Today, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) announced that Connecticut Housing Partners and the Housing Development Fund will receive $680,000 in grant awards from NeighborWorks America funding. NeighborWorks America, a national nonprofit created by Congress, awarded this grant to develop and maintain affordable housing in Southwest Connecticut.
“During a global pandemic, ensuring everyone has a place to live is crucial for the safety of affordable housing residents and for our efforts to contain and defeat this virus,” said Congressman Jim Himes. “Creating enough affordable housing is a nationwide challenge. People should not have to commute hours to their jobs and seniors should not have to leave the community they’ve called home for years just because of housing costs. That’s why it’s good news to see NeighborWorks America funding come to our district. The American Rescue Plan that I just voted for includes $100 million in additional NeighborWorks funding. I look forward to seeing more federal dollars for affordable housing come to our area.”
“This gift feels like ’I trust you funding,’” said Joan Carty, CEO of the Housing Development Fund. “It is an investment in our purpose and promise – to continue to strive for a just and equitable society. Solving the affordable housing gaps for Connecticut residents is one sound step toward providing stability for families’ futures.”
“Our work in Fairfield County is impactful as providers of affordable housing, and this grant from NeighborWorks America will help us continue our important mission,” Renée Dobos, the CEO of Connecticut Housing Partners (CHP). “We have pulled our communities together when they need us, most especially during this pandemic. We are not only offering stable housing to our residents, but we are offering them hope during these challenging times. We recognize that having a safe, affordable place to live is essential to achieving financial security. Our role as an affordable housing provider has grown dramatically to meet the current crisis by also addressing food insecurities and addressing the isolation our seniors are facing. Many of these residents feel lost and alone and CHP is the bright light showing that we care about the residents we serve by helping them through this crisis. Our next initiative is to help our low-wage residents by giving them essential employment skills so that they can attain financial security.”
According to NeighborWorks, their mission is to create and preserve affordable housing, foster the expansion of networks of practitioners, train and develop a nonprofit workforce, increase capital investment in American communities, and educate homeowners. Recently, NeighborWorks has assisted troubled homeowners facing foreclosure, administering a $360 million foreclosure mitigation-counseling program. Learn more about NeighborWorks here.
###