Homeowners in Hamden’s Newhall neighborhood are struggling with foundation damage and environmental concerns due to a century of industrial waste disposal and a subsequent environmental cleanup that didn’t get the job done.

Community Efforts

The Hamden Newhall Neighborhood Association, formed in 2024, has been fighting for funds to repair the crumbling homes. Last year, the group secured approximately $18 million in federal, state, and local funding to cover the cost of the repairs.

A recent meeting, hosted by the association, brought together 40 neighbors, town officials, and project consultants to discuss the progress of the repairs and the demolition of the former middle school, which also sits on contaminated land.

Representatives from the engineering consulting firm Haley & Aldrich, 7 Summits Construction, and BL Companies provided updates on the projects. The planned demolition of the middle school is scheduled to happen before the end of this year.

Regarding the foundations repair, 7 Summits project manager Tim Barry described a ‘slow, rolling start’ for the first 18 of 75 properties currently in the project. The construction documents for the first 18 properties have been submitted for review, and a public bid process for trade contractors will follow.

Homeowners expressed frustration with the timeline, with one resident, Tasha English, saying, ‘I just don’t know how much longer I can endure this.’ English’s home has cracks in the walls, and her doors and windows don’t open and close properly due to the sinking foundations.

Hamden Mayor Adam Sendroff acknowledged the gathering frustration felt by many homeowners and pledged a ‘bottom-up as opposed to top-down process’ to determine the future of the site.

Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.