Programs

The Housing Connections program can help. Our technical assistance network helps local suburban and rural groups to develop affordable housing solutions that enhance their communities.

Building on local support, Housing Connections offers technical expertise to local organizations helping them to address the increasing need for affordable housing by:

• Identifying and documenting housing needs.
• Building and sustaining local support.
• Designing local housing solutions.
• Developing affordable housing to meet the needs of their community.

Funded by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) and managed by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the Connecticut Housing Coalition, Housing Connections offers a wide range of technical assistance. The Housing Connections team provides guidance and support to help groups to move from the conceptual stage to actually sponsoring the construction and maintenance of new housing. Housing Connections offers technical assistance resources in the areas of finance and investment, organizational and community development, regulatory requirements, and public policy. Housing Connections helps local organizations to create local housing plans as appropriate, addressing the local needs and character of the community. When a housing development is ready, Housing Connections can match local groups with the right developers for making their plans a reality.


Some examples of how Housing Connections might help are:

• Helping in local needs assessments and surveys.
• Facilitating discussion to create a unified vision for housing in a community.
• Helping to build local support required to move housing development forward.
• Assisting with the resolution of land use and regulatory issues.
• Informing feasibility analysis for development.
• Advising local groups on how to assemble a development team.
• Providing access to information on best practices for housing and community development.

LISC and the Connecticut Housing Coalition have many years of experience in helping suburban and rural groups develop affordable housing in their communities. Over the past several years, these organizations have assisted local groups in developing housing in dozens of different suburban and rural communities. Work with local officials and citizen groups resulted in the actual production of affordable housing in many towns across the state. LISC provides financing and technical assistance to promote community-based development initiatives. The Connecticut Housing Coalition provides information and networking services on a variety of housing issues across the state. Both organizations have access to national information on best practices, enabling Connecticut communities to access state-of the art tools and solutions. The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) has funded this program through their Pilot Rural and Suburban Affordable Housing Technical Assistance Program. CHFA dedicated funding for this program in response to requests for assistance from many rural and suburban towns.

The need for affordable housing in Connecticut’s towns is increasing. Many towns are seeking ways to offer housing opportunities to residents and families who are currently priced out of their communities. This includes: families that have left Connecticut and seek to return, police officers, firefighters, teachers, young college graduates returning home to Connecticut, elderly parents, municipal employees and many private sector employees as well. Towns are realizing that their future in large part is dependent on attracting families and individuals who will locate, work in, invest in and contribute to the economy and the civic life of the town.


In many Connecticut towns, public and private local groups are working to develop realistic housing plans that their communities can embrace. They are looking for ways to address the specific housing needs of their residents in a timely, cost effective, and community-driven manner. Housing Connections was created to provide the help these local groups need to build a stronger community.

If you think that there is a need and a desire for housing that is more affordable by people in your community, then Housing Connections can help. Please contact us at:

203-281-0011

housingconnect@lisc.org


Housing Connections progress report