The Connecticut House of Representatives met to discuss a number of bills concerning housing and homelessness regulation last Thursday. Among them, House Bill H.B. No. 7033 aims “to prohibit a municipality from imposing any penalty on homeless persons for performing life-sustaining activities on public land.” 

The proposed bill clarifies public land as any property designated for public use or owned by state or local governments and further defines “life-sustaining activities” as basic personal actions — such as sitting or standing — and any personal property needed to protect these actions and shelter oneself. It also outlines an exception to the prohibition whereby individuals offered access and transportation to an indoor facility can be relocated without any loss of property. 

“I would like to see more resources to help people who are experiencing homelessness. But this is not an either-or — it’s a both-and. We can’t criminalize human beings who are truly at the lowest point, at the point of greatest struggle, probably in their lives,” Josh Michdum, an elected member of the Hartford City Council, said at last Thursday’s meeting. “Sometimes our work as leaders is not simply to think of our municipality or our district and even not to respond to the emotional prejudice of our constituents, but to talk about a higher calling.” 

Like many others, Michdum emphasized the grace that must be employed when addressing people in such difficult circumstances. Arguments that warn against the privilege of certain unhoused groups monopolizing or claiming public land don’t hold when looking at the brutal conditions that they already encounter in everyday life, he said. 

The Housing Bill follows a June Supreme Court ruling on Grants Pass v Johnson permitting cities to prohibit and penalize unhoused people sleeping in public places. At the hearing, Michdum and other speakers consistently referred back to Connecticut’s obligation to its unhoused citizens in a time of federal ambiguity. 

Along with Bill 7033, the delegation discussed other ways that Connecticut could be working to curb housing shortages and homelessness increases. One senate bill, SB1361, would establish a housing growth fund for a municipal grant program. 

Local organizers and committee members talked about changing the inclusionary zoning ordinance, increasing the development of tiny homes, and working to promote more high-density housing. 

Some opponents of Bill 7033 argued that steps to supplement low-income housing development and solidify better safety practices should be prioritized over regulating a municipality’s right to enforce encampment regulation. 

“While the spirit of the initiative is really good, we have some significant concerns about the proposal that effectively allows someone who’s experiencing homelessness to take over public land indefinitely and also potentially put themselves at risk,” Mayor Justin Elicker said in response to Bill No. 7033. “We do not criminalize homelessness. We do not arrest people who are homeless. But while in reality New Haven doesn’t have a lot of encampments, when we find that there are encampments, they are associated nearly always with dangerous activity.” 

Providing the dissenting perspective, Elicker raised concerns about the bill’s potential to decrease safety, citing instances of human waste, heating of flammable tents with propane gas and heaps of trash — all conditions he said he consistently observes in New Haven’s homeless encampments. Additionally, he cautioned that the bill might lead to more permanent settlements and encampments that decrease the accessibility of public land meant for everyone. 

Elicker did make sure to stress New Haven’s continued commitment to creating affordable housing and making safer living accommodations for unhoused people. He also added that when New Haven does remove or disperse an encampment, it tries its best to relocate those individuals to safer locations like warming centers. 

Elicker echoed many of the promises made in his State of the City Address — where housing and homelessness took top priority — citing thousands of new units, millions of dollars in funding and new warming shelters as evidence of New Haven’s commitment to helping unhoused populations.

But his stance on encampments and homeless populations has frequently been called into question by groups like U-ACT, who, in February of this year, staged a protest inside of city hall against the Elicker administration’s decision to clear an encampment in October. 

“You can’t claim to be invested in complex supported housing or mental health needs of particular demographic of people who are still actively enabling outdated attitudes and systems that will outlaw rights to life or liberty,” New Haven resident and U-ACT organizer, Alexis Terry, said. “The city has no issue in maintaining the centuries-old apathy towards the human rights of those deemed by powers that we need to be undesirable. The residents of New Haven now seem to be tasked with being more ethical or moral than some municipal leaders.” 

Shannon Carter, a resident of New Haven and member of U-ACT, added that it was especially disgruntling to have found displaced persons sleeping outside during the cold emergency without any of their personal property. 

“Frankly, the reasons don’t matter — Nobody should be treated this way,” Carter said. 

The next Connecticut House of Representatives Housing Committee meeting will be held in Hartford on March 13.

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On Monday morning, six representatives from the group participated in a press conference and finalized a document codifying themselves as the newest chapter of the Connecticut Tenants Union at 120 Goffe St. They were joined by leaders of the state-wide Connecticut Tenants Union and representatives from the New Haven Fair Rent Commission Office. 

Through the motion, fourteen of the 17 Saint Luke’s tenants aim to mend the stifled dialogue between themselves and the property’s managers: Demarco Management Corporation and St. Luke’s Development Corp. The tenants are hoping to finally bring management to the negotiating table and address overlooked and persisting safety problems in the property. 

“We’re here because we want unity,” Linda Talley, a Saint Luke’s tenant, said. “We want the board to come sit down with us so that we can be in an agreement to get things that we want done in our building, for our safety, for our security — we’re tired of broken promises.” 

