Earlier this month, Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy announced a proposal that would increase the state's commitment to affordable housing by appropriating more than $330 million to renovate and create affordable, supportive and congregate housing. Couple that with last year's effort, the total commitment to affordable housing in Connecticut over the next 10 years comes in a nearly half a billion dollars.
According to the Connecticut Housing Coalition, a statewide network of more than 250 community-based nonprofit developers, HSAs, practitioners, advocates, and resident associations, Gov. Malloy's plan emphasizes revitalizing the state's 170,000-unit public and affordable housing portfolio, as well as consolidate housing programs at the state's department of Economic and Community Development.
Take a look at more details of Connecticut's plan here.
In the meantime, consider how much other states are cutting back on their support for low- to moderate-income housing. More, at the federal level, we're likely to see disproportionately deep HUD budget cuts as the president outlines his FY2013 budget today. Why does Connecticut buck that trend? While Gov. Malloy's policies should be praised (and are surely getting the most attention), it's impossible to discount the work of groups like the Connecticut Housing Coalition who helped shape this policy.
Photo: Affordable homes on South Hartford's Grafton Street. Photo provided by the LISC.
