HARTFORD – U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives John Larson (CT-1), Joe Courtney (CT-2), Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Jim Himes (CT-4), and Elizabeth Esty (CT-5), as well as Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the State of Connecticut will be receiving a $3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to expand access to affordable housing in the state.

The grant is part of the National Housing Trust Fund, a new affordable housing production program that will complement existing federal, state, and local efforts to increase and preserve the supply of decent, safe, and sanitary affordable housing for very low-income households, including families experiencing homelessness.  The Connecticut Department of Housing will administer the award on a state level.

The members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation applauded the award, stating in a joint statement, “For far too many Connecticut residents, finding a house or apartment they can afford seems out of reach.  This $3 million investment by the federal Housing Trust Fund is the first of its kind.  We look forward to working with Governor Malloy and Commissioner Klein to put these investments to work right away.”

“This award will complement the historic state investments that have been made to expand access to affordable housing over the past several years, helping to expand our efforts to rebuild and revitalize communities in order to attract growth, stimulate business activity, and build our economy,” Governor Malloy said.  “If we want to have a quality workforce, and if we want to be economically competitive, it’s important to have quality housing.”

“The Malloy Administration has made affordable housing a priority,” State Housing Commissioner Evonne Klein said.  “Together, we are making real progress in our efforts to ensure everyone in Connecticut will have a safe and stable place to call home.  These dollars will be put to good use as we work to expand access to affordable housing and in our efforts to end chronic homelessness by the end of this year.”

Since 2011, the Department of Housing and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority have created, rehabilitated, or preserved 7,917 affordable housing units.  There are another 2,790 affordable units under construction and funding commitments are in place to create approximately 5,200 more affordable units.  Altogether, the Malloy Administration has been responsible for adding almost 16,000 units of affordable housing to Connecticut’s housing stock.