CHHS closes $11MM New Markets Tax Credits to Bridgeport Boys & Girls Club and Health Hub

BRIDGEPORT, March, 2022 – Community Hospitality Healthcare Services (CHHS) celebrates the successful closing of $11,000,000 in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation to finance the construction of a new, 44,000 SF youth development and family health hub. Wakeman Boys & Girls Club (WBGC) and the Southwest Community Health Center (SWCHC) in Bridgeport, Connecticut will provide services to the severely distressed, medically underserved low-income community. SWCHC, a Federally Qualified Health Center, will operate a family health hub and provide high-quality medical, dental, and behavioral health services to the North End region of Bridgeport. The WBGC will occupy the remainder of the building to provide programs and services such as Learning & Technology Centers, Theatre Arts Studio, Tinker’s Workshop, a Gymnasium, Teen Center & Education and Mentoring Program, and Youth Lounge. 

“We are proud to be part of an initiative that brings foundational resources to an underserved community,” said CHHS founder and Executive Director Ben Cirka. “CHHS recognizes the importance of access to quality medical services and education in contributing to a healthy community, especially for the youth population. We are pleased to support the mission behind the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club and Southwest Community Health Center Youth & Family Hub in Bridgeport.”

The collaborative effort by WBGC and SWCHC creates a unique approach to addressing the community’s overall health. The new facility will provide space for health care while addressing the social determinants of access to quality care, such as access to food, educational support, physical activity, and job development- all in a supportive and trusted environment. It is anticipated that the new community center will serve over 10,592 individuals, primarily low-income and minority individuals. The health hub will accommodate over 10,000 outpatient visits annually in which an estimated 94% are low-income and 87% are minority. A significant proportion of residents do not speak English and have limited access to comprehensive care. The new facility will alleviate this barrier by providing essential educational, social, and medical needs to underserved populations. Further, it is anticipated the investment will create 54 permanent full-time jobs, all earning above a living wage for the county.  

SWCHC is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) founded in 1977 in the City of Bridgeport. To date, SWCHC operates 19 full-service locations to provide high-quality accessible healthcare to the medically underserved Southwest Bridgeport Community. SWCHC currently serves 27,000 unique patients annually, the majority uninsured or low-income. The WBGC currently operates two clubhouses in Connecticut, the Southport Clubhouse and the Smilow-Burroughs Clubhouse, along with two afterschool outreach programs in two local schools and well-established relationships with local colleges. The organization serves over 3,000 youth in Fairfield County and Bridgeport from Kindergarten to Grade 12 with academic enrichment, health and wellness programs, character and leadership-building, and recreational programs. 

CHHS specializes in NMTC transactions and offers flexible financing to projects located in medically underserved low-income communities throughout the U.S. To date, CHHS has provided more than $450MM in NMTC allocation to healthcare related projects, which supported job creation and retention and provide access to quality affordable healthcare and extended services to more than 600,000 low-income persons annually.