Good neighborhoods make good communities. Through initiatives like our Homebuyer Program and our local revitalization efforts, Yale is investing in New Haven’s neighborhoods and helping make our hometown an even better place to live, learn, and visit.
Strong Neighborhoods
By the numbers
1,300+
Staff and employees assisted in home purchases throughout New Haven
$5,000
First-year bonus employees receives as part of homebuyer program
$268 million
Total value of homes Yale has helped employees buy
Homebuying
For generations, homeownership has been the bedrock of economic security for middle class families. And there’s no better place than New Haven to call home. That’s why Yale has committed more than $35 million to assist 1,300+ employees in their purchase of homes in New Haven, with a total value of approximately $268 million.
Established in 1994, Yale’s Homebuyer Program provides employees with a $5,000 first-year bonus and an annual $2,500 grant for up to 10 years as long as they continue to own the home and remain employed by Yale. From West Rock to Fair Haven and Dwight to Dixwell, the Homebuyer Program continues to help strengthen New Haven’s vibrant neighborhoods and promote economic security for thousands of Yale employees.
Revitalization
New Haven is a city of neighborhoods, each with distinctive identities, histories, and hopes for the future. Yale is proud to play a role in strengthening these communities through various revitalization efforts, including creating new pedestrian ways and bike paths.
Yale has also committed funds to the restorations of the Farmington Canal, Science Park, and Scantlebury Park, a skate park in Dixwell that residents have already hailed for bringing young people together.
Community Voices: Annette Tracey
Everyone knows Annette Tracey. Over the last four decades, the ”Queen of Berkeley” has become one of the most recognizable faces on campus, serving thousands of students who stream through Berkeley College every year. But one of her lesser known monikers is among her proudest: “Homebuyer 700.” In 2005, Annette became the 700th Yale employee to buy a home in New Haven through Yale’s Homebuyer Program. “I love my neighborhood. It’s very diverse and my neighbors are like my family. Plus, it’s now more convenient for me to get to work,” she says. “I always dreamed of owning a home. That was my number one dream when I came here from Jamaica. Yale’s program helped me do that, and I encourage other employees to take advantage of it.”