Partnership for Strong Communities

08/28/2026

Meet Partnership intern Christopher Albuquerque Ferreira!

Christopher is pursuing his studies in Psychology and Anthropology/Sociology. This summer, he is researching how accessible rental listings on Zillow are to households using housing vouchers, examining how listing characteristics can shape the inclusion or exclusion of voucher holders in the rental market.

For Christopher, housing is a fundamental human right and a foundation for every aspect of life. Through his research, he hopes to bring greater clarity to the inequities that shape access to housing and help inform policies that create a more fair and accessible rental market.

08/26/2026

Housing costs are rising for Connecticut households, and a new poll offers insight into what voters want the next governor to prioritize.

Nearly 72% of registered voters said their household housing costs increased over the past year, according to a new Sacred Heart University/WFSB/CT Insider poll.

One finding that stands out: just 7.2% of voters said preserving local control over housing development decisions should be the next governor’s top housing priority.

Reducing property taxes and other housing-related costs ranked first at 39.2%, followed by increasing the supply of affordable housing at 18.4%.

As Connecticut heads toward the gubernatorial election, what voters say about housing priorities matters.

Learn more: https://heyor.ca/f5i7r2

A new Sacred Heart University poll finds housing affordability is a major concern for Connecticut voters, with most reporting rising costs.

08/25/2026

Who is supportive housing for? The answer is broader than you might think.

At our upcoming iForum, Homes That Heal: The Impact of Supportive Housing, we’ll explore the wide range of supportive housing programs across Connecticut and the many populations they serve.

Join moderator Chelsea Ross and panelists:
> Steve DiLella, CT Department of Housing
> Amber Freeman, Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness
> Phylicia Adams, Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments
for “Supportive Housing: Who Is It For?” The conversation will highlight different supportive housing models, the people they serve, and the role these programs play in creating stability.

📅 Monday, September 14, 2026
📍 Behan Community Room, Hubert Campus Center, Albertus Magnus College, New Haven, CT
*Enter at Gate 4 on 80 Goodrich Street for free on-site parking

Register for Homes That Heal: https://heyor.ca/gBlptG

08/21/2026

Over the last decade, the price of starter homes in Connecticut rose nearly three times faster than household income, according to reporting from CT Insider.

What makes a “starter home” a starter home?

The Partnership's Senior Strategic Initiatives Manager Kayla Giordano explains how the term is commonly defined, and why Connecticut’s limited supply of smaller homes is making it harder for buyers to find an affordable place to start.

Learn more: https://heyor.ca/a56PWt

Connecticut’s median starter home price has climbed as buyers contend with a limited supply of smaller, more affordable houses.

08/20/2026

A new analysis of rental availability in the Greater Hartford area shows that having rental assistance does not always mean having meaningful housing options.

Of 421 rental listings analyzed, 242 met the Maximum Allowable Rent (MAR) standard used for Connecticut’s Rental Assistance Program, while just 100 met the stricter FMR standard used for Section 8.

And affordability goes beyond monthly rent. The average rent among qualifying listings was $1,931, while the average security deposit was $1,892, creating another significant barrier to accessing a home. Availability also varied widely by community, with higher-cost towns offering far fewer units that met payment standards.

The findings show that affordability is shaped not only by rent, but also by location, upfront costs, and the availability of homes that meet assistance program standards. When those factors don’t align, renters using assistance may have fewer choices about where they can live.

Read the full report: https://heyor.ca/IixIcR

08/17/2026

What can Connecticut’s history with supportive housing teach us about where we go next?

Join us for Supportive Housing in CT: Past, Present, and Future, a conversation with leaders from across the field about how supportive housing has evolved, where we are today, and what it will take to build a stronger future.

Moderated by Alicia Woodsby of Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc., the panel will feature
> Terry Nash Giovannucci, Connecticut Housing Finance Authority
> Arlevia Samuel, City of New Haven
> Kara Capone, Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation
> Richard Cho, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

The panel is part of Homes That Heal: The Impact of Supportive Housing, our upcoming iForum, which will also feature the release of our new report, Homes That Heal: The State of Supportive Housing in Connecticut.

📅 Monday, September 14, 2026
📍 Behan Community Room, Hubert Campus Center, Albertus Magnus College, New Haven, CT
*Enter at Gate 4 on 80 Goodrich Street for free on-site parking

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/homes-that-heal-the-impact-of-supportive-housing-tickets-1995954314083?aff=oddtdtcreator

08/13/2026

What if our housing system was never actually designed to house everyone?

That’s one of the questions at the heart of Jamie Madden’s work, and one we’re excited to explore with him as our 2026 Connecticut Affordable Housing Conference keynote speaker.

In a recent Shelterforce article, Jamie writes about what he discovered while researching his book, Bittersweet Lane: Creating Home(s) in the American Affordable Housing Crisis:

“Our system has never sought to house everyone. Quite the opposite.”

He goes on to ask a deceptively simple question: What fixes homelessness? Homes. What would solve our housing crisis? Housing.

Jamie brings a perspective shaped by years of work in affordable housing development, public policy, and real estate finance. His keynote will challenge us to think beyond the systems we have and toward what it would actually take to create housing for everyone.

📅 November 17–18, 2026
📍 Connecticut Affordable Housing Conference

Read Jamie’s full article in Shelterforce and join us this November for a conversation about where we go from here.
https://shelterforce.org/2026/01/16/our-housing-system-assumes-homelessness/

08/12/2026

What does “affordable” actually mean when rents keep rising?

The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Out of Reach 2026 report illustrates the growing gap between what renters can afford and the cost of housing across the country.

For a household relying on Supplemental Security Income, an affordable rent is just $298/month. For a full-time worker earning the federal minimum wage, it’s $377/month. Meanwhile, the 2026 national average Fair Market Rent is $1,518 for a one-bedroom and $1,806 for a two-bedroom.

These numbers highlight a challenge communities across the country are facing: housing costs are far outpacing what many households can afford.

📊 Source: , Out of Reach 2026
https://nlihc.org/oor