Millions targeted to ‘drastically’ transform CT communities

The Connecticut Social Equity Council is relaunching its Reimagine & Revitalize program to distribute $36 million into 10 targeted areas over the next three years.

The money comes from state cannabis revenues and, according to council officials, it adds up to 180 grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs.

Bridgeport, Danbury, Hartford/East Hartford, Meriden, New Britain, New Haven/East Haven/West Haven, New London/Norwich/Windham, Norwalk, Stamford and Waterbury are the targeted areas, according to the council.

The money will be focused on economic development, which includes new businesses, business growth, employment and wage growth.

But before it is allocated, the council must have grant managers for each of its regions, said Social Equity Council CEO Brandon McGee. Last year, questions were raised about some previous grant recipients and an audit was conducted.

“We want to ignite economic growth by enhancing access to vital services and capital to drive economic development initiatives,” said McGee, who was not CEO when the questions arose and has made changes in how the process unfolds.

“We know that there are community investment funds and projects (in) many of these communities that will receive (this) funding and we want to leverage those shovel-ready projects. We also know with them economic community development the long-term vision is to really achieve sustainable wage and enhance existing brick and mortar projects.”

Another target is re-entry initiatives, which includes housing, counseling, job training, education for justice-impacted adults and youth who have been released from incarceration.

“Our goal is (for) all of the individuals who benefited from the recently passed Clean Slate Act,” McGee said. “There were so many individuals who benefited from that only to face additional barriers to housing, to jobs, living, living their lives as they transition back. And that’s for both adults and youth. We really want to support many of those individuals.”

“There are so many individuals who have served their time, and they are now home, living somewhat successful lives, but don’t have access to quality housing,” McGee said.

“And we all know if you don’t have a safe place to lay your head, 10 times out of 10, you may not be able to secure that job,” McGee added.

The final of three priorities includes youth initiatives, such as mentorship, tutoring, and social enrichment programs.

In explaining the targeting of funding, McGee said that the federal government passed laws decades ago that started mass incarcerations, “which had an unfair impact on mostly people and communities of color.”

“We know that the war on drugs significantly disrupted many communities, creating stigmas that hindered economic growth, diverted resources from social programs, and created an enduring challenge or challenges for affected individuals,” McGee said.

McGee said the Reimagine & Revitalize program could “really strengthen communities and create opportunities for many of the residents throughout the state.”

“We’re talking about communities that lack access to quality, food, they experience food deserts. We’re talking about communities that have been ravaged, you know, by the impacts or the effects of the war on drugs has had on many communities,” McGee said.

“So, when you look through the social determinants of health, you understand that public health and revitalized communities they work hand in hand,” he said.  “And if these funds, the $36 million could serve as a catalyst that would allow many of these organizations to scale on the work that they’re already doing, we can see greater impact.”

What has to happen first

Before accepting grant applications, the SEC is seeking qualified grant managers to oversee program administration and manage grant contracts, similar to the WBDC’s role in managing State Flood Grants last year. The SEC is seeking one in each region and proposals for grant managers are due Aug. 4.

“Our goal is multi-prong, but we know just throwing money at an issue is not going to solve the systemic challenges many of our communities are faced with, which is why the SEC is working alongside community-based organizations in these communities, whose missions is to support these three very high impact focus areas,” McGee said.

McGee said he’s thankful to Gov. Ned Lamont, members of the Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus and the entire legislative body for the opportunity to “redistribute these funds back into communities throughout the state of Connecticut.”

“When we approved this legislation, we envisioned that funding it delivers would be
directed to prevention and recovery services and also righting some of the wrongs that the
war on cannabis caused in many communities, particularly in those that have been most
disproportionately affected. Today’s announcement by the Social Equity Council advances
this objective by investing these funds into the most impacted communities,” Lamont said in a recent statement.

The first time around, the Connecticut Social Equity Council distributed $6 million in 2023. McGee said he entered his current position after the initial program concluded. That initiative distributed $1  million each to six different community foundations.

“The difference between the initial round and what we have underway today is that this is a three-year commitment, a three-year opportunity for the SEC to work alongside our partners to better understand impact,” McGee said.

“One of the things that we’ve incorporated in our evaluation process is that each and every month and quarter, we will assess each of our community-based organizations…We also want to make sure that folks are following through on our expectations as to how these dollars should be spent. We allow for organizations to pivot, should they have to, to better align with our intended outcomes that we’ve called out in our evaluation plans.”

State Rep. Derell Wilson, D-Norwich, vice chairman of the Black and Puerto Rican legislative caucus, said he supports the $36 million being brought into the targeted communities over the next three years.

“I think this will help transform some of these 10 communities drastically,” Wilson said. “I think it will do a lot of good to provide some needed service areas and community that drastically need them.”

“I think this has a definite opportunity to truly impact and change people’s lives,” he added. “I think people have to realize for some of our formerly incarcerated individuals reentering into our communities, for some of our youth who are in violent communities, these are opportunities that give them a glimpse of hope.

“But also, opportunities and access, which is another key of the reinvestment both economically, but also within the community. Opportunities for some of these young people to see and do things that gives them access to other options, whether it be later on in life towards youth employment, towards workforce opportunity, access opportunity to sport or a trade, a skill,” he said. “I think it really gives them that little edge that sometimes is needed for some of the individuals to truly be impacted.”

Wilson said three years from now he wants the program to bring sustainability to these targeted communities.

“To me, it’s the growth of opportunity for those who have served their time and are coming back into our communities into their own communities, but also the sustainability growth of economic and youth opportunities that truly are benefiting more youth each and every year in the communities they’re serving.”

Prior to McGee taking the position as CEO, the Social Equity Council’s choices for the recipients of community grants financed by cannabis fees had been challenged by the legislature’s Black and Puerto Rican Caucus. Ginne-Rae Clay resigned last July as the executive director of the Social Equity Council amid an audit ordered by Lamont. Grants were halted during the audit.