Her words were framed by the affirmative nods of fellow tenants and leadership holding signs that read “Respect Seniors” and “Help Us Stay Safe.” Others in the Senior Housing community echoed the requests for dignity especially as it pertained to elders. 

Another tenant, Robert James, explained that the management’s negligence had persisted for years and needed to be stopped. Even the monthly meetings held by administration to take suggestions often proved unsuccessful and futile, he said. 

“I’m not worried about anything with the union,” James said, “as a matter of fact, I’m all for it … I’m just here as big support for myself and everyone else that lives in St Luke’s apartment, senior citizen apartment.”

James explained that for a while the building has lacked necessary safety features like proper lighting, security cameras and doors that properly open and close. Additionally, he said he has often found visitors unknown to either himself or others perusing the property’s public spaces. In these instances, he did not know whether the person would be dangerous to himself or the community. 

Another tenant, Linda Talley, emphasized the building’s dilapidated condition and the lack of reliable renovation services. In one instance, she requested that her battered and cracked bathroom floor be fixed. When she came back, she found them tearing up the living room’s wood — something she’d never asked to have done. 

“This union came together quickly because there was already a lot of community in the building,” the vice president of CT Tenants Union, Luke Melonakos-Harrison, said. “What we’re looking for is a response from the board of St Luke’s Development Corporation and from DeMarco management that they will agree to sit down with the elected representatives of this union to negotiate.” 

Melonakos-Harrison and CT Tenants Union President Hannah Srajer also noted that unionizing could benefit both sides. By centralizing and clarifying the voice of many into the voice of one, negotiations can be a lot more focused and expedited, they said. 

The Saint Luke’s property pushes the number of CT Tenants Union chapters to 18. Their mission has also benefited from government legislation passed last December which increases the number of apartments eligible for tenant unions by reducing the number of required building units from ten to five. 

At the end of the event, the New Haven Fair Rent Commission discussed the rights afforded to the new Saint Luke’s chapter, reiterating the city’s support for tenant unionization and landlord accountability. 

The emergence of the new chapter was only made possible after Alder Frank E. Douglass, Jr. connected residents of the Saint Luke’s housing with CT Tenants Union, entreating them to join the movement.

“I’ve been a union person all my life,” Douglass Jr. said. “I worked for the Union for the railroad … and I was community vice president for 19 years. So unions work. You want to get things done? Unionize.”

Taking a seat as Ward Two’s alder, he became acutely aware of the complaints made by the Saint Luke’s Housing Community concerning electricity and the elevator. As he got more involved, he began to notice the same problems continuously popping up. When the Connecticut Tenants Union reached out to ask if he knew of any buildings that might benefit from unionizing, he immediately made the connection. 

The battle doesn’t end there for him. In his ward alone he hopes properties like the St. Martin’s Townhouses on Goffe Street and the Seabury Housing Co-Op on Elm Street, which have had similar managerial issues, might join the state-wide union in the near future. 

After the press conference, a few tenants began brainstorming the first amendments they would like to see followed through on by the manager. Near the end, there was some anxiety about the risk of administrative or fellow tenant retaliation. However, the group resoundingly concluded that as long as they held strong in numbers, they could overpower any threat. In addition, the state-wide CT Tenants Union and the Fair Rent Commission Office reiterated their backing of the new union through any tumult that might come their way. 

In the upcoming days, the new union will have its first meeting and elect a leader to serve on the statewide body of the CT Tenants Unions. 

New Haven’s first tenants union was established in November 2022.

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In his annual State of the City address, Elicker made it clear that housing would remain one of his top priorities for 2025, as it was for 2024. Housing continues to be one of New Haven’s most contentious issues. Last year, the New Haven-Bridgeport area was ranked the country’s fourth most competitive housing market. According to Elicker, Connecticut needs 110,000 new housing units to meet current demand.

Housing leaders and city officials told the News that Elicker’s new goals are a step in the right direction, following a year where New Haven made strides to protect tenants. But despite New Haven’s best efforts, experts said housing reform necessitates intracity and state support.

“The two biggest pain points for most renters, which is most New Haven residents, is poor housing conditions and unaffordable rents, and New Haven, Elicker’s administration, in response to pressure from his constituents, has taken steps to address both of those things,” Luke Melonakos-Harrison, vice president of CT Tenants Union, said. “But, in terms of the rent, there’s only so much that can be done at the local level because rent stabilization policies are preempted by state law, eviction policies are preempted by state law.”

Last year, New Haven built over 1,000 new housing units, over 40 percent of which are affordable, Elicker said. In his speech, he announced that the city has 7,000 new units “in the pipeline,” 25 percent of which will be affordable. This is a hefty increase from the 3,500 units in development as of February 2024. 

Elicker noted that developments have been springing up throughout the city instead of in particular neighborhoods.

