Connecting Trinity and the Neighborhood through SINA’s Homeownership Incentive Program and Walk to Work

Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (SINA) promotes economic vitality and quality of life in south central Hartford through institutional partnerships with Trinity College, Hartford Hospital, and Connecticut Children’s. This month, we’re highlighting two SINA programs, the Homeownership Incentive Program (HIP) and Walk to Work program, that can help further connect the Trinity community with the surrounding neighborhood.

Homeownership Incentive Program (HIP)

Trinity’s homeownership incentive program (HIP), administered by SINA, assists College employees in purchasing homes in the southern part of Hartford. Employees apply for the incentive, which provides $10,000 toward home purchase within the target area. Trinity’s target area includes much of central and southern Hartford. Hartford Hospital and Connecticut Children’s also administer a HIP through SINA.

SINA’s home building and rehabilitation program, called Cityscape Homes, creates additional homeownership opportunities in the neighborhood. HIP buyers who are also first-time home-buyers with incomes determined to be low to moderate by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) are eligible to purchase a home through Cityscape Homes.

Employees interested in HIP can contact Dean Iaiennaro at [email protected] or call the main office at SINA at 860.493.1618. More information on the process can be found on SINA’s website.

Walk to Work

SINA’s work extends to employment through the Walk to Work program. The program encourages connections between the institutions and the neighborhood by facilitating employment for residents at Hartford Hospital, Connecticut Children’s, and Trinity College.

Elsa Huertas, SINA’s Career Navigator, manages the program. Huertas describes the mutual benefit of the program, explaining that the institutions “want qualified, reliable job candidates when they have job openings to fill,” and job seekers, “want to be able to support themselves and their families. They want to contribute to the fabric of the community, to be able to get to work, and to feel pride in a job well done.”Huertas helps bridge these needs by working with potential candidates to articulate their interests and skills, update resumes, identify appropriate job openings, submit job applications, and practice for interviews. She also works closely with SINA anchor institutions, building relationships with Human Resources and with individual hiring managers to help ensure appropriate candidates are sent their way.

Interested hiring managers and job seekers can reach Huertas at 860.493.1618 or [email protected].