Partnership for Strong Communities

Reaching Home Campaign Update - 5/9/08

End of Session Advocacy Update
The 2008 legislative session exposed the challenges that Reaching Home -- and all of us involved in seeking to end chronic homelessness -- are facing as we plan for the future. When adjournment arrived at midnight Wednesday, we had not obtained funding for the 650 units of new permanent supportive housing that advocates had so strenuously pressed members of the General Assembly to add into the budget. The legislature did act favorably on the Governor's proposal to annualize funding for the 150 units of supportive housing in the Next Steps, Round III, the current Request for Proposal for supportive housing development.

But it remained clear that, despite all of our successes and significant support to date, supportive housing was one of the earliest victims of a state revenue shortfall, and because we have not yet made supportive housing production a policy foundation of our state. It is a sobering realization but one that, rather than demoralize supporters, should spark a new energy to help municipal and state policymakers realize that homelessness and inappropriate institutionalization will have a cost whether they choose to act or not, and that supportive housing is the most effective and least expensive -- and perhaps only -- way to assist people with chronic disabilities who are extremely low income to live successfully in our communities. (continue reading Campaign Update)

CMBA Holding 5th Annual Mayor's Forum on May 21st

Join the Connecticut Mortgage Bankers Association's Affordable Housing Committee for its fifth annual Mayors' Forum on Affordable Housing. The forum features mayors from around the state discussing their experiences in creating affordable housing in their towns. This year's Mayor's Forum will be held on May 21st from 8am to noon at the Aqua Turf. Along with the CMBA Affordable Housing Committee, this event is being sponsored by the Connecticut Association of Realtors, the Connecticut Housing Coalition and the Partnership for Strong Communities. Click here to view a flyer for the program. CMBA also has an online registration option - just click here to register.

Housing News Digest - 5/7/08

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 - 3 Articles
Manchester Journal Inquirer - 2 Articles
New Haven Register - 1 Article
New London Day - 5 Articles
Norwich Bulletin - 1 Article
Torrington Register Citizen - 1 Article
New York Times - 10 Articles
Boston Globe - 4 Articles

Blue Ribbon Commission Recommends Additional Incentive
Interim Report Details Continuing Need for Affordable Units

The Blue Ribbon Commission on Housing and Economic Development, in an interim report approved on April 15th, has recommended that the General Assembly and Gov. Rell find a vehicle to provide municipalities with capital grants that will directly assist them in creating more mixed-income housing or foster such related state policy goals as open-space or farmland preservation. The Commission, which was created by the legislature when it passed the HOMEConnecticut statute last June, took the position that such additional grants would spark the creation of Incentive Housing Zones under the statute by ensuring that municipalities receive environmental remediation, infrastructure, transit-oriented development or other capital funds to support the housing creation.

Click here to continue reading on HOMEConnecticut's website.

Housing News Digest - 5/5/08

Hartford Courant - 7 Articles
Connecticut Post - 1 Article
Danbury News-Times - 1 Article
Manchester Journal Inquirer - 1 Article
New Britain Herald - 1 Article
New London Day - 2 Articles
Stamford Advocate - 1 Article
Torrington Register Citizen - 1 Article
Waterbury Republican-American - 1 Article
New York Times - 5 Articles
Boston Globe - 1 Article

Please call Senator Dodd today at (202) 224-2823 and ask him to include S.2523, the Kerry-Snowe National Affordable Housing Trust Fund, in legislation that will come out of his committee this week.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, chaired by Connecticut's Senator Chris Dodd, could create NEW resources for affordable housing for very low income households in Connecticut and across the country.

The bill being negotiated in the Senate Banking Committee right now addresses the subprime mortgage crisis by reforming Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). We want the National Housing Trust Fund bill, S. 2523 (the Kerry-Snowe National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007), incorporated into this larger reform bill.

Learn ways Connecticut can support creation of housing that saves energy, is kind to the environment, promotes health, minimized transportation needs - AND is affordable! A complete examination of the financing, regulation and incentives necessary to produce Green Affordable Housing. Click here for flyer. Planners - Approval pending for multiple AICP CM credits.

May 20, 2008, 8:30 am - Noon at The Lyceum.
227 Lawrence Street, Hartford, CT (directions - www.lyceumcenter.org)

For reservations contact: Domonique Walker, Partnership for Strong Communities, (860) 244-0066, domonique@ctpartnershiphousing.com

The Partnership's Diane Randall presented the keynote address at the South Western Regional Planning Agency's Affordable Housing Summit on Tuesday, April 29th. Her presentation focused on the current affordable housing situation in Connecticut, the HOMEConnecticut Campaign, the status of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Housing and Economic Development and the work that needs to be done. Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation.

Housing Policy Briefs - 4/17/08

STATE DEVELOPMENTS: Blue Ribbon Commission Approves Interim Report
The Blue Ribbon Commission on Housing and Economic Development approved an interim report at its April 15 meeting that recommends an additional incentive allowing capital grants for municipalities that create incentive housing zones under the HOMEConnecticut statute. Incentive Housing Zones allow for denser housing development with mixed income housing.

The reasoning for the additional incentive recommendation was that municipalities may need direct assistance in creating the housing in the form of grants for infrastructure improvements, environmental remediation, transit-oriented development or grants to foster related state policy goals such as farmland, open space or historic preservation...

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