Former Mayor John DeStefano applauded the mayor’s decision to set a lofty goal for housing development, explaining that “bold, ambitious goals” like this one provide targets at which to shoot and contribute to a positive atmosphere. However, like Melonakos-Harrison, he said that the city can only do so much to achieve this goal.

The 1,000 units built in the last year, for example, were mostly built by the private sector rather than driven by the city, DeStefano added. Public efforts to make the city more attractive to developers and residents may have a more pointed impact. 

“Part of it depends upon the private sector, and, frankly, just straight-up demand,” he said. “There may be 1,000 units created in the city — not all are driven by the city, except in the more abstract sense of is there a growing job market, how is the quality of life, what’s the school district like?”

While Elicker acknowledged in his speech that mortgage interest rates have reached record levels over the past few years, he also praised the Development Team of New Haven for not letting this affect economic growth. 

Mike Piscitelli, a leader of the team, was optimistic that building housing and facilitating growth could work in tandem. He pointed to the redevelopment of South Church Street apartments — spearheaded by the Housing Authority of New Haven — which will create a minimum of 1,000 units, many of which will be affordable. 

Elicker also cited steadily developing projects on Dixwell Avenue, State Street, Canal Place and West Rock as housing to look forward to in the near future.

Alders Carmen Rodriguez and Richard Furlow expressed enthusiasm about Elicker’s speech and its cohesion with the Board of Alder’s agenda while acknowledging that some of his aspirations may be a “heavy lift.”

“I feel that the administration is doing what they can do for housing,” Ward 21 Alder Troy Streater said. 

While Streater was enthusiastic about the Dixwell housing developments — both in his ward — he emphasized that the housing shortage can not just be solved by New Haven and requires the cooperation of neighboring cities. High numbers of people moving to New Haven mean that even with ambitious housing policies, it is “hard to get a grip on” the resident influx, he said. 

In the past year, New Haven introduced a number of affordable housing projects, including the inclusionary-zoned Anthem, Ex-Coliseum Apartments and the Valley Street Townhomes. Still, some think more could be done. 

“I think we definitely need more affordable units. I think the numbers were a little low, I am learning now that those projects are built on having mixed-income,” Alder Frank R. Redente Jr. said, referring to projects that have both affordable and market-rate units. 

Elicker also emphasized the need for continued landlord accountability, housing code enforcement and strengthened tenants’ protections. 

Last July, the Livable City Initiative made some organizational changes and has since found increased success in enforcing housing codes. The city has also since granted LCI the power to fine up to $2,000 per day for housing code violations and the Fair Rent Commission the ability to reduce tenants’ rents.

Liam Brennan, who took over LCI in July, has been “much more approachable and transparent,” Melonakos-Harrison, the vice president of CT Tenants Union, said. Brennan’s community meetings and solicitation of feedback from tenants have been “very encouraging,” but Melonakos-Harrison is still waiting on Brennan “to overhaul the agency,” which he understands takes time. 

Melonakos-Harrison credited many of the city’s improvements in tenants’ rights and housing code enforcement to suggestions made by CTTU. He was glad that Elicker has been focusing on engaging with people “closest to the issues” when developing new housing policies.

Other housing activists — including Unhoused Activists Community Team organizers — have instead decried New Haven practices that they see as out of touch with the city’s homeless residents.

Elicker briefly addressed the current state of homelessness in New Haven, acknowledging that the number of unhoused residents has significantly increased. He pointed out the city’s recent openings of an eighth homeless shelter and the REST Center for those seeking non-emergency mental health services.

Although he did not detail any specific plans to continue addressing homelessness, Elicker repeated that “New Haven does more than any other city in Connecticut to help those who are unhoused,” a statement he’s made before in response to criticism. The city faced a number of protests over its clearing of homeless encampments last year, led by U-ACT.

“Elicker says he’s done more for unhoused residents than any other Connecticut mayor, but the story on the street is different,” Adam Nussbaum ’25, a U-ACT student leader, wrote to the News. “If Elicker is serious about New Haven being a leader in housing for Connecticut, he can start with a moratorium on sweeps.”

New Haven is on track to have 150,000 residents by about 2034.

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With the help of $1.5 million in pandemic-era federal funding, the new Energy Efficient Elm City Program will provide residents access to low or no-cost energy-saving and home-warming installations, as well as guidance from energy experts. The program will cover 1,250 eligible residents or 725 households making up to 80 percent area median income — $83,650 in a three-person household —  to warm their homes and pay for costly heating bills. 

“It’s winter and it’s cold outside but we’re trying to make sure that it’s warm inside — and warmer and warmer because of this incredible program that we are talking about today,” Elicker said at the Thursday press conference. “The average household saves 10 to 30 percent of their annual energy bills with just weatherization and several energy efficiency upgrades alone.”

As a part of the initiative, recipients will have access to home energy assessments, weatherization and insulation installments, heat pump systems and electrical panel upgrades for little to no cost. Efficient renovations will reduce energy usage, and in turn, reduce carbon emissions tied to leakage, Elicker said.

