The city of Bridgeport has spent several years – and millions of dollars trying to remake itself. The Steel Pointe revitalization project – an attempt to bring retail and housing to a prime waterfront location has finally gotten the go-ahead…and several other major redevelopments of downtown buildings are underway.

But the city’s still facing big needs for low-income housing to serve it’s population…in large part because of the teardown of dysfunctional public housing projects of the past. The drug-riddled “Father Panik” project was torn down in the 1990s…and the Pequonnick Apartments near the Harbor Park ballyard was razed for a failed mixed use development associated with former basketball star Magic Johnson.

That’s meant a long waiting list for some 3000 families needing public housing.

So, it’s a big job for the man in charge of housing in Bridgeport - Nicholas Calace, Executive Director of the Bridgeport Housing Authority.  He’s an urban planner who’s looking to use stimulus money, state money and other grants to build innovative public housing. We caught up with him the other day as part of an ongoing housing series.