Meet Justin
Justin Elicker is serving his second term as the 51st Mayor of New Haven. Since taking office, he has led the city with one goal: to create a city where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, no matter which neighborhood you live in.
Within weeks of taking office, Mayor Elicker was faced with leading New Haven through the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Elicker took decisive action on March 15, 2020 to keep people safe by declaring a state of emergency in
New Haven, closing schools, and decompressing homeless shelters by utilizing vacant hotel rooms. Under Mayor Elicker’s leadership, New Haven was able to quickly and efficiently provide widespread, free testing to all and implement a contact tracing program in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
Now, Mayor Elicker has put New Haven on a path toward recovery. New Haven was the first city in Connecticut to safely reopen its municipal buildings and is leading the effort to launch mass vaccinations, with nearly two-thirds of residents receiving their first vaccine.
While public health and economic recovery remain top priorities for the Elicker Administration, the Elicker administration initiated an expansive overhaul of New Haven's housing ordinances to increase affordable housing and deeply affordable housing options city-wide.
Mayor Elicker is a Connecticut native. He attended public school, graduated with a BA from Middlebury College in Vermont, and earned a Master’s in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Environment and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.
Prior to being elected Mayor, Justin served as a New Haven Alder and the Executive Director of the New Haven Land Trust, where he established groundbreaking programs for New Haven youth. He also worked in the U.S. Foreign Service, has been an elementary and high school teacher, and served for three years as an adjunct professor of education policy at Southern Connecticut State University. He spends as much time as he can with his wife Natalie, their two daughters, and their dog Captain.
In addition to leading us through the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Elicker and his team have worked to make New Haven a safer, more equitable, and prosperous community. Under his leadership, New Haven has:
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More than doubled the amount it receives from Connecticut's PILOT program. In partnership with our state delegation, Mayor Elicker led a coalition of 28 mayors and selectpersons across the state to advocate for changes resulting in $49 million in additional funding for New Haven
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In partnership with local non-profits, re-housed over 600 individuals experiencing homelessnes
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Bridged the digital divide by ensuring every New Haven Public School student has a computer and free internet access
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Increased job training with a Construction Jobs Pipeline program
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Fought for environmental justice by preventing the expansion of a waste plant
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Strengthened our sanctuary city protections for undocumented immigrants
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Opened a Reentry Welcome Center to support every New Haven resident returning home from prison.
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Invested $6.3M in youth, safety, and community activities to rebound from the pandemic.