Elicker emphasized that beyond curbing climate change, the program will also incidentally lessen the exorbitant costs of household energy bills. This crystalizes the threefold impact of making houses warmer, decreasing environmental strain and making the day-to-day more affordable. 

The press conference kicks off the campaign to widely promote the program. Ensuring accessibility is a priority for Steve Winter ’11, executive director of climate and sustainability for the city of New Haven, whose department is spearheading the initiative. 

“One of the things we’ve heard from folks is ‘I’m often not eligible.’ So we’ve really tried to expand the eligibility for these funds,” Winter said. “And the idea is to do that as much as possible at no cost.” 

Winter thought it imperative that people eligible for the program be properly notified about their standing, addressing doubts and misconceptions that the initiative is “too good to be true.” On top of mailing letters and sending emails, the New England Smart Energy Group will also canvass door-to-door and table at local events. Lastly, members of the Board of Alders will send flyers and emails to their contact lists, another prong of the “big, digital megaphone.” 

From there, selected applicants will be given an initial energy assessment, preliminary insulations and quick, efficient fixes, Winter said. The need for larger amendments and changes to the properties will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. 

“When I got the letter from NESE, I did think it was too good to be true, but when I called them, they were very helpful,” Maria Gant, whose house had previously been renovated, said. “I can tell you that it is a stark difference … The workers were very helpful [in] explaining a lot of things to me.” 

Gant added that, as a new homeowner with a long to-do list, the additional help and consultation were vital to her understanding of her property, its warmth and its general efficiency. 

The initiative comes amidst intra-governmental, federal, state and local acrimony, with the White House only recently rescinding its decision to suspend federal funding. For now, New Haven officials expressed optimism that the city can pass policies that contribute positively to the nation while still prioritizing local constituents. 

“The city is doing so much to work on climate initiatives and I think that it’s particularly important at this moment when we aren’t seeing the national leadership,” Elicker said. “Cities and states really need to step up and do something good for the climate. It isn’t just about caring for our earth but it is also about caring for our residents.” 

The $1.5 million in federal funding for the program comes from the American Rescue Plan Act.

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According to the Unhoused Activists Community Team, or U-ACT, the city has shortened the time it gives encampments to vacate premises after notification of sweeping from 72 hours to none at all. Elicker denied any changes to the city’s policy and ensured that city officials provide at least 72 hours’ warning before clearing any encampments.

“We have an inauguration coming up next week, and I think [Elicker] feels emboldened,” Mark Colville, the lead organizer of U-ACT, said. “I think he feels like he can do whatever the hell he wants now.”

Colville also expressed frustrations about Elicker’s decision to shut off electricity in Rosette Village — a collection of tiny homes for unhoused individuals associated with U-ACT — this past summer on the hottest day of the year, threatening two residents relying on Rosette Village’s electricity for CPAP machines.

Thursday’s demonstration followed multiple clearings of a previous encampment that was established on the Green in October in protest of the city’s sweeps. Multiple participants were arrested for refusing to remove their tents, and others reported having their personal belongings confiscated by city officials.

“I was almost dumbfounded by some of the stuff that they were saying,” Elicker said after listening to the activists’ speeches. “That kind of rhetoric is just unbelievably in opposition to everything we stand for as a city.”

Elicker cited New Haven’s recent additions of shelters and warming centers, including the purchase of a Days Inn that was transformed into a shelter.

He added that the best way to make progress will be for the city to collaborate with groups like U-ACT, rather than U-ACT “demonizing” City Hall. He felt that their energy and advocacy could greatly contribute to the city’s support of the unhoused community, including its campaign to get more state funding for shelters and affordable housing.

“We do so much, and we do it really compassionately,” he said. “So to hear the kind of rhetoric and criticism that folks just said is really hurtful because there are many people in this building that really, really care about doing the right thing and supporting the unhoused community.”

At City Hall, activists also expressed concerns about warming centers reaching capacity and individuals being turned away as winter temperatures climb lower. They called on the city to create more affordable housing units and to allow encampments in public spaces rather than relying on shelters or warming centers.

In response to these concerns, Elicker said that shelters and warming centers won’t turn anyone away during “cold weather emergencies.”

Sean Gargamelli-McCreight, another U-ACT organizer, explained that Thursday’s occupation gave unhoused individuals an opportunity to stay warm and participate in a community space.

“We’re here to hold this space for all those in the city of New Haven who have been evicted, displaced … and make a statement that they are people who deserve dignity, privacy and the ability to maintain a home in safety without threat from criminalization,” Gargamelli-McCreight said. 

Tehuti-Mesmultulu Kiah, who attended the protest, said that the Rosette Village took care of him when he had nowhere to go, so he decided to support them at the protest.

Sidetracked on his way to Baltimore, Kiah was treated for a leg tumor at Yale New Haven Hospital. After not receiving respite time, he left the hospital and took refuge on the New Haven Green. Like many others, Kiah turned to the Rosette Village, where Colville has set up tiny homes for unhoused New Haveners.

