Several West Haven residents used the council’s public-comment period on Nov. 10 to press for city assistance with food insecurity and tenant problems.

Volunteer Karen Bridal Nazaro (who also identified as "Tova") said she recently began volunteering at the Wheat food pantry and witnessed attendance nearly double on one occasion — from roughly 50 people to 91 — leaving the pantry short on bread and typical donations. She asked council members to use their contacts with grocers and local markets to help the pantry access near-expiration donations and to consider additional support ahead of Thanksgiving and the winter holidays.

Residents also raised housing complaints. Steven Mullins, chair of the Fair Rent Commission, described the commission’s statutory authority to hear tenant complaints, order inspections and impose remedies such as delaying or reducing rent pending repairs. Another resident, Eldren Smith, described conditions at his building (62 Tree Street) including mice, broken cabinets and a long elevator outage, and said landlords were issuing $300 rent increases while failing to make needed repairs. He asked the council to ensure Fair Rent Commission rulings are enforced and to help tenants avoid displacement.

Council members and the mayor acknowledged the reports; the mayor said the city is coordinating with local food programs (including First Congregational Church and other nonprofits) and emphasized multiple local groups are seeking donations. Council and commission chairs said pending Fair Rent hearings are active and that litigation or enforcement processes are underway in some cases.

Next steps: council asked staff and relevant commissions to track resource needs for food pantries and to continue adjudicating tenant complaints through the Fair Rent Commission process.