CONGRESSMAN LARSON ANNOUNCES FEDERAL GRANTS TO ASSIST HARTFORD WITH PUBLIC HOUSING AND MIDDLE SCHOOL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 3, 2000

CONGRESSMAN LARSON ANNOUNCES FEDERAL GRANTS TO ASSIST HARTFORD WITH PUBLIC HOUSING AND MIDDLE SCHOOLSHARTFORD - U.S. Congressman John B. Larson (D-CT) announced that Hartford Public Schools and the Housing Authority of the City of Hartford have both received Federal grants, one aimed at drug and violence prevention in Hartford middle schools, and the other to fund the demolition of severely distressed public housing in the City.

The grant of $542,518 from the U.S. Department of Education will be used to recruit, hire and train full-time drug prevention and school safety coordinators for Hartford middle schools with significant drug, discipline, and school safety problems. The funding will also be used to identify research-based drug and violence prevention strategies, including training and working with teachers, staff, parents and other agencies to ensure students' needs are met and viable solutions are implemented.

The grant is part of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program.

"The grant from the Department of Education will do a great deal for Hartford middle schools and hopefully for the City. A good education is a key to the future for Hartford's students and drugs, violence and discipline problems are adding to the difficulties they face everyday and making it hard for them to get the full educational benefits they should have," said Larson.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has allotted $1,095,900 that will allow the Housing Authority of the City of Hartford to demolish 119 badly distressed housing units in the Stowe public housing development.

"This funding will assist the City of Hartford in the effort to tackle the problems that plague some of our public housing developments," said Larson. "I'm thankful that we are receiving this support from HUD."

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