Roughly 25 Yale students in U-ACT attended the protest. Student organizers highlighted Yale’s role in perpetuating the housing crisis, citing its billions of dollars in tax-exempt properties throughout New Haven.

“We all just really want to affirm that we really strongly believe that housing is a human right,” Arjun Warrior ’26 said. “People have the right to construct alternate forms of shelter … and we really just want to say that it’s such a shame and a pity and a disgrace that, instead of working to support our unhoused residents, the solution consistently has been to evict them.”

Students also drew parallels between the city’s encampment sweep and Yale’s removal of pro-Palestine student encampments in April 2024, which resulted in 47 arrests. Clearing encampments, Elicker “is literally calling for community members to die,” Ishikaa Kothari ’25 said. 

Students also thanked U-ACT and New Haven community members for supporting the protests in spring.

After the demonstration concluded, protestors briefly brushed with security personnel as they brought a tent to the second floor of City Hall, where Elicker’s office is located.

Outside City Hall, activists distributed hot food and coffee to community members. Colville made sure to include the previously opposed police officers on site, clarifying that they were always welcome to get food and drinks. 

“This is our tribe right here,” said Savage. “The true tribe of the heartbeat of the place that stands right here in this building today, we generate the wealth of community within each other. This is our tribe.”

The first U-ACT tents were cleared from the Green on Oct. 17, 2024.

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On Thursday evening, hundreds of New Haveners gathered on the green to enjoy 23 local holiday vendors, amusement park rides, live musical performances and Mr. Klaus himself. The tradition, which dates back to 1913, is now hosted by the New Haven Department of Art, Culture and Tourism.

“The people in the city of New Haven are second to none,” said Robert Kinney, a public service administrator for The New Haven Free Public Library. The festivities are a good chance for face-to-face outreach for the library, he added. “This is a very big victory for us. We are out here on the green and bringing the books to the people.”

Kinney was running the Bookmobile for the NHFPL. The truck advertised countless books to check out, library cards and story hours where the young could escape the cold.

Other vendors lined the north green near Elm Street. There, visitors stepped into the tented Holiday Village, perusing delicacies ranging from mini donuts to hoodies and crocheted animals.

“It’s been a joy to see that we aren’t giving up on the trees … the coldness doesn’t stop people from participating,” vendor Janice Parker said. “It’s a fun family outing — we need that in the world we are living in right now — we need togetherness and fun especially from town to town.”

Parker has been selling Candy Cleanse every year since New Haven has allowed vendors to participate. Her business advertises “a good flush” through varied detox drinks and teas that help support the immune system and general health.

She indicated that the event has been a good opportunity to build new in-person customer relationships. She prioritizes giving out samples on the first day and counting on selling to returners in the subsequent days.

“The first day people just want to walk in and take a look, then they come back on another day,” another vendor Melba Crowley concurred. “I sell a lot for gifts [and] hope to do better than the last time.”

A few stalls away, Melba Crowley sold various necklaces and pieces of jewelry made from an assortment of semi-precious stones as a part of her hobby-turned-business Designs by Melba. Vending opportunities like the Tree Lighting allow her small business to gain exposure.

In the frigid pseudo-snowflake weather, snaking lines sprawled from a carousel, cookie decorating station and to secure a picture with Santa.

The 55-foot tall Norwegian spruce was brought to life with over 30,000 coruscating lights and a New Haven-high-schooler-made star. The tree was gifted to the festival by the Wallingford-based O’Day family.

“That baby [tree] was born in 1982 and Bob and Laura O’Day decorated it in their yard until they couldn’t decorate it anymore, now it’s 60 feet tall,” Bibiane Borgorsen, a friend of the O’Days told the News.  “I’m so excited. I’ve never been to a Christmas tree lighting … It is better than I anticipated.”

Borgorsen and her friend, Patricia Garceau, distributed hot chocolate to chilled attendees. Garceau clarified that Bob O’Day had applied to have his tree take center stage on the Green for four years before it was finally accepted for this season.

But the omnipresent music of carolers, orchestras and choirs was possibly the festival’s great uniter. Youth groups like Trinity on the Green Choir, John S. Martinez Sea and Sky STEM Magnet and Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School performed classic Christmas hymns to eager ears and live-streaming WTNH 8 video cameras.

“I was here last year,” resident Robert Dempsey said. “[I like] watching the kids have fun and the nice tree from Longford,” Dempsey added that Christmas and the festivities on the Green reminded him of time with his late mother.

The Holiday Village will stay on the New Haven Green until Saturday, Dec. 5. 

The post New Haven Christmas tree shines bright in 111th lighting appeared first on Yale Daily News.

The gallery will run from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the Winthrop House Library, displaying and selling more than 150 pieces of artwork made by over 100 Yale and Harvard students. Additionally, students will be able to enjoy eight live music performances, snacks and a collaborative mural.

“More than anything I want to focus more on the people — diversity of thought, of experience,” Billordo said. “I want to bring people together. I think that’s the best part of art, is uniting people.”

Galvanized by the community events put on by AnySquared Arts, during her senior year of high school, Billordo organized her first art show with over 65 visual artists and 200 pieces.

