Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

New partnership makes housing domestic violence victims easier

  • Housing
  • by CTMirror Contributor
  • June 15, 2018
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Gov. Dannel Malloy and leaders of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violance and the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.

A new partnership between two state advocacy groups is enabling the state to provide more housing for the victims of domestic violence than either organization could alone, they and state officials say.

The collaborative efforts between the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness maximizes protection and stability for the state’s domestic violence survivors, according to CCADV Chief Executive Officer Karen Jarmoc. 

“There is no question that the intersection between domestic violence and homelessness is in existence in a very strong way,” Jarmoc said. “We know that domestic violence can often be a primary source of housing insecurity for so many survivors and their families.”  

Jarmoc said the newfound relationship between the advocacy groups has enabled the organizations to “house families that are living in domestic violence shelters in ways that we have never seen before.”

The partnership was launched in response to a massive overcrowding problem that persisted in domestic violence shelters statewide, which were consistently functioning at 125 percent capacity. The issue, advocacy leaders said, was rooted in a housing shortage for survivors as well as conflicting state and federal policy mandates on how individuals should access housing.   

To address the housing conflicts, the organizations adopted a system that ensures the confidentiality of survivors while allowing them to register for housing through the state’s Housing Management Information System. The system differs from the federal Housing of Urban Development’s registry program, which requires victims to identify themselves in order to request housing.

Lisa Tepper Bates

“We are able to serve more people in need than either of our organizations could do alone,” said Chief Executive Officer of the CCEH Lisa Tepper Bates.

Since its adoption in January 2017, the system has housed or begun the process of housing 28 single adults and 45 families affected by domestic violence, totaling 73 households.  

The collaborative model has garnered national attention from HUD and a variety of state and federal housing coalitions. 

“There is a consortium of federal technical assistance providers funded through HUD who been reaching out to us for guidance,” Jarmoc said. “I can’t underscore enough how important the work has been for Connecticut, but it’s now going across the country in terms of how other states can work together.”

The program’s success coincides with Connecticut’s increased focus on housing development throughout the last seven years, according to Gov. Dannel Malloy.

“This work was made possible because over last couple of years we have added thousands of units of housing,” Malloy said at a press conference Thursday. “We took some of that housing to end chronic homelessness among veterans, homelessness among veterans, and now ……we are working especially hard on providing housing for domestic violence survivors.”  

With federal funding for affordable housing waning, Connecticut has allocated a great deal of state resources to address housing shortages, officials say. The state relied largely on funding from the state Department of Housing  as well as other departments to spur development, resulting in a 24 percent decrease in homelessness since 2007.

“Despite difficult financial times, this administration has been committed to making sure that housing resources are available to everybody and we are doing everything we can to combat homelessness,” said Sen. Mae Flexer, D-Danielson.  

In addition, Flexer said, the state has been “very focused on improving our policies with regard to domestic violence.”

The Malloy administration has endorsed a number of efforts within the past year to increase protection for domestic violence survivors, including removing firearms from anyone who becomes subject to a restraining order,  strengthening the state’s anti-violence and anti-stalking laws, and signing legislation that will equip law enforcement with training to identify primary aggressors.

The efforts, Malloy said, provide a stark contrast to the federal government’s recent approach to domestic violence cases.  

On Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered immigration judges to stop granting asylum to most immigrant victims of domestic violence. The order marks a shift from the Obama administration’s treatment of domestically abused immigrants, which traditionally protected survivors crossing the border from Central America.

“They’re doing that in Washington and we’re doing this in Connecticut,” Malloy said.

The joint partnership between two of the state’s largest advocacy groups for housing and domestic violence protection will maximize the organization’s joint resources and continue building on Connecticut’s efforts in regard to domestic violence and housing development, Tepper Bates said.

“Service providers in Connecticut really can provide more value when we decide to come together and think in new and collaborative ways about how to make more of the existing resources we have.”

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CTMirror Contributor

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Few tenants facing eviction have an attorney. Top lawmakers are poised to change that.
by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas

Legislation that would provide tenants facing eviction the "right to counsel" is a top priority for legislative leaders.

As Biden promises to tackle housing discrimination, HUD scrutinizes Connecticut’s laws
by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas

Housing legislation was the subject of a public hearing on Thursday.

Data suggests dozens of towns are violating CT Supreme Court decision on exclusionary zoning
by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas

The study by Desegregate CT was released as lawmakers, who are divided over zoning reforms, prepare to tackle the issue.

Renters facing eviction to get a reprieve from the state, and from the federal stimulus
by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas

Stimulus money plus an extension of the eviction moratorium are welcome news for renters facing eviction.

An eviction tsunami is on the horizon, and with it comes more COVID cases
by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas

The exemptions to the moratorium add up to the state’s eviction machine churning at about one-third the pre-pandemic rate.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion The Board of Regents’ changes must not shortchange its students or faculty
by Carrie Andreoletti, PhD

As a university professor and a lifespan developmental psychologist, I tend to approach my work from a developmental perspective. This means I aim to foster a lifelong love of learning and to help others find a sense of meaning and purpose, as well as confidence in their ability to reach their goals. My approach to higher education is shaped by my desire to provide the best possible education for my students. This is why the recent Board of Regents’ proposed changes at the four state universities have me worried.

Opinion How to close schooling opportunity gaps created by the pandemic
by Carol Gale

We ask school district leaders to trust your public servants whose daily work life involves assessing student needs and planning or modifying instruction to meet those needs. Listen to their voices, as we have, and allocate precious resources on interventions that will offer increased opportunities for Hartford students to succeed.

Opinion A new guide for schools: How to work with families this spring
by Michael Arrington and Erika Haynes

With months of remote and hybrid learning to go, families and educators continue to adapt and innovate to meet the moment. Since August, we’ve spoken with hundreds of parents, caregivers, family support groups, educators, and students across Connecticut and the country about things things that have worked --strategies, big and small, that have made this time more manageable and helped children learn and stay connected with peers.

Opinion Housing is a human right
by Tenaya Taylor

Nonprofit Accountability Group is a queer- and trans-led group based in Hartford that is dedicated to creating racial equity by directing resources to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and disabled children and families. NAG was founded in 2020 as an organization with a transformative approach to implementing nonprofit accountability by creating relationships within the community, nonprofits, and their funders.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO