On a January night in 2018, there were more than 3,000 people experiencing homelessness across the state of Connecticut.
This hour we sit down with Dr. Richard Cho, the new CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. Connecticut has made major strides in reducing homelessness, but how do we address areas where residents are still falling through the cracks?
We also talk with an expert from the CT Fair Housing Center on how local zoning laws have kept affordable housing out of reach for lower-income residents.
Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
GUESTS:
- Dr. Richard Cho - New CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH); he has worked for 20 years in housing and homelessness including as Deputy Director at the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness during the Obama administration (@Richard_S_Cho)
- Fionnuala Darby-Hudgens - Community Education and Outreach Coordinator for the CT Fair Housing Center (@FionnualaDH)
READING LIST:
Connecticut Public Radio: Hurricane Maria Drives Up Connecticut's Homelessness Numbers (December 2018) – “A new federal report says Connecticut experienced one of the largest year-to-year percentage increases in homelessness. But state officials and advocates say Hurricane Maria had a major impact on those numbers.”
CT Mirror: Homelessness fell 24% in three years. How did Connecticut do it? (June 2017) – “After years of stagnation, Connecticut has significantly decreased its homeless population for three consecutive years, outpacing most other states during that time. It also has reached a handful of milestones, the most prominent of which was an effective end to veterans homelessness in 2016.”
CT Mirror: Connecticut rental housing is among nation’s least affordable (June 2018) – “According to a recent report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the average Connecticut renter’s income is well below what would be necessary to afford a typical two-bedroom apartment, and low-income renters may face an even greater struggle due to major reductions in housing assistance by the Trump Administration.”
Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