Now, two years later, Billordo is championing her fourth formal art show. She wanted to do a multi-school collaboration, and the Yale-Harvard football game seemed to be a good opportunity. The revitalized school spirit, almost-mandatory mingling and celebratory atmosphere already congealed in the event coincided with her hopes for a unifying art show.

While there have historically been mixers in a cappella, comedy, sports, dance and cultural centers, there has been a noticeable lack of space for visual artists, Billordo said. The art show hopes to change that. 

Billordo also hopes that this year’s art show can stoke unity and empathy among the rival schools.

“I hope that it inspires empathy and understanding among people,” said Billordo, “I feel like, right now, we’re living in a very divisive time … now is the best time to make art, to listen to art, to listen to other people and to be open to having your perspective changed.”

Billordo will also contribute some of her own sculptures, photographs and paintings. For her, the act of display is an open invitation for viewers to engage with her on some of the most significant aspects and influences of her life. The traditional impediments and awkwardness of initiating conversation with a stranger dissolve in earnest curiosity.

The show accepted a wide array of mediums, from clothing design to short films, diversifying the media and subject matter of the art, rather than limiting it to a strict theme. 

Additionally, mariachi, punk bands, pianists and singers will play music throughout the night.

Lisa Lin ’26 helped arrange the logistics of the event’s funding and outreach. Her experience directing tech and educational conferences helped her secure and allocate budget from Harvard’s Office of Fine Arts and Winthrop House. This money went towards printing costs, organizing the space and providing food and drink to visitors. 

“Anyone can be an artist. You can learn a lot about yourselves and other people through doing this art show,” Lin said. “It can just be another space … to be able to showcase and to break down that barrier of ‘Hey, my work needs to be some fantastical, $1,000,000 piece in order to go up in any show’ — it can just be, you know, art.”

Behind almost every decision was Lin’s commitment to accessibility. With Yale and Harvard students in the heat of midterms, she wanted to make the space readily available to any artist trying to put their art out there.

The library’s atmosphere will signal a shift away from erudite perfectionism and toward a chiller vibe.

Most people don’t normally have the opportunity to go to art shows. Lin explained that this often means that art experience and criticism are confined to a homogenous crowd at Harvard. Both organizers hope that the Yale-Harvard game will push people outside of the normal bubbles and into the art show.

Viewers can expect to see Lin’s own work at the show. Studying computer science and art, she mainly works in digital painting and concept design. However, since coming to college she has branched out into other mediums like charcoal, graphite and photography.

At this exhibit, Lin is inclined to present art that she “wouldn’t normally show just to get [her] out of [her] comfort zone.” For her, the art show is as much a chance to invite others to share work they normally wouldn’t have as it is to ask herself to do the same. 

The art show is an opportunity for students like Rodrick Howard ’25 to expand the boundaries of “fine art.”

“I want my artwork to inspire people and make them question what it means for an object to be considered ‘fine art,’” said Rodrick Howard. “I think viewing the art in person allows viewers to be affected by things like the artwork’s size and other details that might not be captured by a camera.”

Howard specializes in figurative painting, attempting to capture both the surreal and the real. For him, physical space is important to substantively engage and captivate an audience. 

Nikita Ivaniuta ’28 is another artist who will be featured at the upcoming art show. Using charcoal, he creates emotionally and physically large depictions of forlorn faces, bodies in motion and battle. For Ivaniuta, the process is as imperative as the product: he wants his audience to be included in the art’s development.

Both Howard and Ivaniuta expressed excitement about working with Yale students. They hope that the art event can lead to future cross-school collaborations.

“It feels very exciting to work with artists from both Harvard and Yale,” Ivaniuta said, “to see both conceptually and technically which direction their art goes towards and if there’s a distinction between Yale and Harvard artists.” 

RSVP for the gallery here.

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Overseen by the director behind the “Saw” franchise and bolstered by Oscar-nominated talent, “The Monster” began shooting in the Danbury area early this month and has since moved into New Milford and New Haven. The team shot in front of a row of brownstones on Chapel Street last Tuesday. After Thanksgiving, the cast and crew will return to Danbury. 

Founders of Chair 10 Productions — the production company behind “The Monster” — Jonathan Black and his wife Laura moved from Los Angeles to Connecticut during the COVID-19 pandemic to plant familial roots. A film industry veteran, Black soon realized that Connecticut had a very competitive tax credit for film productions. Since then, his goal with Chair 10 Productions has been to market Connecticut as a viable place to shoot movies over the usual suspects, such as Los Angeles and Georgia. 

“We’re working on building back Connecticut and having multiple films shoot here,” 

Black said, “to really bring the entire state together — to provide educational opportunities, job opportunities, build the industry, lobby for great tax credits and build the infrastructure of the state.” 

“The Monster” is the Blacks’ most recent project. It will employ New Haven’s brownstones, Tarrywile Mansion in Danbury, the Danbury airport, The Summit and restaurants such as Foundry Kitchen and Tavern in Sandy Hook as background for the film. Black has confidence these locations will share the particular beauty of Connecticut while accurately replicating the film’s New York City setting. 

