Legislative Call To Action – Fiscal Year 2023 Midterm Adjustments

April 21, 2022

Dear Senator Looney, Senator Duff, Senator Kelly, Representative Ritter, Representative Rojas, and Representative Candelora:

In the midst of Connecticut’s urgent housing affordability crisis, the appropriations committee recently released Fiscal year 2023 Midterm Adjustments to the Governor’s proposed budget including a $50,000,000 reduction in American Recovery Plan Act funds for the Department of Housing. This reduction in funds is a significant blow to the state’s housing system and to the many thousands of low-income workers upon whose backs we are endeavoring to rebuild our state’s economy.

Further, this funding reduction shows a gross misunderstanding of the foundational impact of housing affordability on our state’s economy and on the health, well-being, education, and employment prospects of the nearly 50% of CT renters who are housing cost burdened. These renters are relying on you, their elected leaders, to provide a more equitable and affordable future for our state.

The Housing Collective is a CT-based non-profit organization that delivers solutions to the most pressing housing problems through a collective impact framework. Focused on ending homelessness and creating equitable housing opportunities for all, we provide leadership and support to enable productive, regional collaboration across organizations and sectors to drive systems change.

On behalf of the thousands of vulnerable residents collectively served by our hundreds of organizational partners throughout Western CT, we urge you to ensure the restoration of $50,000,000 of funding to the Department of Housing for FY 2023. Data show a current shortage of 86,000 homes that are affordable to those earning less than 50% of area median income, which is significantly impacting CT’s low-income communities and households of color in myriad ways. What’s more, this housing crisis is draining talent from our state, leaving thousands of jobs unfilled and placing unsustainable stress on families who cannot afford their rising rents.

All eyes are on you, the legislative leadership, to ensure the basic housing needs of all residents are met as part of an equitable COVID recovery in our state. Please take the lead on this critical issue and insist on a legislative commitment to housing affordability as a critical component of a bright and equitable future for our state.

David B Rich
Executive Director Supportive Housing Works

AND ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS…

Richard Coleman
Corporation for Supportive Housing, CLIP
203.579.3180
thehousingcollective.org

Michele Conderino
Open Door Shelter, Executive Director

Mollie Melbourne
Southwest Community Health Center, President & CEO

Carla Miklos
Operation Hope, Executive Director

Veerasak Seedasome
Corporation for Supportive Housing, CLIP

Shari L. Shapiro
Kids In Crisis’, Executive Director

Christie Stewart
Fairfield County Center for Housing Opportunity, Director

Denise Durham Williams
Inspirica, CEO

CC:

Governor Lamont
Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy
U.S. Congressman Jim Himes
U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro
U.S. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes