HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Hundreds of people gathered in Hartford Thursday to try to solve the state’s housing crisis. Housing advocates, developers, and public officials are trying to solve the issue of the state not having enough places to live. As much construction as we see around Connecticut, there is still not enough housing, especially in cities.
“We’ve gotten behind the 8-ball,” Mayor Arunan Arulampalam (D-Hartford) said. “We are not building enough units to keep up with demand.”
That is why Hartford’s mayor is one of a couple hundred people spending the day at the Connecticut Convention Center at the Connecticut Housing Conference. They all share the same concern: There is enough housing for everyone, from the poorest to the most affluent.
Oxford family sets up Halloween display despite flood damage
“Where we have emergency housing. We talk about the most vulnerable population and making sure that they’re housed,” explained Seila Mosquera-Bruno, the state’s housing commissioner. “Then we go into our workforce that also needs housing that they can afford.”
Things have not gotten any easier in recent years. The Covid pandemic drove up the cost of housing, and inflation drove up mortgage rates. The conference is trying to come up with innovative solutions, such as the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority’s “Time to Own” program.
“Which is a forgivable down payment assistance program that is making affordable first-time home ownership a possibility in many communities across Connecticut,” Connecticut Housing Finance Authority Executive Director and CEO Nandini Natarajan said.
News 8 Exclusive: Sister remembers fallen Wethersfield firefighter
In the big picture, however, nothing is more important than building.
“You know, we need supply,” Natarajan said. “More supply of housing across the income spectrum, because wages haven’t increased as much as housing costs have gone up and other costs have gone up. Utilities, taxes, and all of the other stuff.”
Hartford’s mayor says they are building, but it is just not enough to meet demand.
“Our downtown is growing like gangbusters,” Arulampalam said. “We’ve got apartment complexes that come up, and before you even cut the ribbon on them, there’s a waiting list.”
Resources are available for people struggling to afford housing at https://portal.ct.gov/doh and https://www.chfa.org/.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.