New Neighborhoods acquires 4 affordable housing properties

NEW MILFORD — In an effort to preserve their status as affordable housing properties, New Neighborhoods, Inc. of Stamford recently acquired four properties, including the affordable housing apartments at Indian Field in New Milford.

Other acquired properties are Victory Gardens apartments in Newington and the Eleanor apartments and Franklin apartments, both in Bridgeport.

“Our greatest purpose for these acquisitions was to preserve these properties as affordable housing, especially during these times of extremely high and rapidly rising housing costs,” New Neighborhoods, Inc. Chief Executive Officer and President Jamey Healy II said. “We are a mission-driven affordable housing nonprofit that has been based in Stamford for over 55 years.”

The four acquired properties have a combined total of 224 units, including 39 units at Indian Field. The four properties were originally developed and owned by the Women’s Institute of Housing and Economic Development before they exited the business.

Healy said New Neighborhoods, Inc. scheduled open house events as a way to showcase and celebrate the acquisition of the properties. Open houses were held in New Milford and Newington last week. One more open house was scheduled for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the properties in Bridgeport located at 695 Park Ave.

In addition there is a Juneteenth Celebration event from noon until 3 p.m. Friday.

The nonprofit’s mission is to create sustainable communities by developing, redeveloping, and preserving quality housing that strengthens low and moderate income families, allows seniors to age with dignity, and provides stability for the formerly homeless, according to the New Neighborhoods, Inc. website.

During Stamford’s downtown urban renewal in 1967, the Council of Churches and Synagogues sponsored the creation of New Neighborhoods, Inc. as an independent, secular nonprofit 501c(3). New Neighborhoods, Inc. develops, preserves and manages low, moderate and middle income ownership and rental housing. After 50 years working within Stamford, New Neighborhoods expanded its focus to include all of Connecticut with an emphasis on Fairfield County.

New Neighborhoods, Inc. owns and manages over 650 family, veteran and senior units in 14 properties statewide.

Its website also states that New Neighborhoods, Inc. has developed more types of housing than any other nonprofit in Connecticut. This includes co-ops, condominiums, family rentals and senior citizen apartments.