Danielle Hubley, Advocacy & Education Manager, Partnership for Strong Communities
Connecticut’s Rental Assistance Program (RAP) bases its payment standards on the Maximum Allowable Rent (MAR) published by the Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH). The payment standards for Section 8 (the federal rental assistance program) are based on Fair Market Rent (FMR) published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). To spend no more than 30% of their income on housing, a full-time worker making minimum wage in Connecticut would only be able to afford an apartment priced at $944 per month OR work 70 hours per week to afford a standard one-bedroom apartment at the Fair Market rent of $1,491. With the cost of available rental housing continuing to increase each year alongside the increased cost of living for other basic needs (like childcare, healthcare, groceries, fuel/oil, energy bills, etc.) even families who are able to access a voucher from state and federal programs often still have a difficult time finding a place to live that is actually affordable to them.
On April 10th, 2026, the Partnership hosted students from Yale University, Western Connecticut State University, and Trinity College to share their preliminary research findings on rental payment standards across different regions of Connecticut. The Partnership strongly supports expanding the reach and accessibility of Rental Assistance Programs to support people in affording their homes and remaining stably housed. An element of that work has been centered around understanding how many rental homes are available that meet the payment standards for federal and state rental assistance programs. The general rule around determining housing affordability is that households are not spending more than 30% of their annual income on their home.
And this is at the root of why the Partnership uplifted this research from partners at college and university campuses. By engaging in collaborative research projects with students from our neighboring universities we better position ourselves to share up-to-date and relevant information with Connecticut residents and lawmakers about the realities and experiences people are having in their communities when it comes to accessing an affordable home, and can be used to leverage real change that allows more people to access housing that is affordable to them.
To view the event recording and presenter slides on the Partnership’s YouTube channel, click here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR PRESNTERS:
Mingyu Zhang, Yale University
One of the biggest takeaways from the webinar was hearing how strongly the audience and other presenters emphasized the gap between policy standards on paper and what renters actually face in the market. The discussion reinforced that affordability is not just about monthly rent, but also about utility costs, upfront deposits, fees, and whether households can realistically find units in the communities where they want to live. It was also helpful to hear broader reflections on how limited housing selection, incomplete listing information, and neighborhood-level differences can shape access even when payment standards appear adequate. Overall, the webinar helped place my findings in a larger context by showing that these challenges are not isolated to one dataset but reflect a broader concern about how we define and measure real housing access.
Christopher Ferreira, Western Connecticut State University
“Housing affordability is at an all-time crisis in the state of Connecticut and around the country due to severe undersupply, increased demand from migratory practices, and extreme income inequality. This triggers a ripple effect causing greater disparity in rental access, providing institutional investors with disproportionate power, enforcing the cycle of coercion and displacement and amplifying our continuing accessibility concerns. My research is not just about cost but true access to available housing. By analyzing Danbury, Bethel, and Ridgefield Connecticut rental markets, I discovered while housing appears to be more affordable, there are often very few available units that are accessible. Specifically in higher income towns, while these towns may be more affluent ,the limited availability of affordable housing for those of lower income limits their access that can be covered by housing assistant programs .My hope with these findings is to inform advocates, community members, and policymakers so they may use the data to make housing more affordable and truly accessible so people can actually live in the communities they desire.”
Karina Thorpe, Trinity College
“A key takeaway from this preliminary research is the lack of transparency in the housing market. Inconsistent information and hidden fees make it challenging for any renter, let alone one who relies on housing assistance, to know the true cost of their housing. Likewise, a lack of clarity around requirements like pets, smoking, or credit score can make it challenging for rents to determine their eligibility. This presents an opportunity for housing advocates and community members to push for greater transparency in housing listings, making it easier for renters to determine affordability and eligibility from the start.”
Matthew Russel, Trinity College
“My main takeaway from this project was actually a byproduct of it. The amount of information that we searched for that came back as “not listed” shocked me. If I were to have a follow up study, I would love to research how many important factors are not listed. Factors like security deposit, pet rental, expected utility cost, and other upfront costs were unavailable or inconsistent. My hope is that transparency can be improved in the Connecticut rental process.”
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