SENATOR MARX LEADS HOUSING COMMITTEE IN ADVANCING BILLS SUPPORTING HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION EFFORTS

Today, the Housing Committee advanced two bills supporting homeless populations in Connecticut, led by State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London), Senate Chair of the committee. These bills seek to establish an interagency council on homelessness, with the expressed purpose of improving homelessness prevention and response efforts in the state, and providing funding to the Department of Housing to continue programs aiding those experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.

The bills both passed the Housing Committee by unanimous bipartisan 18-0 tallies with two members absent.

“Our state has thousands of residents experiencing homelessness, and increasing financial pressures nationally and locally threaten to send that number much higher,” said Sen. Marx. “By putting this new council in place to better advise and study the state’s current outlook, as well as ensuring Department of Housing programs supporting those in need will receive valuable aid, our Committee is taking strong steps to help make numbers go down, not up, and get more people into stable, safe homes.”

House Bill 6894, “An Act Establishing An Interagency Council on Homelessness,” would develop this interagency council to advise and assist the Housing Commissioner. The council would be assigned to improve homelessness prevention and response efforts in Connecticut.

The state’s housing, aging and disability services, children and families, corrections, labor, mental health and addiction services, social services and veterans affairs departments, as well as the Office of Policy and Management, Court Support Services division of the Judicial Department and Connecticut Housing Finance Authority would all have representatives on the council working toward that purpose. Other departments with intersections with homeless populations would also be eligible to join the council.

Once it starts meeting, the council would be tasked with considering ways to strengthen existing homelessness support programs, such as increasing housing stability and affordability; improving the effectiveness of current stare programs, including faster access to resources for individuals in need; and meeting housing demands by maximizing use of funds for housing supports.

House Bill 6893, “An Act Appropriating Funds For Programs To Assist Homeless Persons,” would provide $33.5 million in state funding for the Department of Housing’s homelessness support programs.

The bills today were approved to proceed to the House floor for further consideration.

Contact: Joe O’Leary | 508-479-4969 | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov