HISTORY OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF ANSONIA

The Housing Authority of the City of Ansonia was established on October 18, 1948 to operate and administer low-rent housing for the purpose of providing decent, safe and sanitary dwellings for low income families.

On August 19, 1955 a devastating flood struck the City of Ansonia from Hurricane Diane surging flood waters of the Naugatuck River over streets and bridges. Thirty days after the destruction from the flood, government planning experts met with city officials to discuss a ten-year plan for city redevelopment starting with two phases of renewal and flood control projects; one on the West Side (the Broad Street Renewal Project) and one on the East Side (the Downtown Renewal Project). The Broad Street Renewal Project on the West Side of the city involved replacing demolished housing due to the flood with federal housing.

Riverside Apartments on Olson Drive was undertaken first. In 1961 the Ansonia Housing Authority purchased the first of two parcels of land from the Ansonia Redevelopment Agency to redevelop housing to replace deteriorated and flood-damaged housing. Under Harold H. Kyle, Executive Director of the Ansonia Housing Authority, 165 units in eleven 3-story brick buildings were built in two phases. Phase I consisted of 105 units on the south side parcel of land and Phase II consisted of 60 units on the north side parcel of land.

On September 4, 1963 Mr. and Mrs. Howard Tinney and family were one of the first families to move into the newly constructed Riverside Apartments.

Federal elderly housing was introduced into the community with the development of 30 dwelling units at John J. Stevens Apartments on Beaver and Central Streets in 1968. The development of elderly housing continued with 74 dwelling units at Monsignor John T. Hynes Apartments on Woodlawn Avenue in 1969, then development of the State elderly housing development of 40 units at John J. O’Donnell Apartments across from Hynes Apartments on Woodlawn Avenue opened in 1974.

In 2004 a physical needs assessment of Riverside Apartments was conducted to evaluate existing conditions of the buildings, which were showing signs of physical distress. Based on the estimates for the rehabilitation of the buildings, the buildings were deemed physically obsolete.

The demolition of buildings 1 and 2 (Phase I-Southside) was completed in 2009. The demolition of buildings 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 (Phase II-Southside) was completed in 2014. The demolition of buildings 8, 9, 10, and 11 (Phase II Northside) will be completed by May 2017. Additionally, a redevelopment plan for a new mixed income, mixed use development is in process for the site.

Riverside Redevelopment

Riverside Quarterly Reports

A Brief History of the City of Ansonia