affordable housing

Both sides agree Connecticut lacks affordable housing so why did bills designed to address the issue fail in the last General Assembly session?

Connecticut towns have had five years to draft plans to improve affordable housing on their own terms. But as the June 1 deadline approached, many missed the mark.

Connecticut’s full assistance program for homeowners who were affected financially by COVID-19 is now open for applications.

Connecticut has a shortage of about 87,000 units of housing that are affordable and available to extremely low income renters, according to estimates from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

A program launching Jan. 31 may close the gap between the evicted and legal representation in eviction proceedings.

Connecticut now expects more than 500 refugees from Afghanistan, and resettlement agencies are preparing for the influx. But finding affordable housing has become a challenge. Rents in Connecticut are up by almost 15% this year, according to the state. And agencies worry that refugees could be priced out if more landlords don’t lend a hand.

In Connecticut, it’s illegal to discriminate against someone because of their lawful source of income when they’re buying or renting property. But what does discrimination look like when someone has a Section 8 Housing Choice voucher? A case before the state Supreme Court addresses that question.

Norwalk celebrated the final phase of a new mixed-income development this week. It replaces Connecticut’s oldest public housing complex, which was significantly damaged by flooding during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

For the first time, Connecticut has taken a comprehensive look at its affordable housing stock. The report finds the state is short thousands of units for very-low-income families. Fairfield County has one of the largest shortages, and local housing advocates are calling on state officials to use once-in-a-lifetime federal funds to help fix the problem.

The pandemic has challenged renters and landlords alike. And in Fairfield County it’s been especially tough as more than half of renters already find themselves spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing. One property owner and management company said they've fared well during the pandemic thanks, in part, to its mission.