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10/16/2023 12:49 PMNORTH HAVEN
Temple Pines Senior Housing Facility will see “quite an extensive upgrade” in several of its interior and exterior systems with the support of a $5.7 million federal grant, said First Selectman Mike Freda.
The facility—a 3.3-acre, 30-unit housing complex located at 555 Pool Road that is overseen by the North Haven Housing Authority—has already secured the substantial Community Development Block Grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Town electors approved the grant at the annual Town Meeting on Sept. 18. The grant will go toward major repairs and improvements at the complex, which houses seniors who are on limited incomes.
According to Freda, the scope of the work will see those repairs and improvements go to multiple parts both on the inside and outside of the complex, with new infrastructure, operational support, and regard to public health.
“It will include the paving of the existing driveway in the parking areas. It will include a new concrete dumpster pad...it’ll include new asphalt curbing around the facility, new concrete sidewalks,” said Freda.
Additionally, Freda said the exterior will receive new vinyl siding, and the roof will be replaced with a metal one. An emergency generator will be installed with a concrete pad, which Freda said will also support the heating system in the event of a winter power outage.
“The last thing I want to see is anybody have no heat in the house, particularly seniors,” he said.
Freda added that upgrades will also include improvements to energy efficiency. Windows and doors will be replaced, and interior lighting will be swapped for more efficient options.
The building will also be improved to be fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to Freda, the facility’s elevator, which hasn’t been properly functioning for several months, will also be upgraded. Freda said that this upgrade “is critically important for the people on the second and third floors.”
A security system will be installed on the building’s exterior, and the fire alarm system will undergo repairs. Inside, each of the 30 housing units in the complex will be analyzed for upgrades, including new paint jobs and patching walls.
“Kitchen cabinets will be replaced throughout the facility, and the bathrooms will be renovated also throughout the facility,” added Freda.
With the grant now secured, the town’s next step is to bid for vendors to work on the various parts of the overall upgrade. Once those vendors are selected for work, it may take around a year for all repairs and improvements to be completed, which Freda said was an “educated guess.”
There is a goal for this substantial upgrading of Temple Pines to be replicated at the housing authority’s other senior housing facility, Parkside, which has 72 units and is located at 191 Pool Road.
“We’re really scouring for these grants to try to upgrade some of these facilities to help our seniors,” said Freda.