By: Chelsea Ross, Executive Director, Partnership for Strong Communities
The Partnership for Strong Communities and LISC Connecticut, with support from the Connecticut Project, have developed an innovative tool to enhance the accessibility and transparency of affordable housing development resources in Connecticut. This comprehensive ‘Affordable Housing Development Resources’ (AHDR) tool provides an up-to-date source of information on state and federal funding for affordable housing development.
The Partnership completed an initial inventory of housing resources in 2020 after we identified the lack of centralized information as a barrier to increasing housing production and preservation in the state. This initial inventory was limited, and the quickly evolving funding landscape meant that it was quickly out of date. Over the past few years, we have seen big changes in funding programs and how they are administered. The Department of Housing no longer utilizes competitive rounds with strict funding limits to allocate its soft capital. The Department of Economic and Community Development has become an increasingly major player in allocating grant capital through multiple programs including CIF 2030, Connecticut Communities Challenge, and Brownfields Remediation program. The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority has developed the Build for CT program to support affordability in primarily market rate developments and has funded multiple rounds of its Time To Own down payment assistance grants.
Regular outreach from partners and the community with questions on funding programs underscored the need for an updated, user-friendly resource which could consolidate information from different sources, working to achieve a few main goals:
- Increasing transparency: Funding for affordable housing is often fragmented and dispersed across different sources and programs. Resources are allocated through multiple state and quasi-governmental agencies, and leverage funds from nonprofit financial institutions like Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and the Federal Home Loan Bank and state funds awarded by nonprofits (such as those through the Social Equity Council). The AHDR tool can support transparency, efficiency, and easy access to information for organizations, developers, and individuals seeking funding.
- Improving access: Smaller/grassroots organizations often do not have the resources to conduct extensive research on available funding sources. The AHDR tool works to level the playing field by ensuring that smaller organizations and under-resourced communities have equal access to information about available funding opportunities.
- Encouraging utilization and collaboration: Ensuring all partners have access to the same clear information can ideally lead to an increase in funding utilization and increase in pooling resources to address housing affordability issues more effectively.
- Supporting advocacy: Having a clear look at what is actual available can help us and other housing advocates make a stronger case for increased funding or more efficient allocation of resources by demonstrating the available funding streams, gaps in funding, and areas where investments are needed the most.
- Promoting long-term planning: Organizations can better strategize their affordable housing projects when they have a clear picture of the available resources over an extended period and result in more sustainable and impactful solutions.
The AHDR tool was developed through a collaborative process involving data collection, feedback, and iterative refinements. Each fund administrator participated in interviews, subsequent data cleaning and review. Feedback from community development corporations (CDCs) and partners was solicited in advance of the tool being created and on a beta version of the tool.
The AHDR tool includes detailed information on 50+ funding programs from the Connecticut Department of Housing, the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and more.
Users of the AHDR tool can sort programs by program status, type of funding (grants, loans, tax credits, etc.), eligible applicants, program types (acquisition, pre-development, construction, etc.), and other characteristics. Each funding program has a dedicated page with comprehensive details, including funding amounts, target populations, eligibility guidelines, application timelines, and more.
The Partnership and LISC Connecticut will work with partners to ensure the tool remains current and are also hoping to expand it to include additional municipal, federal, and CDFI funding programs.
The AHDR tool is a significant step forward in supporting affordable housing development in Connecticut. We hope the tool provides transparent, accessible, and comprehensive information to effectively navigate the housing funding landscape and drive meaningful change in housing production.
We welcome and appreciate feedback to continually improve the tool and ensure it meets the needs of all users. For more information or to provide feedback, please reach out to info@pschousing.org.