Connecticut's General Assembly is considering legislation to establish fair and equitable housing opportunities.

Senate Bill 4 aims to establish a winter eviction moratorium, making it illegal to evict anyone from December through March.

Last year saw more than 21,000 evictions in the state, according to the Connecticut Fair Housing Coalition. Record high inflation has driven rent increases, although renters' advocates say some landlords are taking advantage of the situation.

Quanishe Flippen, community organizer for the Connecticut Citizen Action Group, said the bill would also create a complaint form for tenants to fill out if they think landlords are violating the law.

"Apartments that haven't been updated or apartments that have issues, or there may be a violation or something like that; these landlords -- sometimes these slumlords -- don't go and fix these issues," Flippen asserted. "But now, they'll be held accountable, because if we have that portal where we can mention to someone, and they can hold them accountable, then I'm sure that'll help these issues get fixed."

The bill got mixed support at a public hearing, with some residents and property owners opposing it. Some feel the bill protects tenants but not landlords, while others feel it limits property owners' control, especially in terms of evictions. The bill has been filed with the Legislative Commissioners' Office.

A renter herself, Flippen noted it is not easy to get an apartment in Connecticut, with prospective renters having to, as she puts it, "jump through burning hoops." She added some landlords ask for too much money up front, which can deter people from signing a lease.

"It's almost insane to me, because they're basically expecting people to make at least three times the rent, and a lot of times these apartments are at least $1,500 to $1,700," Flippen pointed out. "The average person in Connecticut doesn't make that much."

The most recent Census Bureau figure for per capita income is almost $48,000. But the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates housing should cost no more than one-third of a person's income.

With studio apartments in some areas renting for as much as $1,400, a person would exceed HUD's housing-cost estimate by several hundred dollars.


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As the U.S. navigates a prolonged housing crisis, a North Dakota organization is highlighting data
showing significant homeownership disparities. According to the High Plains Fair Housing Center, North Dakota has the largest racial gap in the nation when it comes to owning a home. The state's gap is more than 20% higher than the U.S. average.

Jade Eagle, fair housing specialist with High Plains Fair Housing Center, said families of color were more likely than white families to have their applications denied or withdrawn. Both groups had common factors, but a lack of sufficient employment was higher for racial groups. She added there needs to be more job opportunities for these individuals.

"And I believe that lenders also need to be willing to work with people who have less traditional employment history, such as people who work for Uber, who have gig economy-type setups," she explained.

As for those submitting mortgage applications, the report says there are some eye-opening numbers, such as Native Americans accounting for just 1% of lending requests. That is despite the fact that they represent more than 5% of the state's population. Census Bureau data, covering last year, was a key source for much of the findings.

Eagle said there are some key assistance programs that can help close these gaps, but added awareness can be an issue.

"Especially the Section 184 program from HUD - I think that that is a huge game changer, potentially for Native families," she continued. "And I just feel like not many people know about it."

The HUD program she is referring to provides low down-payment requirements and flexible financing for American Indian and Alaska Native families. Other leaders with the Center say these programs, and those assigned to carry them out, often have to balance using their limited budgets to advertise the aid and securing enough resources to assist applicants.

High rent prices are draining the budgets of many Nebraska renters, who are paying between 30% and 50% of their income on rent.

In some parts of the state, this affects nearly half of renters - and evictions are on the rise. The first six months of 2023 saw almost 1,400 more eviction cases than at the same time in 2022.

Scott Mertz, director of the housing unit at Legal Aid of Nebraska, said tenants with financial difficulties and facing eviction will usually qualify for their services. He said they're often able to get people a "better outcome," which may allow them to stay in place.

"If that's not achievable," he said, "the next stage is a combination of how much time we can help somebody get to get somewhere else and avoid that court order - that judgment being on their record."

Mertz stressed that an eviction stays on a person's record for decades, which can limit future rental opportunities and lead to job loss, health problems and even homelessness. As of this week, Nebraska Investment Financing Authority has begun accepting applications for rental and utility assistance from people in a large part of the state.

NIFA Executive Director Shannon Harner said $48 million of COVID-related Emergency Rental Assistance Funds is available for people outside the Omaha and Lincoln areas, which received their ERA funds earlier. She said the money is to help stabilize households that are struggling to afford rent and utilities.

"In that application, they can apply for past-due rent, and up to three months of future rent," she said. "There are priority households that may be able to come back and request yet additional assistance beyond that, and those qualifications are at Nebraskarenthelp.org.

Information is also available through the NIFA call center at 844-429-6575.

Mertz said renters facing eviction need to know their rights, which includes how much notice they're entitled to.

"If you're in public housing; if you have your rent subsidized - typically what's called Section 8 - you should get 30 days," he said. "But also, in properties who are getting a federal benefit because their financing comes through federal programs, individuals should get the 30-day notice."

Nebraska law only requires that landlords give renters seven days' notice. Mertz said people at risk of eviction should call Legal Aid of Nebraska as early in the process as possible, to find out about their rights and whether they qualify for representation. The Statewide Accessline is 1-877-250-2016.


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A lack of housing options, mental-health challenges and a lack of connections and support have combined to drive an uptick in the number of foster youth facing homelessness in Louisville.

According to a new Kentucky Youth Advocates report, more than half of survey respondents experienced homelessness while waiting on an apartment or stable housing to become available.

Tatum Heath, 22, a foster-care alumni advocate with Kentucky's True Up Peer Network, explained that many young people are navigating a lifetime of trauma, which can make securing housing more difficult once they're no longer in the care of the state.

"It's hard for us to feel motivated when we haven't really ever felt that encouragement from family," Heath said. "A lot of us don't really have a mentor or a trusted adult to look up to for that motivation."

Former foster youths can wait up to six months for housing that will accept Section 8 vouchers. According to the report, slow processing of assistance payments for deposits and a lack of safe shelter options are contributing to more young people living on the street.

Foster-care alumni advocate Damareus Jackson-Martin now lives in his own apartment, but said the process wasn't easy "because that's usually what the difficulty is, they're just in fear of asking for help. So now they're struggling, more than they have to, when there's somebody who's out there willing to do the job."

Cynthia Schepers, a peer coach coordinator with Kentucky Youth Advocates, said resources are available to help navigate housing and other basic needs - but amid the pressures of adulthood, many former foster youths aren't aware of resources or don't seek them out.

"We need everybody in our community to reach out and find young adults who are disconnected from services," Schepers said, "and show them what options they have, because there is no 'one-size-fits-all' solution."

The report called for the state to ensure housing options for at least one year after youths leave foster care, encourage community drop-in centers to extend hours of operation, and create a 24-hour crisis hotline for foster alumni, among other solutions.