Two multifamily homes on Madison Street in Hartford got a facelift.
“It was vacant, and it is nice to see now that we have a building that is functioning that is bringing back the neighborhood,” Edison Silva of Hartford said.
According to the Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance, or SINA, an absentee owner did not take care of the property at 41 Madison St., and it became an eyesore used by squatters and drug dealers.
“I feel wonderful to have reached this point and the development of this project,” SINA Executive Director Melvyn Colon said.
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Thursday afternoon, SINA and city officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house for the renovated multifamily home.
It is one of four properties in the Frog Hollow neighborhood that will soon be available for sale to low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers.
“We are in the middle of a housing crisis, housing shortage. Bringing these houses back online for homeownership gives opportunities which are not that frequent in Hartford,” Colon said.
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The homeowners are required to live on site for seven years and can rent out the other units, which total 11.
“He or she will be able to rent to families and through the rent bring the cost of their own mortgage down,” Colon said.
Long-time resident Edison Silva said the newly reconstructed homes will bring up the quality of life in the community.
“Hopefully encourages other homeowners, like myself, to improve our properties so that the neighborhood continues to look better,” Silva said.
The multifamily home on Madison Street will sell for $400,000 and will go on the market soon. More information can be found here.
