courtney joined a roundtable in New London with local and state officials, homeowners, realtors, and housing advocates to discuss the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and the need for Congress to deliver on the bill's reforms with robust investment in federal housing programs. Read more in the Day.

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