History

Ella B. Scantlebury was New Haven's first Black woman treasurer.
Read more about Ella B. Scantlebury

Since 1994, the Ella B Scantlebury Senior Residence (EBS) has provided a safe and enriched housing option for vulnerable elderly residents of modest means.

Tired of staring at a vacant lot at the corner of Dixwell Ave and Admiral Street, a group of local stakeholders, including EBS, a long time Admiral St resident, was formed in 1987.

Several older women from the neighborhood considered the best use of the lot would be to meet local elderly service needs. Consensus was reached to create a 20-apartment ‘Elderly Congregate Housing’ building to be named in honor of Mrs. Ella B. Scantlebury, the first Black woman to hold elected office in New Haven and a long-time neighborhood resident. Eligibility for EBS is based on age, income, and disability. EBS is an anchor in the social and healthcare service network of the neighborhood.

Using neighborhood specific data from the Yale Health and Aging Project, a profile of the unmet needs of local seniors was developed: people of modest means, most often widowed women of color, who suffered from chronic diseases such as diabetes and arthritis which limited their ability to keep up with the tasks of daily living as they grew older.