The state’s novel program to relieve chronic flooding in Hartford’s North End has distributed all of the $5 million that state legislators originally appropriated, so state officials on Tuesday announced that an additional $4 million for the program — which will now be expanded to assist businesses owned by non-Hartford residents.
The Hartford Flood Compensation program has issued 335 checks for flood relief, mostly to residential homeowners, totaling more than $4.5 million, according to state Comptroller Sean Scanlon. After including administrative costs and 45 other applications that have been approved but not yet paid for, the initial fund will have been used up in its first nine months, Scanlon added.
“I remember when we were at the Blue Hills Civic Association announcing this program, and one of the first questions was, ”What happens if we need more money?’ and the answer from Speaker Ritter was, “Don’t worry — if we need more money, and there’s a need out there, we will find more money,’” Scanlon said during a press conference at the West Indian Social Club.
House Speaker Matt Ritter said the legislature approved the additional $4 million, which will come from unused ARPA funds.
“The [flood relief] program has worked better than we even imagined,” Ritter said, adding the money will be available starting July 1.
“We also are opening this program up to businesses for the first time that might be owned by non-Hartford residents,” Ritter said. “We are capping business grants at $50,000 so we can make sure there’s enough money for everybody.”
The press conference was held at the social club because they have already submitted an application that has been approved to alleviate basement flooding in the 50-year-old building at 3340 Main St.
Also in attendance was Julian Gellman, who, along with his partner Claude Elie, purchased the historic Webster Theater for $1.45 million about one year ago.
Gellman said they knew some repairs were in order: upgrading patron restrooms, tightening up security and installing an LED screen. They invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into renovations.
What they did not anticipate, however, was how much they would need to continue investing.
“At The Webster, when it rains, well, it really pours,” Gellman said.
The Webster’s leadership soon encountered massive sewage and drainage problems. Rain has flooded the building four times since they bought it, and the venue’s green rooms for artists are unusable.
“Our lack of green rooms has definitely impacted our ability to book artists for shows. No one wants to perform in a space where they cannot get ready in private,” Gellman told the Connecticut Mirror.
The Webster Theater originally applied for the funding program last year.
But because Gellman lives in Wethersfield, it did not qualify. But he said state officials called him last week about the new funding and encouraged him to reapply.
Sen. Doug McCrory, D-Hartford, who grew up in the North End, said the flooding program has removed barriers that have hindered the region for years.
“All you have to do is pick up your phone and make a call, and your problems hopefully will be solved. Money will not be the issue,” McCrory said. “Our responsibility was to remove barriers. We always have certain barriers in our community that keep their knees on our neck, but this program has alleviated that and is making living in our community better.”
Only program in the country
The Hartford Flood Compensation Fund is a piece of the $170 million project that Gov. Ned Lamont, federal and state officials announced in June 2023 to deal with systemic flooding issues in the city’s North End.
“I’m sorry and ashamed at how long it took us to get here, but we are here now, and we’re not leaving until we get it right for each and every one of you in this community,” Lamont said as he stood on the front lawn of a Granby Street home.
“If there were sewage bubbling up in a basement in Guilford or Greenwich, they’d be getting that fixed overnight, and now we’re gonna get it fixed right here on Granby Street and beyond,” Lamont said.
The majority of the $170 million will be applied to 12 projects proposed by the Metropolitan District Commission to increase protections from sewer and stormwater-related flooding and backups in North Hartford.
Ritter said Tuesday that several projects are already underway and that MDC expects all of the work to be done by 2029.
Ritter said part of the $85 million that the state is contributing is also being used for another first-of-its-kind program where residents can schedule MDC inspections and receive recommendations, such as sump pumps.
“If you are a homeowner in Hartford or a business owner, you can call the MDC, and they will come onto your private property for free, no charge, and they will make repairs to your sump pumps or make sure that you have valves that are cleaned or installed,” Ritter said.
Ritter added it’s the only program in the country where the state, using Clean Water Funds, pays for contractors to go on private property, do inspections and then make the repairs with no cost to the homeowner.
“So we have the flood money for dealing with it now. We have the inspections for free and the repairs to mitigate damage, and then we have the large-scale work that will actually be hundreds of millions of dollars in North Hartford to once and for all solve this problem.”
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