Efforts to Ensure Housing as a Right in Connecticut Intensify, Would be First in Nation

The effort to have housing declared a “right” in the State of Connecticut has been renewed this year by State Senator Saud Anwar of South Windsor.  He launched the initiative a year ago, at the start of the 2020 legislative session, which was abruptly cut short due to the coronavirus. A year later, given all that the impact of the coronavirus has revealed, the need has only become more acute.

Establishing the "right to housing," includes the right to housing affordability, developing further rehousing assistance for people who become homeless, and protecting individuals from housing loss.  Connecticut would be the first state in the nation to establish a right to housing. 

"We need to provide better housing in our state, as access to housing is indicative of success and lack of access harms countless individuals," Sen. Anwar said in re-introducing the proposal at the start of the 2021 General Assembly session.

"Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure in a stable environment, which is why I am confident that we can create a better future in Connecticut for those struggling with housing insecurity. We can, and should, provide better resources for our friends and neighbors in the community.”

At a news conference this week, Sen. Anwar was joined by individuals who have experienced homelessness and advocates, all urging passage of Senate Bill 194, which would make housing a right in Connecticut.  The bill has not yet been scheduled for a public hearing by the legislature’s Housing Committee. 

Among them was Tiernan Cabot, Founder of Hartford Bags of Love, who said, in reference to Connecticut’s homeless, “society has failed these individuals, trying to get back on their feet.”  Matthew Morgan, Executive Director of Journey Home, described the impact of the legislation as “massive,” and urged Connecticut not to wait for the “surge of homelessness” that may result from COVID-19.

Sarah Fox, who experienced homelessness as a child, said homelessness “lives with you for your entire life.”  The Director of Policy for the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, Fox said lack of access to affordable housing, and the lack stability, requires state action above and beyond the progress made in recent years. 

Anwar said the “aspirational strategy” would be an important milestone for Connecticut, and underscored how “hard it is to get hired if you don’t have an address.”  Anward pointed out last year “it is important for our state to have a collective vision for our future — one where we focus our efforts around a common cause.”  In an opinion article in The Hartford Courant, he called on the state to address the issue of housing, which, he said, “is intrinsically connected to our daily lives and the future of Connecticut.”

In describing the “bold initiative,” with the goal of “providing housing for all our state’s residents,” Anwar urged that “by the year of 2030, Connecticut would provide every individual with the right and ability to access safe housing. Having safe homes for our workforce and our youth would better allow for economic development, as well as improvements in well-being and health for our residents. This initiative would protect our vulnerable populations and reduce recidivism and homelessness. Furthermore, it would strengthen our state’s sense of community as a whole.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated what a report this month described as “already pervasive housing insecurity across Connecticut. “  The report, by the Aurora Women and Girls Foundation, Connecticut Collective for Women & Girls and the Connecticut Data Collaborative, found that prior to COVID-19, “nearly half of Connecticut renters spent more than 30% of their income on housing, which is considered cost-burdened. As of December 2020, the CT Department of Housing (CT DOH) has received over 12,000 requests for the Temporary Rental Housing Assistance Program (TRHAP) during the pandemic.” 

The report warned that “Connecticut is already seeing and will continue to see an increase in evictions, foreclosures, and homelessness,” indicating that “between 66,273 and 133,000 households are at risk of eviction in Connecticut.”

The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness has pointed out that Connecticut has the 6th highest housing cost in the nation, and that many low-income households hover on the brink of homelessness. More than 4,500 people are homeless on any given night in Connecticut– nearly 1 in 5 are children, they point out. The Coalition website notes that “homelessness is expensive: it costs our public systems (emergency services, hospitals, and schools) more to leave our neighbors homeless than it does to help them secure housing and provide them the supports to keep it.”

Anwar has emphasized that “we first must understand why people lose their homes and become homeless. It is not a personal failing to become homeless. Numerous variables impact housing, many of them beyond one’s control. Poverty, unemployment, mental health issues, substance use issues, incarceration and illness can all cause homelessness. Further, family issues can lead to housing instability; domestic abuse and homophobia are two examples that can put family members on the streets. Additionally, veterans face these housing challenges far too often, with post-traumatic stress disorder in particular contributing to their plight. Evictions and foreclosures and economic and financial decisions obviously remain an important determinant as well.”

Anwar also noted the efforts of Rep. Brandon McGee of Hartford, Sen. Rick Lopes of New Britain, Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey of Fairfield, and Rep. Robyn Porter of New Haven in advocating for passage of SB 194, and setting a “roadmap to address these challenges, setting priorities and investments.” As a former Mayor of South Windsor, Anwar is an elected official who has been on the front lines of municipal government, where the rubber often meets the road in housing decision-making. Prior to being elected to the State Senate, he served on the town council and was elected as mayor in 2013 and 2017.

He has also introduced legislation this year that calls for establishing a workforce housing development program in opportunity zones and other parts of the state by using tax credits, fee waivers and property tax abatement, and has proposed a new law designed to protect victims of family violence or sexual assault by allowing persons with valid orders of protection to replace their home's locks or request their landlord change the locks to their home.