The state will spend another $20 million to help those struggling to pay their rent.
Jacqueline Rabe Thomas
Jacqueline was CT Mirror’s Education and Housing Reporter, and an original member of the CT Mirror staff, joining shortly before our January 2010 launch. Her awards include the best-of-show Theodore A. Driscoll Investigative Award from the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists in 2019 for reporting on inadequate inmate health care, first-place for investigative reporting from the New England Newspaper and Press Association in 2020 for reporting on housing segregation, and two first-place awards from the National Education Writers Association in 2012. She was selected for a prestigious, year-long Propublica Local Reporting Network grant in 2019, exploring a range of affordable and low-income housing issues. Before joining CT Mirror, Jacqueline was a reporter, online editor and website developer for The Washington Post Co.’s Maryland newspaper chains. Jacqueline received an undergraduate degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University and a master’s in public policy from Trinity College.
Posted inNews
UConn asks for $104 million bailout; considering layoffs, hospital borrows $45 million to stay afloat
UConn Health reports a $76.9 shortfall, the university a $28 million budget hole.
Posted inMoney
CT’s rental assistance program gets overhaul to clear logjam
The state plans to quadruple the number of people processing applications and reduce the amount of required paperwork.
Posted inEconomic Development
Civil rights attorneys take aim at single-family zoning using Woodbridge as test case
A group of prominent civil rights attorneys is attempting to dismantle a statewide system of exclusionary zoning regulations.
Posted inMoney
Six months into pandemic, just two families have received aid from state’s rental assistance program
With too-few counselors to handle 7,400 applications and a burdensome process, little progress has been made getting people their money.
Posted inEducation
School funding falls far short of leveling the playing field for CT students
To address these disparities, studies show, Connecticut needs to spend an additional $338 million to $1.7 billion more a year.
Posted inEducation
With majority of schools online, state begins delivering computers and Wi-Fi to needy students
The state announced Tuesday that 20,000 of the 81,000 students who need a laptop for classes will receive one soon.
Posted inEducation
The state has left school closing and reopening decisions to districts. That could be a problem.
Advocates worry the state’s hands-off approach could harm Connecticut’s most vulnerable students, who struggle to learn remotely.
Posted inGovernment
Covid-19 left hundreds of foster kids in limbo due to backlog of cases
Hundreds of foster children have been waiting months for court hearings that were suspended because of the pandemic.
Posted inHealth
To be determined: COVID-19 counts following Labor Day weekend and schools reopening
Connecticut’s infection rate remains under 1% but governor isn’t ready to reopen bars.
Posted inMoney
Thousands wait months for unemployment compensation during COVID
The wait for an unemployment hearing is 10 weeks, seven weeks longer than before COVID-19 hit the state.
Posted inEducation
As some teachers opt to stay home, educators find ways to keep schools open
Districts are using a variety of techniques to staff their classrooms and accommodate teachers at risk of infection.
Posted inEducation
With limited mental health staff, Waterbury calls the police on school children under 12
Child Advocate calls for legislation prohibiting use of school resource officers, the arrest of children under 12, and other reforms.
Posted inEducation
State adjusts how much aid it will send school districts
The state said some districts don’t need as much extra funding for transportation or cleaning supplies if they aren’t opening.
Posted inHousing
State’s COVID rental assistance program is likely running out of funds
As of this week, 5,800 households have qualified rental aid meant to serve 5,000.
