Category: State News

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced that with the state’s significantly increased housing efforts over the last few years and focused strategies to end homelessness, the State of Connecticut has reached new record levels and is able to connect every chronically homeless person in the state with permanent housing.  Connecticut’s efforts on this front are leading the nation in bringing chronic homelessness to new lows.

 

This announcement means that the state, in collaboration with its network of nonprofit community providers, has strengthened its housing system to the point that every person who has been verified as being chronically homeless has been matched to permanent housing, and whenever a new episode of chronic homelessness occurs, that person can be matched to housing within 90 days or less.

 

“The State of Connecticut has established a system where we can quickly identify and rapidly place chronically homeless individuals into permanent housing with the support services they need to maintain stability, thanks to the work of our relevant state agencies operating in collaboration with our network of nonprofit community providers,” Governor Malloy said.  “Stable, secure housing is not only a basic human need, but also creates stronger and safer communities where families can thrive, and economic development and job growth can flourish.  As many studies have shown, every dollar spent on affordable housing generates multiple times that amount in private economic activity again.  Housing is a key component in our success to make Connecticut a robust and more competitive state, and reaching this level is a positive development in these efforts.”

 

The Governor today joined Connecticut Department of Housing Commissioner Evonne Klein, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, and groups of housing advocates and local housing providers at an event in Meriden to highlight the milestone.

 

“With this announcement, Connecticut has reached another critical benchmark in our efforts to end homelessness,” Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said.  “That every person experiencing chronic homelessness now has housing means that they also have the supports in place to guard against future homelessness.  I applaud Governor Malloy, Commissioner Klein, Commissioner Delphin-Rittmon, and all of our partners on this success.  I’m proud to live in a state whose leadership understands this economic – and moral – obligation to our citizens.”

 

“What we’ve accomplished in Connecticut is historic,” Commissioner Klein said.  “Our collaborative efforts among governmental entities, nonprofit providers, and the private sector is unprecedented.  We are fortunate to have such a strong network of housing providers in Connecticut who have made it their mission to match every person experiencing chronic homelessness to housing.  This coordinated response is the reason why we are national leaders in this effort and I applaud the work of each and every one of these hard working men and women.”

 

“It is thanks to the hard work and dedication of our providers on the ground that all of this is possible.  Their ability to work with people and connect them with the appropriate housing and supports is not only what gets people housed, but helps keep them in their homes,” Commissioner Delphin-Rittmon said.  “By connecting people to services and supports in their communities, they are giving people the tools they need so they can live successfully in the community of their choice and progress in their recovery.”

 

Chronic homelessness is defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as someone who has been homeless for more than a year, has had at least four separate episodes of homelessness in the past three years that add up to a year, and has a disability.  It is one of the most visible and costly forms of homelessness.  These individuals tend to cycle in and out of expensive public systems such as emergency rooms, hospitals, and correctional institutions.

 

Studies have shown that towns and cities can save up to 70 percent of these associated costs by addressing chronic homelessness.  Data from UConn has shown that the average annual cost to the state for an individual experiencing homelessness is more than $33,000.  Likewise, that annual cost grows to over $122,000 for a family experiencing homelessness.  Thus, the Governor explained that these techniques to prevent and end homelessness are saving the state money.

 

Over the last several years, the state has focused on boosting its homelessness response system through vastly improved data collection and analysis, streamlined referral protocols, coordinated outreach, reformed housing assistance programming, and targeted resources.  The state has become a national leader in the area of preventing and ending homelessness.  In recent years, Connecticut became:

 

• The first state in the nation certified by the federal government as ending chronic homelessness among veterans (August 2015); and
• The second state in the nation certified by the federal government as effectively end homelessness among all veterans (February 2016).

 

Since 2011, together with the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the state has created 9,037 affordable housing units with an additional 2,943 currently under construction, and funding commitments are in place to create another 5,200 affordable units.  During that same time, the state’s investment in affordable housing has totaled over $1 billion.  This investment, coupled with contributions from the private sector, amounts to over $3.5 billion of economic activity generated in the housing sector in just the past six years.

(Press Release)

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Tuesday that Isha Dalal, a student at Trumbull High School, and Emily Sullivan, a student at Simsbury High School, have been selected as delegates to the 55^th annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) – a week-long opportunity for selected high school students who are interested in pursuing careers in public service to learn about the U.S. Government’s processes and leaders. Isha and Emily were chosen to join 102 other student delegates from across the country to attend this year’s USSYP in Washington, D.C., from March 4^th through 11^th, 2017.

 

“Congrats to Isha and Emily on this achievement,” said Blumenthal and Murphy. “Isha and Emily will learn firsthand about the inner workings of our federal government—helping to further their goals to work in public service to improve the lives of youth in Connecticut and nationwide. We’re excited to have them in D.C., and we wish them the best of luck.”

 

In Washington, the student delegates will attend meetings and briefings with senators, representatives, and Congressional staff; a Justice of the Supreme Court; leaders of cabinet agencies; and other senior members of the administration and the national media. The students will also tour many of the national monuments and several museums.

 

Transportation and all expenses for the week in Washington are provided by The Hearst Foundations. Additionally, The Hearst Foundations will provide each student with a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship with encouragement to continue coursework in government, history and public affairs.

(Press Release)

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#HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy and the members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation today announced that the State of Connecticut is receiving a $6.6 million federal grant to help support the state’s goal of ending youth homelessness by 2020.

 

The award, which comes from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) YouthHomelessness Demonstration Program, will be utilized to create new and innovative housing with support service programs to serve youth experiencing homelessness.  Connecticut was one of only ten communities in the country selected by HUD to receive this award out of over 130 applicants.  The state received the largest allocation of any grantee under this program.

 

“Our unprecedented efforts to ensure housing for our most vulnerable populations include youths, who are at a particularly sensitive time in their lives when every choice they make may determine their future,” Governor Malloy said.  “Ensuring housing for youths is a proactive step to ensure that our younger generations can lead productive, successful lives and become active members of our communities and our economy.”

 

“No child should ever be without a home.  For youth experiencing homelessness, helping them often means more than just putting a roof over their head – it means addressing the full array of needs and challenges that each child is facing,” the members of the Congressional delegation said in a joint statement.  “This major federal award – the largest of only ten nationwide – is an endorsement of the critically important work Connecticut is doing to end youth homelessness and ensure all children have the support and services they need to thrive.  We will continue to work with the state, advocates and agencies to ensure Connecticut receives the federal support it needs to meet its goal to end youth homelessness by 2020.”

 

The state has already been making progress toward its goal of eliminating youth homelessness.  In November, Governor Malloy announced a new supportive housing funding round for homeless youth, and in December he unveiled a new toolkit for students and faculty that raises awareness of youth homelessnessand provides guidance on available resources.

 

Towards the end of January, the state will be undertaking its second statewide census of youth homelessness, known as the 2017 Youth Count, which will be conducted in conjunction with the Point in Time Count, an annual survey of homelessness across the state during which volunteers from all cities and towns go out into the community to find homeless men and women.  The data will be used in community planning efforts to build a support system to help the state reach its goals of ending youth homelessness.  Unaccompanied youths under the age of 25 are considered youths experiencing homelessness.  In 2015, more than 3,000 youths experiencing housing instability in the state were identified.

 

Connecticut residents interested in volunteering for the 2017 Youth Count can sign up on the website of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.

 

“Under Governor Malloy, Connecticut has repeatedly been recognized as a national leader for its efforts to prevent and end homelessness,” Connecticut Department of Housing Commissioner Evonne Klein said.  “Through strong partnerships with governmental and non-governmental organizations, we will continue our success and achieve an effective end to youth homelessness by 2020.  I thank HUD for their confidence in Connecticut to serve as a national model through this new initiative.  We want to provide our vulnerable youth with the stability and security needed to succeed.”

 

“Young adulthood is a unique and challenging developmental period.  When coupled with homelessness, young adults are increasingly vulnerable to being derailed from achieving the normative developmental milestones of this important life stage.  Our agency serves approximately 16,000 young persons who face many of these obstacles and has an established history of successful work with this population,” Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Commissioner Delphin-Rittmon said.  “We are proud to partner with our sister state agencies, as well as HUD and community service providers, in our efforts to endhomelessness among the young adult population by 2020.  We are grateful for the funding that has been awarded to Connecticut and look forward to this timely and exciting new initiative.”

 

“Connecticut has proven itself a national leader in its efforts to end homelessness,” Suzanne Piacentini, HUD Connecticut Field Office Director, said.  “We are excited to see the innovative work that this funding will support by the state and its partners to ensure that all homeless youth have a safe place to call home.”

 

“Being chosen for the HUD Youth Homelessness Demonstration will greatly accelerate our ability to meet our goal of preventing and ending homelessness among youth in Connecticut by the end of 2020,” Alicia Woodsby, Executive Director of the Partnership for Strong Communities, said.  “It’s a testament to our statewide approach, strong team of partners, and years of coordination and collaboration that have laid the groundwork for creating a coordinated community response system for runaway and unaccompanied youth.”

 

Yesterday, Governor Malloy announced that with the state’s unprecedented housing efforts over the last several years, the State of Connecticut reached new record levels and is able to connect every chronicallyhomeless person in the state with permanent housing.

 

In recent years, Connecticut became the first state in the nation certified by the federal government as ending chronic homelessness among veterans, and the second state in the nation certified by the federal government as effectively ending homelessness among all veterans.

(State of Connecticut Press Release)

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A message from Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, the producer of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®

After much evaluation and deliberation, my family and I have made the difficult business decision that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® will hold its final performances in May of this year. Ringling Bros. ticket sales have been declining, but following the transition of the elephants off the road, we saw an even more dramatic drop. This, coupled with high operating costs, made the circus an unsustainable business for the company.

Nearly 50 years ago, my father founded our company with the acquisition of Ringling Bros. The circus and its people have continually been a source of inspiration and joy to my family and me, which is why this was such a tough business decision to make. The decision was even more difficult because of the amazing fans that have become part of our extended circus family over the years, and we are extremely grateful to the millions of families who have made Ringling Bros. part of their lives for generations. We know Ringling Bros. isn’t only our family business, but also your family tradition.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Circus XTREME will conclude its tour at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., on May 7, 2017, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Out Of This World will conclude its tour at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., on May 21, 2017. We hope you will come to celebrate this American icon for one last time before our tours conclude.

Our company provides quality, live family entertainment, and we invite you to bring your family to one of our other events, including Marvel Universe LIVE!, Monster Jam, Monster Energy Supercross, AMSOIL Arenacross, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!, as well as future productions.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has served as inspiration for all of the live entertainment produced at Feld Entertainment. We learned from the circus, and applied those learnings to our other productions. Without Ringling Bros., we wouldn’t have the vibrant live entertainment company that we have today. Ringling Bros. will always be part of Feld Entertainment, and its spirit will live on in every production and project we do.

Anything going wrong today you can blame it being a Friday The 13th.  With the moon 99% full it should be a fun night.  No Live PD but I’ll keep you covered!

 

 

#Norwalk, CT – Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) today urged Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Michael Bzdyra to quickly find a new private vendor to perform driver’s license renewal services previously provided by AAA Northeast. Connecticut’s contract with AAA Northeast ended on January 1^st.

 

“The DMV negotiated in good faith with AAA Northeast, even after the vendor attempted to renege on its existing contract in 2016 and resumed providing services only under the threat of a lawsuit,” wrote Senator Duff in a letter to the commissioner. “I find it difficult to understand why AAA Northeast was unable to reach an agreement with the state when the other AAA franchise in Connecticut, AAA Club Alliance, recently renewed its contract for another five years.”

 

Following the termination of the contract, the DMV reallocated staff to assist its Fairfield and New Haven County offices and redeployed equipment to handle additional customers in those offices.

 

“I am sure that you can imagine that the loss of these services performed by AAA Northeast is an important issue for the Connecticut residents that I represent,” wrote Sen. Duff. “I would urge you and the Department of Motor Vehicles to quickly find a new private vendor to take over the providing of these services in order to disrupt licensing in the affected areas as little as possible.”

(State Senator Bob Duff Press Release)

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HARTFORD, CT) – Last week Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) Commissioner James P. Redeker  debuted the state’s new fleet of three tow-behind plows that are capable of clearing snow and ice from two full highway lanes in a single pass.  Towed in the rear of a truck, the plows measure 26 feet in length, essentially doubling the width of a single plow truck when in operation, and will boost the state’s overall handling of winter maintenance and snow-clearing operations on state roads.

 

“The people and businesses of Connecticut depend on an efficient transportation system, and these advanced snow plows will make a difference when it comes to clearing our highways following winter weather events,” Governor Malloy said.  “In addition to the practical benefits of clearing the roads faster, it also will help generate efficiencies in terms of our dependency on state resources.  It’s our goal to be prepared for severe weather events the best we can, and the addition of these tow plows will increase our efforts to safely clear the roads so that schools and businesses can re-open more quickly and emergency services can reach those who need them.”

 

As part of its ongoing efforts to find ways to improve efficiencies during winter weather events, CTDOT tested one of the tow plows under a pilot program during the 2015-2016 winter season.  This year, the agency purchased two additional units that will be put into operation during the upcoming season.  The supersized tow plows will help the agency improve cycle times and reduce overall fuel consumption associated with snow clearing operations.

 

When in operation, the steerable trailer-mounted tow plows swing out to one side of the truck and are equipped with a granular spreader for dispensing liquids for snow and ice control.

 

“Clearing snow and ice from our roads and highways during winter storms is one of our most critical functions as an agency,” Commissioner Redeker said.  “With the winter season upon us, the addition of these tow plows to our snow-fighting fleet ensures we can better handle virtually any winter-weather event in an efficient and strategic manner, while reducing costs to the taxpayer.”

 

Governor Malloy and Commissioner Redeker are urging drivers to stay clear of the snowplows while on the road and cautioned against trying to pass a snowplow or snow plow echelon when it is in operation.  The safest advice is for motorists to give the plows plenty of space, don’t attempt to pass them, and to keep in mind that the road behind the snow plows is in better condition than the road ahead.

 

In addition to improving operational efficiencies, the tow plows have safety benefits, such as rear and side mounted cameras, lights that both illuminate the plow area and provide a warning to nearby motorists, and a mounted laser to guide and determine the position of the tow plow when fully extended in relation to roadside obstacles and other vehicles.  The tow plows also have a longer service life than traditional plow trucks.

 

CTDOT’s winter maintenance and snow-clearing operations cover a roadway network of over 10,800 highway lane-miles, including commuter parking lots, the CTfastrak guideway, and other state facilities.  CTDOT’s current Severe Service Snow and Ice Fleet consists of 634 plow trucks that are stationed at roughly 50 garages around the state, as well as materials and personnel to clear state roadways.

(Press release)