The Housing News Digest is a compilation of links to news articles from Connecticut's major daily newspapers covering homelessness, affordable housing, supportive housing and other important issues.

Hartford Courant - 6 Articles
Connecticut Post - 5 Articles
Bristol Press - 2 Articles
Danbury News-Times - 1 Article
Greenwich Time - 3 Articles
New Britain Herald - 2 Articles
New Haven Register - 2 Articles
New London Day - 2 Articles
Torrington Register Citizen - 1 Article
Waterbury Republican American - 3 Articles
New York Times - 8 Articles
Boston Globe - 2 Articles

Partnership To Press for Key Legislative Changes

In the 2007 legislative session, which began January 3, the Partnership for Strong Communities will push for key housing policy advances at the General Assembly. Partnership lobbyists, led by Director Diane Randall, Mike Hanley and Betty Gallo, will be seeking legislative support for HOMEConnecticut’s plan to create a wider range of affordable housing opportunities across the state to foster economic development and job growth, and for expanded supportive housing investment to advance the Reaching Home Campaign’s proven strategy to combat chronic homelessness.

Hartford Courant - 4 Articles
Connecticut Post - 2 Articles
Bristol Press - 1 Article
Danbury News-Times - 3 Articles
Greenwich Times - 2 Articles
Manchester Journal-Inquirer - 2 Articles
New Britain Herald - 3 Articles
New London Day - 5 Articles
Boston Globe - 1 Article

Hartford Courant - 9 Articles
Connecticut Post - 1 Article
Bristol Press - 1 Article
Danbury News-Times - 1 Article
Greenwich time - 3 Articles
Manchester Journal Inquirer - 1 Article
New London Day - 7 Articles
Waterbury Republican American - 3 Articles
New York Times - 7 Articles
Boston Globe - 1 Article

Housing Problems Featured in the News, Republican Caucus 
The Republican House Caucus of the Connecticut General Assembly has declared affordable housing one of the key issues their caucus intends to address in the 2007 legislative session...

HOMEConnecticut Plan Nearing Completion: "Housing Program For Responsible Growth" To Be Sent to Legislature
After 16 months of discussion, research and review, HOMEConnecticut's Steering Committee will offer a proposal next month - "Connecticut Housing Program For Responsible Growth" - that offers recommendations for creating an adequate supply of moderately priced homes over the next decade... 

A person must earn $20.42 an hour to afford the rent for a modest two-bedroom apartment in Connecticut, according to “Out of Reach,” the annual report issued by the Connecticut Housing Coalition in coordination with the National Low Income Housing Coalition.  In terms of statewide averages, Connecticut is the sixth least affordable rental housing market in the country and the report found that the Stamford-Norwalk metropolitan area was the most expensive rental market in the entire country.  

To see the press release and Connecticut's "Out of Reach" report, go to the Connecticut Housing Coalition's website: http://www.ct-housing.org/out_of_reach_2006.html.  The national "Out of Reach" report can be found at the National Low Income Housing Coalition's website: www.nlihc.org/oor/oor2006.

The Capitol Region Council of Governments’ 2006 Connecticut Capitol Region Home Sales Price Report was recently released, with this year’s Report finding that sales prices in the Capitol Region have continued to rise in spite of a recent slowdown in the number of homes sold.  More information on home sales by price, housing type, municipality and national perspective are presented in the full report, available at www.crcog.org. 

The Summer 2006 issue of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's quarterly magazine features an article about supportive housing's success in Connecticut that was written by David Fink, Policy and Communications Director at the Partnership for Strong Communities.  You can read the article online at http://www.bos.frb.org/commdev/c&b/index.htm.

Several fact sheets are available on the site, including information on the economic study by Donald Klepper-Smith, data on the recent rise in housing costs in relation to wages, occupations that can’t afford housing in Connecticut, the outmigration of young people from Connecticut due to high housing costs, and more.  See the “Fact Sheets” section in the navigation bar to the left, or click here.

A huge escalation in Connecticut housing prices since 2000 – four times the growth in personal income – has pushed affordable homeownership and rental housing beyond the reach of many working families and individuals, according to a statewide study undertaken by business economist Donald Klepper-Smith.

Community Loan Funds in Connecticut provide valuable financing and technical assistance to help nonprofit developers create affordable and supportive housing.

As part of their new directory of supportive housing programs in Connecticut and Rhode Island, the Corporation for Supportive Housing has compiled this glossary which may be useful if you are just learning about affordable housing.