A partnership between the New Haven Free Public Library, Elm City Communities and CfAL for Digital Inclusion will allow CfAL, a local technology education nonprofit, to hire four part-time staff who will conduct outreach and help people sign up for the Affordable Connectivity Program. The ACP is a federally funded program that gives eligible households up to $30 a month to put toward Internet services and a one-time discount of $100 to put toward a laptop, desktop computer or tablet if they contribute $10-$50 to the purchase.
The staff will work through June 2025, holding weekly sign-up events as part of the New Haven ACP Outreach Program, which the city announced Tuesday. Twice a month, the event will be at a property of Elm City, New Haven's housing authority. As federal housing assistant recipients, all Elm City residents qualify for the broadband program.
Karina Gonzalez, library public services administrator, pointed out that though the federal program aims to promote digital inclusion, users need to have computer access and skills to even enroll.
And the process is "laborious," she said. Gonzalez, who has worked for the library since 2015 in various roles with information technology and technology education, began enrolling herself to see what it was like. She said applicants have to prove eligibility by verifying income and scanning and printing documents. That's where the CfAL staff and the federal grant come into the equation.
"There's a huge gap between the people who need this," Gonzalez said, "and, unfortunately, the hoops they have to jump through to get these services."
New Haven Economic Development Officer Dean Mack said the city saw an Internet access problem during the pandemic, when in partnership with Data Haven they surveyed 500 families in the public school system and 70 percent said their children were having trouble accessing online learning because of unreliable or nonexistent Internet access.
Mack said more than 11,000 people in New Haven have signed up for the reduced-cost broadband program, and 14,000 qualify but have not yet signed up. He said he is excited to work with partners who are experts in digital inclusion and equity.
"We're really excited for the opportunity to partner with great organizations who have been working in this space for years," he said. "The library and CfAL and Elm City are all trusted resources for the community, which is so important when you're trying to get into a new program."
Gonzalez said the library has been working to close the digital divide since long before the pandemic, and she pointed to a forthcoming regional initiative to expand digital access called Digital Navigation, a model of one-on-one technology assistance, expected to launch in February 2024. That's on top of the New Haven Free Public Library's existing technology education programs, like classes on using Windows and using a mouse and keyboard, booking individual help with resume and job applications, and this week's Digital Inclusion Week, which features free walk-in tech help clinics and a basic computer class.
Gonzalez said these programs aren't meant just for older generations who grew up without technology, though they are part of who the library helps. Teenagers learning how to type; young adults who previously only used cellphones but now want to apply for jobs that require more computer skills; people accessing Telehealth and online patient portals; people applying for unemployment assistance; and people who are not native English speakers also benefit from technology education programs, she said.
Gonzalez said the Affordable Connectivity Program is only a stopgap, and she called for universal broadband.
"Internet is a utility," Gonzalez said. "It's something you need to do anything in our society. It's like running water. You have to have it or else you cannot participate in many aspects of life."
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