The benefits of filmmaking go both ways. 

“[Some lawmakers] don’t understand the economic impact,” he said. “Not only the jobs but hotels, restaurants and rental cars. All the other aspects of what we bring to a community. We are spending millions and millions of dollars in a community that otherwise might not see that.”

Black anticipates employing around 150 people through the duration of the shooting. Chair 10 Productions will also launch their new program Veterans in Entertainment in Connecticut in conjunction with the filming with the goal of employing several veterans on set. 

Finally, Black wants to provide jobs and internship opportunities to local students like those at the University of New Haven, the University of Connecticut and Yale. He consistently stressed the importance of local pathways to success in the film industry. 

The movie is an edgy thriller that Black likened to “Frankenstein.” According to IMDb, the film follows two millennial scammers “who flip NY apartments they don’t own.” Their con proves successful until “an apartment owner with a dark secret flips the game on them.”

Written by Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer, “The Monster” is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, venerated for his work on the “Saw” franchise. Djimon Hounsou, Oscar-nominated for his work in “Blood Diamond” and “In America” will star in the film, supported by Lauren LaVera who recently acted in the “Terrifier” franchise.

This is not the first of Chair 10 Productions’ projects. The movie will join a gradually accelerating body of Connecticut-made films such as Summerhouse — shot this June in Danbury — and Holly Jolly — a Christmas movie filmed in Bethel last year. 

Along with Chair 10 Productions, Connecticut director TJ Noel-Sullivan is intent on localizing filmmaking. He, like Black, pulled back from Los Angeles to direct his first feature film “Midas” in the Hartford area. 

“Connecticut right now has the best of both worlds where there is a creative community that supports and uplifts and inspires but there is also a non-film community that helps keep us grounded as storytellers,” Noel-Sullivan said. 

He praised Connecticut’s unadulterated authenticity rather than the superficiality he found in the oversaturated Hollywood industry. In contrast to film industry workers forced to reside in Los Angeles, those who have chosen to remain in Connecticut truly prize the community they have found in the Nutmeg State. 

COVID-19 and the transition to Zoom have allowed prior norms to be remolded, Noel-Sullivan added. Directors and filmmakers can now live in their preferred area without completely neglecting Hollywood. 

In Connecticut, he started The Hartford Film Company, which is dedicated to guiding blossoming filmmakers. With a recent expansion into an in-person office, Noel-Sullivan is even more optimistic about the possibility of tangible change in local filmmaking. 

“I’m a big believer that work inspires work,” Noel-Sullivan said. “If I’m working on something and I’m hitting a creative rut and then I talk to someone like Jonathan and he tells me about what he’s doing — that is the inspiration to keep working on stuff … There’s an energy being built.”

Noel-Sullivan is currently working on two feature-length films in the Hartford area with the priority of hiring local crews. He believes that talent and enthusiasm are ubiquitous in Connecticut: they only need to be tapped into. 

As the Connecticut film industry continues to flourish, both directors stressed the importance of the state government in nurturing the change rather than smothering it. While the state has been friendly towards the film industry, Black and Noel-Sullivan both expressed hopes that the tax credit could be increased or tweaked to benefit films with local crews. Additionally, Connecticut could benefit from targeted marketing campaigns to bring in talent and projects, they said. 

“I’m hopeful in the long term [the current surge in Connecticut movies] will have an impact on the narrative,” Noel-Sullivan said. “I’m a really big believer in the perception of narrative being shaped by what we watch. Why do we think LA and NYC are so cool in our heads? Oh, it’s because I watched this one movie and this character makes it seem so cool. In the long run, I’m optimistic that we will keep producing movies here and have a similar effect.” 

Filming for “The Monster” will continue until Dec. 13.

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The money earned will be evenly divided between the Equal Plates Project, BeLoved Asheville and Feeding Florida. These three locally based nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs, distribute essential food, water and aid across Florida and North Carolina. 

Hurricane Helene hit Florida at around 11 p.m. on Sept. 26, subsequently moving into Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The hurricane traveled  around 500 miles inland from the coast, decimating communities and washing away houses. As of Oct. 12, the death toll has risen to at least 241 with many more still missing. Now, counties are starting to recuperate and rebuild necessary infrastructure and their communities with the help of federal aid and local support. 

“Witnessing the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, we felt a strong desire to take action … being a part of a community means stepping up to help others in times of need, especially in the aftermath of Helene’s destruction,” Royce Haynes ’27, vice president of RSAY, said. “Through our fundraising efforts, we hope to provide relief and support to those affected by the hurricane.”

Haynes said that the $2,254 raised surpassed their initial goal of $1,254. The groups received donations through campus tabling efforts, Venmo and an Instagram post with an attached GoFundMe. 

The money is especially important for rural communities and areas that have been disproportionately hit by strong winds and heavy rains. But even beyond the financial implications, fundraising efforts are also informative. 

