A new report from the Partnership for Strong Communities, a housing advocacy organization, says that Connecticut continues to suffer from a lack of affordable housing.
The report says that homelessness is up in the state, as is renting. Since 2010, homelessness in Connecticut has risen by ten percent. More households in the state are turning to rentals, now at 33.1 percent of the market, up from 30 percent in 2006.
David Fink, the organization's policy director, said, "The problem is that in Connecticut, housing is too expensive, and too scarce. Too many people have to spend too much for housing. That's bad for them, and it's bad for the state's economy." The report says that 40 percent of the state's households spend more than they should -- over 30 percent of their income -- on housing. "Housing is the foundation of opportunity," said Fink. "When so many households lack an adequate, affordable home, they hit an economic dead end."
"We have to create more," Fink said of the need for more affordable housing in the state. "More supply. More supply will bring the cost down. We have to put it in the right places. We have to put it near transit. We have to put it in town centers." The report notes that between 2011 and 2012, according to U.S. Census data, there was a 30 percent increase in permits issued for new apartment buildings.
