Waterbury Fights Blight

A house on Burton Street in Waterbury is getting new siding and other repairs thanks to the city's Blight Task Force program.

87-year-old Lorraine Beamon and her 95-year-old sister both live at the home and say the program is a life-saver for the elderly and those living on a tight budget.

Speaking about the exterior of her home requiring siding and repairs, Beamon said, “It needed it badly.” She went on to add, “It’s costly and we wouldn’t be able to pay for it and it saves on heat and beautification for the neighborhood and I’m happy about it.”

The city's mayor, Neil M. O'Leary, joined the Blight Task Force and volunteers belonging to the Waterbury Police Activities League and the Crownbrook Neighborhood Association. Together, using donated funds, the groups installated vinyl siding for the home of 90-year-old homeowner Bernice Jackson, a lifelong Burton St. resident.

Mayor O'Leary said, “We went to some of our local companies and they decided to cooperate with us and volunteer their time, labor and materials and you know it’s for all the right reasons.”

The mayor also says the city is taking over three other blighted homes nearby and will be building a community center.

The mayor added,“So we're going to take these properties and out people back in them and kids and neighborhoods, just the way it should be. One house at a time.”