“YSEC’s mission relates to environmental advocacy and awareness … part of the goal of the fundraiser was to educate people on the happenings of Hurricane Helene while also trying to support a larger cause,” Jenny Liu ’26, co-president of YSEC, said. 

Liu added that the interconnectivity of the organizations was important in the fundraising process, saying that members of all groups helped with the donations and it was a “fruitful collaboration.” 

Both Yale Dems and RSAY echoed the importance of fundraising together. Yale Dems and YSEC took the logistical lead while RSAY provided manpower and chose NGOs directly related to communities close to members. 

“We believe that we can unite to rebuild a community that embodies home, health, equity, and opportunity for all,” reads the BeLoved Asheville website. “The response from our community and beyond has been nothing short of extraordinary … we are deeply grateful for the first responders, volunteers, and donors who have supported us thus far by putting love into action.” 

BeLoved Asheville’s specific focus is on Buncombe County which was hit especially hard during Helene. With many people displaced and hungry as the weather gets colder, they have made it an immediate priority to provide shelter and hearth to those isolated in the mountains. 

Organizations like BeLoved Asheville stand atop hope and national community. Without donations and consistent support from all sides, they wouldn’t be able to rehouse or resupply. 

“We all have a responsibility to help those in need when and how we’re able … we hoped that the fundraiser would encourage more people in the Yale community to talk about the communities heavily affected,” Yale Dems president Janalie Cobb ’25 said. 

Cobbs said that Yale students “exist in a massive bubble of privilege.” She said that because of this, it is difficult not to think that a large part of the reason why people at Yale weren’t discussing the hurricane is because the communities hit the hardest were “largely poor, rural towns in the South that many Yale students feel no connection to.” 

While fundraising and donations vastly surpassed original projections, there is still work to be done in Cobb’s eyes.

“We should all be more willing to help those in need, whether we can see ourselves in them or not,” Cobb wrote.

Hurricane Milton hit Florida’s west coast the night of Oct. 9, 13 days after Hurricane Helene.

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From 5 to 10 p.m., Chapel Street hosted over 60 vendors and artists and buzzed with the murmur of thousands of attendees. Hosted by the Town Green District, the festival offered residents and students a chance to mingle and engage with New Haven’s local businesses and artists. The festival has been hosted biannually since 2018, except in 2020.

“When I come to [the fair], people come over here, they ask for my name, they get my card […] they ask me questions […and] we make some money,” artist and market seller Miguel Ángel Mendoza said, adding that beyond the fair, exposure is difficult. “In this event, people are kind, respectful. We are like brothers and sisters.”
Mendoza sold vibrant Oaxacan-style prints and drawings in XQUENADU, his brand of traditional Mexican art and oil-on-canvas portraiture.

For Mendoza, the bazaar is not only an opportunity to make money but also a chance to connect with people through his work and culture. He described Chapel Street as the home of a family beyond traditional borders — where people are eager to engage with him and his work up close rather than passing judgment from a distance. 

Clothing designer Tim Goselin, representing Diablerie shop, showcased an assortment of witty designs over predominantly black garments. The brand’s style is “based around a dark and gallows humor — some of it is political and social, some of it is an homage to our love of horror movies,” he said. 

For artists who sell predominantly through websites or social media apps, the buyer remains an elusive image rather than a concrete person. The festival provides that necessary face-to-face interaction, Mendoza and Goselin both said.

At 8 p.m., Fiesta Del Norte, a local New Haven mariachi band, started playing classic hits such as Cielito Lindo and Como Mi Ritmo No Hay Dos — adapted into “tequila” by The Champs. The audience cheered, danced and sang along. 

“Music anywhere is good. To see it live — there’s nothing like it,” David Jardina, guitarist and frontman of the band, said. “It’s fun to play music. It puts smiles on people’s faces.” 

But the communal and interpersonal warmth wasn’t just for artists. It was fun for anyone to witness and participate in the vibrant exchange of art, music and laughter. 

Tryx Grant ’27 stepped out of Branford to walk toward the enthralling sound of Latin music and saw a lot of joy — it was a chance to see “so many different kinds of people” together. 

Grant added, however, that the crowd of the market can be overwhelming and described having to take it in small doses. 

For some vendors, selling their work in person was not an entirely positive experience. The market’s social environment can be stressful.

Ren Phu, an oil painter, said they attempt to represent “the metaphysical, indescribable self on canvas” and paint about being non-binary. 

“A lot about my thoughts [pertain] to identity and the constant battle that I’m in with how I present. When I go out to meet strangers, they have gendered ideas,” Phu said. “To represent myself over and over again is so exhausting.” 

For others, the high prices are a barrier to entry, market organizer Gianna Strode said, adding that the market and the stalls weren’t welcoming to low-income people. The price range and lack of affordability mean that “there still is that rift” between Yale students and New Haven residents. 

Strode added that, nonetheless, the event promotes small businesses in the city while connecting different communities.

The next New Haven Night Market will be held in spring 2025. 

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