Governor Forms Task Force On Low-income Housing
By Ted Mann, Day Staff Writer, Published on 4/8/2004
Hartford — In front of a crowd of social services advocates and state and federal officials Wednesday, Gov. John G. Rowland ordered formation of a new multi-agency task force to create 1,000 low-cost housing units for Connecticut citizens who might otherwise end up in shelters or on the street.
The governor signed an executive order creating the Interagency Council on Supportive Housing and Homelessness at the Hudson View Commons in Hartford, a 28-unit apartment building in the Capitol Avenue neighborhood that housing advocates say is a model of what they want built.
Advocates say supportive housing — low-cost rental apartments with ready access to social services, employment assistance and training in life skills — has proved to be effective for helping those at risk of homelessness to achieve stability.
“The data shows it's a success story,” said Diane Randall, director of the Partnership for Strong Communities.
A state pilot program, started in 1993, has already created nearly 1,700 “supportive apartments” in the state, according to the Corporation for Supportive Housing, with another 500 currently in development. Many of the units are in small apartment buildings of 24-40 residents, Randall said, but others are individual apartments scattered throughout the state's cities and towns.
The new council will bring together the state departments of Social Services, Economic and Community Development, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Correction and Veterans Affairs, among others, to generate a plan for 1,000 additional units. The plan is due Sept.1.
Roughly 33,000 people are homeless each year in Connecticut, Rowland said. The new council will bring cut down on the bureaucratic tangles that may keep some away from the services they need to cope with society.
Representatives from the governor's office estimate it will cost roughly $45 million to get the new units open, with $30 million slated for capital investments such as real estate and construction. Another $15 million would be spent on basic services like those at Hudson View Commons, where a supervisor and four social workers are available for residents.
Rowland told reporters after signing the executive order that the funding for the program would come from a variety of sources, including the budget line item for faith-based aid programs and the Department of Social Services.
t.mann@theday.com
© The
Day Publishing Co., 2004
