Reaching Home is the campaign to create 10,000 units of supportive housing in Connecticut by 2014. Supportive housing is affordable rental housing with support services attached, and is the solution to chronic, long-term homelessness.

Supportive Housing Pilots Initiative
After the success of the Supportive Housing Demonstration Program, which produced 281 units of supportive housing in Connecticut between 1993 and 1998, the State of Connecticut passed legislation in 2001 which would fund the State's first supportive housing initiative.

Section 5 of PA 01-8, An Act Concerning Community Mental Health Strategic Investment, was passed in a June special session. It established the Supportive Housing Pilots Initiative to provide up to 650 units of supportive housing, 300 of which would be through new development. Read a summary of PA 01-8 (excerpted from 2001 OLR PA Summary Book)

The initiative was funded through funded through mortgages, tax credits, and grants from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA), the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD); DSS rent subsidies: and grants from various state agencies for support services.

Supportive Housing Next Steps Initiative
In 2005, section 32 of PA 05-280 established the Supportive Housing Next Steps Initiative to create 500 more units of supportive housing through the same funding sources as the Pilots Initiative (see above). This legislation was entitled, An Act Concerning Social Services and Public Health Budget Implementation Provisions, and section 32 establishes the Next Steps Initiative. Read a summary of PA 05-280 (excerpted from 2005 OLR PA Summary Book) Both PA 01-8 and PA 05-280 amended Sec. 17a-485c of the State of CT General Statutes.

Reaching Home will continue to advocate for supportive housing in the 2009 legislative session. To learn about how you can help, click here.