Electric Boat hiring boom brings new jobs and intensifies housing challenges for southeastern Connecticut

By Matt Austin, NBC Connecticut: ARTICLE LINK | Published August 5, 2026

A major hiring surge at General Dynamics Electric Boat is expected to bring thousands of new workers to southeastern Connecticut, but local leaders say the region must address a housing shortage if it hopes to keep pace with the growth.

Electric Boat recently secured contracts worth about $77 billion to build new submarines, fueling optimism across the region and creating significant demand for workers.

"I think there's a lot of energy in this region right now," Norwich Mayor Swarnjit Singh said.

A big part of that energy is tied to Electric Boat's expansion plans.

"We set a goal to hire 8,000 people this year. We're on a path to get there. We’re over halfway done so far, year to date," said Mark Rayha, president of General Dynamics Electric Boat.

But as new workers arrive, housing availability remains a major concern.

A previous Connecticut Fair Share Housing study found southeastern Connecticut needs about 27,000 additional homes to meet overall demand.

"There are a number of projects ongoing, a number of projects ready for approval, ready for growth, ready for starting, and the region's open to new ideas and new investments as well. We need a spectrum of housing if we're going to be very successful here," said Megan Gilbert, [President] of the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce.

Low inventory and high demand continue to drive up housing costs across the region.

In Groton, the average home value is about $450,000, up 67% since 2020 according to Zillow.

The rental market is also tight. In Norwich, the average rent is about $1,300 per month, up a few percent from a year ago according to Apartments.com.

"People who are starting their jobs and a lot of kids from Norwich Tech, from NFA, they're getting hired by EB. So we want those kids to stay in Norwich. So we're trying to make more studio units, one bedroom units, two bedroom units, so we can fulfill the need," Singh said.

As Norwich considers new housing developments, the mayor is calling on state leaders, municipalities, businesses and developers to work together on solutions.

The [Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut] is also planning updates to its website aimed at helping prospective workers relocate to the region. Chamber officials note that housing is just one of several challenges communities will need to address as the workforce grows.

"The opportunity now is making sure our region is prepared to support this workforce and I think we're working really hard, really collaboratively to do that," Gilbert said.