New Haven senior living facility to get eco-friendly upgrades

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A New Haven senior living facility is about to get much more green. The Towers at Tower Lane is celebrating a $20 million federal grant designed to make the towers more energy-efficient and climate-friendly.

“So that we will have the tools to be able to update our building with new HVAC systems,” The Towers President & CEO Gus Keach-Longo said.

That grant could also pay for new lights, appliances, windows and insulation. It is part of $800 million in climate-related grants from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and comes from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Green and Resilient Retrofit Program.

“It will empower you to undertake projects to reduce carbon emissions, lower utility bills, and enhance the building’s air quality,” Juana Matias, HUD’s regional administrator, said.

The idea behind The Towers is “aging in place.” Seniors move into independent living, transition to assisted living and, if needed, hospice care, all in one place. That is good for the environment and the economy as well. It means one person doesn’t need several different homes in their retirement. The Towers says that saves Connecticut taxpayers almost $3 million a year.

The retrofitting of The Towers is just the latest step in dealing with climate change in New Haven. Yesterday, officials announced a $9.5 million grant from the federal government to install geothermal heating and cooling in Union Station.

“That kind of funding will effectively allow Union Station to not use gas anymore to heat the station and electricity to cool the station in the summertime,” said Mayor Justin Elicker (D-New Haven).

Improvements to the Towers will reduce their energy, water, and carbon footprint while making them more resilient to storms and climate change. This will allow them to continue serving the older generation for generations to come.

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