Press Releases
07/09/2017
Gov. Malloy Meets with Organizations to Discuss Impact Budget Situation is Having on Affordable Housing
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today met with a group of nonprofit organizations from across the state to discuss the impact that the current budget impasse is having on those receiving housing assistance. Housing providers and residents joined Governor Malloy and urged state leaders to come together in order to pass a budget so the state can continue to provide vitally needed services to the most vulnerable residents.
“Creating access to affordable housing and ending homelessness for all of our residents have been top priorities of mine. Unfortunately, in the absence of an adopted budget or even a temporary, mini-budget as a short-term solution, I was forced to implement a budget via executive order that forces me to make deep cuts in services,” Governor Malloy said. “All parties need to continue working in earnest to arrive at a balanced, responsible budget as soon as possible so that the most vulnerable populations do not suffer long-term consequences.”
“Affordable housing must continue to be a priority – our economy and our communities depend on it,” Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said. “Passing a budget is critical to continued progress on affordable housing and economic development initiatives.”
“The progress Connecticut has made under the Malloy administration in ending homelessness and for our work to rapidly expand access to affordable housing has been unprecedented,” Department of Housing Commissioner Evonne M. Klein said. “We’re recognized national leaders for this work. Now is not the time to stand idly by, now is the time to act. Connecticut needs – and it deserves – a reasonable, balanced budget that continues to invest in our communities and that will continue our progress.”
“Connecticut’s investment in its affordable housing infrastructure has leveraged hundreds of millions of private capital, all of which can be unraveled if the state's promises are not met,” Betsy Crum, Executive Director of the Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development, said. “This current budget crisis puts past and future investments at risk.”
“Connecticut’s budget impasse is adversely impacting our redevelopment of Center Village, a multi-million dollar project currently underway, and our elderly residents who count on the state’s rental assistance program to subsidize a portion of their rents,” Neil Griffin, Executive Director of the Glastonbury Housing Authority, said. “Connecticut’s prudent investment in affordable housing has attracted and leveraged hundreds of millions in private capital making our project, and numerous others throughout the state, financially feasible. The uncertainty created by the budget impasse threatens to negatively impact current and future participation by these investors if the state’s commitments are not met. Not only has the lack of a budget impacted our private capital partner and its investment in Center Village, but it may also negatively impact our elderly residents who, without rental assistance, may suffer an unaffordable rental burden if the State's rental assistance commitment is not met.”
“Our partnership with the State of Connecticut is crucial to the work we do for tens of thousands of Connecticut residents each year,” Richard J. Porth, President and CEO of United Way of Connecticut, said. “We could never have the reach or provide the beneficial impact we do without the state’s financial support. Like many nonprofit service providers, we hope for a quick resolution on adoption of the SFY18 budget and adequate funding to provide essential health and human services for Connecticut’s people.”
“We’ve made great progress in Connecticut in housing the chronically homeless – saving lives and saving our systems money that is wasted when homelessness persists on our streets and in our shelters,” Lisa Tepper Bates, Executive Director of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, said. “The current budget crisis means that there is a real risk people who have been housed will lose the subsidies and support that help them stay housed and stable. To risk sending them back to homelessness is terrible for them, costly for our state, and bad for our communities.”
“The continued uncertainty around the state budget and the looming threat of drastic cuts to federal housing programs severely impacts our ability to continue to provide housing to those in need,” Florence Villano, Executive Director of the Connecticut Housing Coalition, said. “We are concerned about losing rent subsidies for extremely low income and vulnerable people. In order to deliver critically needed affordable housing, we must be able to continue our partnership with the Department of Housing which has led the way in the provision of affordable housing these past six years.”
“We know what it takes to end homelessness. We have been doing it successfully and making significant gains, year after year,” Alicia Woodsby, Executive Director of the Partnership for Strong Communities, said. “Legislators and leaders on both sides of the aisle recognize the value and importance of this work and have supported it. The faster a budget is passed and signed that preserves the critical areas of housing and homelessness funding, the better.”
“We know what works to end homelessness. We have built effective partnerships between state, local and not-for-profit partners and we are achieving results,” Cathy Zall, Executive Director of the New London Homeless Hospitality Center, said. “What we need now is the leadership of elected officials to give us the predictability provided by an adopted budget that balances and targets investments most effectively. With that framework, those of us who work face-to-face with our neighbors experiencing homelessness every day can continue to pour all our effort into the job of ending homelessness.”
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