01/12/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/12/2024 10:14
01/12/2024
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is establishing a panel of agency heads within his administration that will be known as the Connecticut Interagency Council on Homelessness and will be responsible for collaborating on a multi-agency approach that strengthen the state's homelessness prevention and response efforts.
The council will consist of leaders of state agencies that are responsible for housing and intervention support services. It will build upon existing efforts already undertaken by several state agencies, including the Department of Housing, the Department of Social Services, and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
"Everyone should have access to a safe, warm place to call home," Governor Lamont said. "State and local governments, along with our nonprofit partners, need the resources available to them to ensure that fewer people face the possibility of becoming homeless. Between building new housing units, addressing mental health issues, improving access to education and health care, and increasing job support, this issue must be addressed in a holistic manner."
The governor is tasking the group with focusing its work on three main goals:
Governor Lamont is appointing Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno to serve as the council's chairperson. Leaders from the following offices will serve as members:
Additionally, leaders from the following offices will serve as ad hoc members:
Governor Lamont is specifically asking the council's members to uplift the voices of those closest to the issue of homelessness and consider the personal experiences and recommendations of those facing barriers to housing across the state. Additionally, he is asking the council to establish an advisory committee for practitioners and advocates to provide ongoing feedback to state agencies.
Staff from the Office of the Governor will work with legislators in the Connecticut General Assembly on behalf of the council to ensure that the state's latest challenges and opportunities are understood and addressed in a coordinated and collaborative manner.
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