Hundreds gathered in the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford Thursday to collaborate on what needs to be done to address the state’s housing crisis.
Gov. Ned Lamont spoke at the inaugural “Reimagining Housing in Connecticut” conference hosted by the state Department of Housing in collaboration with the quasi-public agency Connecticut Finance Housing Authority.
The governor said he wants to prioritize bolstering homeownership to help residents establish generational wealth.
“We have extraordinary prosperity in this state, and we also have some severe pockets of poverty, and have one of the biggest wealth gaps, you know, in the country, and we’re doing everything we can to bridge that divide,” Lamont said.
One of the ways the state can facilitate an increase in homeownership is by expanding the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority’s Time to Own Program, Lamont said.
It provides first-time homebuyers a forgivable down payment assistance loan of up to $50,000.
There are a number of social, educational and economic services available for those in need of a home, according to Lamont. Another challenge is making residents aware of those resources.
Lamont called on program leaders and advocates to aid in the information efforts.
“We're trying to find it and make it easier for people to know all the other programs you got,” Lamont said. “While you're there, we got to have workforce development as well, this is available to you, and this is how you'll be able to access our free transportation to take advantage of it. We could use your help in terms of how we tell the story about the services, how they fit together and to make a difference in your clients lives.”
