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Short 85,000 affordable rental units, Connecticut wants feds to boost block grant funding

Bayonet Street Apartments in New London, which is part of a two-phase affordable housing development in the city.
Brian Scott-Smith
/
WSHU
Bayonet Street Apartments in New London, which is part of a two-phase affordable housing development in the city.

Governor Ned Lamont visited the City of New London to tour several new housing development projects in the city.

The governor and Mayor Mike Passero saw projects ranging from high-end condominiums and apartments in the city’s downtown area to affordable housing options on the city’s outskirts.

Lamont said the state needs to build more affordable housing, especially in New London, which is expected to see job growth from large employers.

“Probably over a thousand units that are in development," he said. "This city is very popular, people want to move here. Last place we visited you know they’ve got a 700 unit waiting list. People want to be here in New London, I think they see what the Main Street is going to look like, coming to life, lot of really good paying jobs.”.

Lamont said the state needs more federal funding for affordable housing — and other types of housing. “I’d broaden it," he said. "I think we need more types of all types of housing. We need more affordable housing, we need more workforce housing, we need more housing for seniors who want to downsize. And we have more market rate housing built last year than in anytime in this 21st century."

Governor Ned Lamont shakes hands with staff from ECHO Homes in New London who are overseeing a Bayonet Street affordable housing project.
Brian Scott-Smith
/
WSHU
Governor Ned Lamont shakes hands with staff from ECHO Homes in New London who are overseeing a Bayonet Street affordable housing project.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) has called on federal legislators to provide more than $2 billion in funding for affordable housing.

Most of the money would support the HOME Investment Partnership Program. It’s the only federal block-grant program that focuses on affordable housing for low-income families.

Blumenthal said access to affordable housing is a problem nationwide, but harder for people in Connecticut.

“For people in Connecticut, access to housing has never been more difficult in recent history,” Blumenthal said. “And we see it in the homeless numbers, but also, in choices people have to make about whether to pay the rent, buy medicine, put food on the table, or buy clothing for their children.”

Blumenthal’s requested funding includes $165 million for NeighborWorks America, which funds affordable housing projects in Connecticut.

Renee Dobbs, CEO of Connecticut Housing Partners, said the money from NeighborWorks has been helpful in the past. Her company received 2 million from the non-profit last year.

“We were able to multiply that 55 times to $122 million,” Dobbs said. “And with that, we created jobs, we provided additional housing, we provided first-time homeownership housing counseling. There were many services that were provided to help the people in our state.”

Dobos said the housing crisis hurts people of all ages.

“I had a woman who was a senior, she had all of her belongings in a storage shed, and she was living out of her car. And she said to me, 'Renee, I can't spend another winter in my car,'" Dobos said. "Because she says, 'I feel like I will die.'”

According to a recent state economic report, Connecticut has a shortage of more than 85,000 affordable rental units.

Lamont announced in his budget in January that he wants to invest $600 million over the next two years for affordable housing. "I’d love it if the feds want to step up and do more," he said, "but the state of Connecticut is with $200 million invested in workforce housing, if we get that passed.”

An award-winning freelance reporter/host for WSHU, Brian lives in southeastern Connecticut and covers stories for WSHU across the Eastern side of the state.
Molly is a reporter covering Connecticut. She also produces Long Story Short, a podcast exploring public policy issues across Connecticut.