Topics: Take Action!  |  State Advocacy  |  Federal Advocacy  |  Advocacy Tips

How can I help?

• Sign up for the Campaign Update. This bi-weekly update provides you with advocacy opportunities, policy updates, supportive housing news and events.
  
  
•  Contact Governor Rell, state elected officials, federal legislators and their staff to let them know you want to help end homelessness by creating more supportive housing. 

Contact information for state legislators and Governor Rell

Contact information for federal legislators and key housing staff

• Learn about how to be an advocate by reading our Advocacy Tips. Also, check out our "How You Can Advocate for Supportive Housing" fact sheet.
  
  
• Write letters to the editor that support additional funding for permanent supportive housing and explain the need for continuing creating of supportive housing.
  
  
• Invite a speaker to make a presentation on the success of supportive housing to your faith community, civic group, or other organization you belong to. Contact Kate Kelly, Reaching Home Campaign Manager, at 860-244-0066 or  .
  
  
• Support local nonprofits that provide permanent supportive housing. See a list of supportive housing service providers here. Or, you can search for supportive housing sites in the Connecticut and Rhode Island Supportive Housing Directory.
  
  
• Join over 100 organizations that have signed on as supporters of the Reaching Home Campaign. You can sign on as an organization or as an individual.
  
  
• Learn more about supportive housing and the Reaching Home Campaign by reading fact sheets and more on our Resources page. You can start by looking at some of our fact sheets below!

- How Supportive Housing Works 
- Supportive Housing Throughout Connecticut's Communities 
- Connecticut Towns with Supportive Housing (map) 
- Supportive Housing Costs Less Than Alternative Forms of Care (chart) 
- Supportive Housing Is Critical for Low-Income Persons with Mental Illness & Disabilities 
- Supportive Housing is Needed to Serve Connecticut's Veterans 

Who benefits from permanent supportive housing?

Families and individuals who are able to live in the community with affordable housing and support services to help them manage their disabilities such as psychiatric disabilities, chemical addictions, and/or HIV/AIDS. 

Connecticut’s cities and regions are implementing Ten Year Plans to End Homelessness that include hundreds of supportive housing units as a solution – supportive housing results in improved quality of life and stronger communities.

The State of Connecticut realizes cost savings by avoiding high cost institutionalization and emergency care. Neighborhoods in cities where supportive housing exists have experienced increased property values as a result of the investments made in supportive housing.

Why are there two approaches used for creating permanent supportive housing?

The State of Connecticut has funded three state initiatives to create supportive housing in Connecticut. Click here to read more about the state initiatives. The two more recent initiatives have included funding for both "site based developed" and "scattered site "supportive housing:

• Site based development supportive housing - One way to create supportive housing is through increasing the supply of housing through new development or rehabilitation of existing housing. In this case, funding for capital costs to create the physical structure is needed, in addition to the rent subsidies for tenants and funding for services.
  
  
• Scattered site supportive housing - Another way supportive housing is created is through using housing that already exists in neighborhoods and linking it to supportive services. This is called a scattered site model.  Since the apartments are already built, the only funding necessary is for tenants’ rent subsides and services funding.

The State’s initiatives have made significant progress towards Reaching Home’s goal of ending homelessness because they enable the funding for services and construction costs (if needed) to be effectively packaged together.

Does it really make a difference for me to contact elected officials?

Yes! Connecticut state representatives and senators do pay attention when their constituents communicate with them. You can help.

How can I learn more?

The Reaching Home Campaign can provide you with materials which will help you learn more about our advocacy goals and communicate with legislators about the importance of funding new units of supportive housing. Please check out our fact sheets and more on our Resources page.