WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and a member of the conference committee for the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, helped secure a grant from the Office of Economic Analysis (OEA) in the Department of Defense to the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments to study the shortage of appropriate housing and infrastructure needs in Southeastern Connecticut. Specifically, based on Murphy’s feedback, the Department of Defense expanded the grant from $166,000 to $348,000 to include a study of housing needs. During a U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in April of this year, Murphy received a commitment from the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Navy to work with him to support housing and infrastructure in the New London and Groton area ahead of growth at Electric Boat and the sub base.

“It’s an exciting time in Southeastern Connecticut with jobs at Electric Boat and the sub base booming. I’ve heard from folks in Groton and New London that there is a huge demand for quality housing families can afford. I brought this issue up to the Pentagon in the Appropriations Committee earlier this year, and I’m glad we could work together. This study is a good first step to make sure we’re ahead of the game when it comes to addressing these critically important housing and infrastructure needs in Southeastern Connecticut,” said Murphy.

Electric Boat needs to hire 14,000 employees over the next ten years to meet new demand for development of Virginia-class and Columbia-class submarines, and the Navy’s 30-year shipbuilding plan calls for stable production of two submarines a year until 2038. The OEA is the only agency in the Department of Defense that provides resources to help communities hosting large military bases and industry adjust.

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