March 23, 2012

GOV. MALLOY: FUNDING FOR SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WILL HELP SOME OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS

Investment Will Create 179 Units of Affordable Housing in Urban Centers

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that funding for the creation of 179 units of new supportive housing in Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, New London, and Waterbury has been approved by the state's Interagency Committee on Supportive Housing.

Supportive housing addresses the root causes of chronic, long-term homelessness by combining decent, safe, affordable rental homes with individualized health, support and employment services. The housing can save the state money by reducing more costly interventions, such as emergency room visits, homeless shelter stays, and encounters with the criminal justice system.

"Supportive housing is a vital component of creating stability and a strong economic base for individuals and families in need of additional support," said Governor Malloy. "These housing units give people a chance to build a life that includes family, friends, community and employment."

Approved through the Permanent Supportive Housing Initiative, the supportive housing units will be built in Bridgeport by the Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust, Inc.; in Hartford by Chrysalis Center Inc.; in New Haven by Columbus House Inc.; in New London by Connection Fund; and in Waterbury by Francis Xavier Plaza, Inc. and the Housing Authority of the City of Waterbury. Groundbreakings for these developments are expected later this year.

Under the current fiscal year's budget, $30 million in capital funding was provided to develop affordable supportive housing, coupled with an annualized $2.6 million for operating and support services.

The Interagency Committee on Supportive Housing is the state's administrative organization charged with creating supportive housing units for Connecticut's homeless. The committee is comprised of representatives from eight state agencies: the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Department of Social Services, the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch, and the Office of Policy and Management. The Corporation for Supportive Housing is also a member, representing the private, nonprofit sector.

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For Immediate Release: March 23, 2012

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