Connecticut Housing Department Highlights Investments in Residents

By Joe O’Leary

November 8 @ 5:00 am

New data released by Connecticut’s Department of Housing highlighted the number of individuals and families aided by the agency every year through initiatives to help people exit homelessness, avoid housing insecurity or create new homes to support Connecticut’s population.

In updates on the DOH’s efforts to prevent homelessness from 2023 to 2024, the department found that it helped more than 25,000 individuals and families with approximately $200 million in resources each year. Of those people, more than 14,000 received monthly rent assistance, with programs aiding them including housing vouchers and rental assistance through UniteCT.

Another 11,000 of those residents received emergency support when they experienced housing insecurity or homelessness. More than 6,400 people utilized emergency shelters across the state, but the DOH’s efforts in aiding them went further – more than 1,300 households exited homelessness in the last year by utilizing resources to find housing.

Nearly 1,000 more diverted from homelessness over the same period. More than 950 people who were formerly homeless now reside in supportive housing, and another 7,000 people received eviction protection from UniteCT in 2023 and 2024.

Of the people who received emergency support, more than 1,000 benefited from aid through the Youth Homelessness Project, which specifically targets younger residents from ages 18-24 to protect them from falling into homelessness.

The agency continues to grapple with ongoing challenges related to housing. There were about 3,410 reported individuals in Connecticut who were homeless this year, according to the 2024 Connecticut Point-In-Time count. That figure climbed more than 10% from 2023 to 2024.

Legislative leaders have committed to addressing the rise in unsheltered residents. In February, Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, told the Connecticut Mirror that the issue was one that a state like Connecticut could fix.

“This is something that a state like us should have fixed many years ago,” Anwar said. “There are structural issues that can solve this, that can help take care of and prevent homelessness in a very timely fashion.”

One such strategy involves creating more housing units to reduce tightness in the market and reduce prices, making it more affordable to access housing itself. The Department of Housing is actively working to develop and preserve housing across the state.

Over the last two years, that effort has included $450 million in investments for high quality affordable units, $200 million in new gap financing for middle-income development and $150 million through the “Time To Own” first-time ownership support program. The latter initiative has helped nearly 5,000 first-time homebuyers access an average of $31,000 for down payments.

The Department of Housing has also spurred new development from 2019-2024, with more than 13,000 units completed in that time – the result of $3 billion in development, including $616 million in department resources and $2.4 billion in other public/private investment. Another 6,000+ units were under or close to construction, with another $2.2+ billion invested between the DOH and other public and private investment.