HARTFORD, Conn. — The state is giving more money and more access to Hartford residents and businesses impacted by flood damage.
“Soon after purchasing the building, we learned the meaning of when it rains it pours,” said Julian Gellman, owner of the Webster Theater in Hartford.
Gellman bought the Webster a year ago and spent money to renovate the space, but he said that in the last year, the building has flooded four times.
“We ended up getting three to five inches of rain throughout the venue, supply closets, walk-in fridges, liquor closets, and most importantly, our dressing room,” Gellman continued. “We had our dressing rooms fully furnished with couches, rugs, wooden floors, and, and now we have to get it all redone and thrown away.”
Gellman applied for reimbursement through the new Hartford Flood Compensation Program, but even though his business is in the Capital City, he lives in Wethersfield.
“When we originally applied for the grant and we found out that it wasn't acceptable to people that didn't live in Hartford, it was a bit of a takeback,” he explained. “We were trying to figure out how to figure out funds to get back to where it was and how we're going to make it a greater space.”
Gellman wasn’t alone in his frustration.
After the HFCP started in September 2023, complaints rolled in from owners of Hartford businesses exempt from funding because they didn’t live in the Capital City, but soon that will change.
The state comptroller’s office, which oversees the HFCP, is expanding eligibility to include people who do not reside in Hartford, but own businesses or property in the city.
“We are capping business grants at $50,000,” said House Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford). “That'll be the maximum you can get, that was an agreed-upon number, we want to make sure that there's enough money for everybody to go around.”
Since the program launched, 382 applications have been approved and $4.7 million has gone out.
The fund initially received $5 million from the state, but in the past legislative session, lawmakers allocated another $4 million — this money came from previously unused federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.
The extra $4 million is effective July 1 and will be available for anybody already in the queue and new applicants.
“We wanted to make sure that this program works, that this program works for the residents of Hartford so that they live and work and thrive in a healthier community,” said HFCP administrator Dr. Gary Rhule.
The state is also giving approved applicants a new way to get their reimbursement. They can now choose to have the state directly pay the contractor or vendor who fixes the damage.
The comptroller’s office said this will eliminate any tax concerns for recipients.
Hartford residents or property owners can apply by visiting osc.ct.gov/HartfordFlood or Blue Hills Civic Association (Colin Bennett Building: 1229 Albany Avenue, Third Floor, Suite 306, Hartford, CT) to obtain an application.
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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