Advocacy Action Alert:
Appropriations Public Hearings Announced!
Governor Lamont’s proposed budget preserves and expands upon essential programs and resources for advancing statewide efforts to end homelessness. Please show your support and help us highlight the need for protecting these critical funds by testifying in person or submitting written testimony for the hearings below.
Department of Housing Hearing
Public Budget Hearing is scheduled for
Wednesday, February 27th starting at 4:30 pm
Legislative Office Building, Room 2C
300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford

Support Funding for the Department of Housing’s Housing and Homelessness line item–$79.4M for FY 20 and $84.8M for FY 21.
The Housing and Homelessness line item is at the core of the state’s efforts to end homelessness. It includes the Rental Assistance Program (RAP) which is critical for supportive housing, and frontline homeless services, outreach, and emergency shelters, which are essential to aid those who have fallen into homelessness and move them quickly to housing.

Funding is included for the development of a Medicaid Supportive Housing Benefit for high cost, high need individuals by developing a 1915(i) state plan home and community-based services benefit that will provide supportive housing to up to 850 individuals who experience homelessness.

Support the Preservation of the Homeless Youth line item – $2.3M in both fiscal years.
These funds support youth outreach services, crisis housing for youth, and housing services and supports, which are essential to transition youth from crisis to stability.

Support the Preservation of the Department of Housing’s Homeless Supports line item for Coordinated Access Network Infrastructure - $2.48M in both fiscal years.
The budget reallocates the Community Investment Account (CIA) funding to the General Fund in the amount of $2,480,415 to provide general fund support for Coordinated Access Networks, the 2-1-1 Info line, cold weather protocol and grants in the new Housing Supports line item. The Coordinated Access Networks (CAN) system (including emergency shelters, rapid re-housing, the 2-11 housing unit, and community-level coordination) is critical to maintain our progress ending homelessness.

Here is what you can do: Submit Written Testimony or Testify in Person
  1. Download Talking Points/ Testimony Template Here.
  2. Email written testimony to [email protected] and [email protected] by Noon, Tuesday, February 26th.
  3. Please inform Sarah Fox and Danielle Hubley know if intend to testify in person by Noon, Tuesday, February 26th.

Please email written testimony in Word or PDF format on your organizations letterhead to [email protected] and [email protected]. (Testimony template above provides guidelines for format.) All testimony should be limited to matters related to comments related to the Department of Housing budget. All public hearing testimony, written and spoken, is public information.
Department of Mental Health and
Addiction Services Hearing
Public Budget Hearing is scheduled for
Friday, March 1st starting at 5:30 pm
Legislative Office Building, Room 2C
300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford
 
Support the Preservation of the DMHAS Housing Supports and Services line item (Supportive Housing Services) - $23M in each year.
These services are an essential component of the supportive housing model which is proven to support housing stability for people experiencing chronic homelessness, and fundamental to maintaining our progress to end homelessness for this high need and high cost population.
 
Here is what you can do: Submit Written Testimony or Testify in Person.
2.   Email written testimony to [email protected] and [email protected] by Noon, Thursday, February 28th.
3.   Please inform Sarah Fox and Danielle Hubley know if intend to testify in person by Noon, Thursday, February 28th.

Please email written testimony in Word or PDF format on your organizations letterhead to [email protected] and [email protected] (Template above provides guidelines for format). Written testimony should be limited to matters related to comments related to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services budget. All public hearing testimony, written and spoken, is public information. 
Department of Social Services Hearing
Public Budget Hearing scheduled for
Tuesday, March 5th starting at 4:30 pm
Legislative Office Building, Room 2C
300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford
  
In addition, a major Medicaid initiative including coverage of supportive housing services is included in the Department of Social Services budget. It will develop a Medicaid Supportive Housing benefit for high cost, high need individuals experiencing homelessness. This initiative has been promoted and supported by a number of Reaching Home Campaign partners, and we encourage support at the hearing.

Support the Development of a Medicaid Supportive Housing Benefit.
In 2016, Connecticut was one of eight states selected through a competitive process to participate in the Medicaid-Housing Partnership Innovation Accelerator Program. Through this initiative, technical assistance was provided to help states design ways to support individuals served by Medicaid in accessing and retaining stable housing and meaningfully engaging with their health goals. Under this proposal, a 1915(i) state plan home and community-based services benefit will be developed that will serve up to 850 individuals who experience homelessness and whose average Medicaid costs exceed $40,000 per year. Transition and tenancy-sustaining supports have been found to be effective at achieving housing stability as well as improved health, community integration and life satisfaction. Funding is also included in the Department of Housing to support this effort.

Here is what you can do: Submit Written Testimony or Testify in Person.
2.   Email written testimony to [email protected] and [email protected] by Noon, Monday, March 4th.
3.   Please inform Sarah Fox and Danielle Hubley know if intend to testify in person by Noon, Monday, March 4th.

Please email written testimony in Word or PDF format on your organizations letterhead to [email protected] and [email protected] (Template above provides guidelines for format). Written testimony should be limited to matters related to comments related to the Department of Social Services budget. All public hearing testimony, written and spoken, is public information.
Budget and Appropriations Process Webinar Recording

Click Here to watch webinar. Click Here to view the webinar slides.

In this recording of a webinar originally streamed on January 31, Kate Robinson from Gallo & Robinson, Kiley Gosselin from the Partnership for Strong Communities, and Richard Cho from the CT Coalition to End Homelessness, covers critical information regarding the budget and appropriations process, the Reaching Home CT Legislative Agenda, advocacy strategies, and information regarding the upcoming 2019 Homelessness and Housing Advocacy Days.
Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness
(860) 721-7876 |  [email protected]  |  www.cceh.org