Time To Own Program Reopens, Housing Reform Conference

October 23, 2024


 
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Dear Neighbor,

I have a pretty hearty e-news for you this week!
 
We are two weeks away from Election Day. Be sure to check out the information on Early Voting. As a reminder, Early Voting passed on a previous ballot, and we now join 47 other states in being able to vote early. Tens of thousands of people have already taken advantage of this across Connecticut in the last few days.
 
I was unexpectedly on a panel for the Partnership on Strong Housing with the Majority Leader, Jason Rojas, and attended the “Breakfast for Champions” hosted by Interval House. More details on those events are below.
 
I also want to draw your attention to the fact that, due to the lack of rain, our current fire danger is extreme. Please remember, no burning, and if you have any materials like hot coals, ashes, cigarettes, etc., please be careful how you dispose of them. The fire happening in Berlin is requiring assistance from all over, and we want to mitigate our fire risk as much as possible to keep our firefighters and our communities safe. 
 
As a reminder, the Collinsville Halloween Parade kicks off on October 26th at 7 p.m. (gather at 6 p.m.) It looks to be a booo-tiful evening for all. 

Have a great rest of your week, 

Eleni
 

TODAY'S BREAKFAST WITH CHAMPIONS
This morning, I had the opportunity to attend the “Breakfast of Champions,” The annual event held by Interval House. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and, while I am grateful to the nearly 500 people who attended, I wish we didn’t need to raise funds for this important cause. 
The most poignant moment was hearing from a young woman who survived teen dating violence. 33% of teens are abused by a dating partner and over half of them try to take their own lives. 81% of parents don’t think teen dating violence is an issue. We have to do better for our children.  Part of Interval House’s work is educating young people on healthy relationships. This information should be in every school across Connecticut. Thank you to Interval House, the event's sponsors, and the attendees for doing critical work and raising awareness. 
 
TIME TO OWN PROGRAM REOPENS
Great news for low and moderate-income homebuyers in Connecticut!

This week, the State Bond Commission approved $40 million in state funding that will be used to reopen the popular

Time To Own program to a new round of applicants.
 
Time To Own has helped thousands of people buy their first homes
since launching in 2022. The program provides forgivable loans for down payments and closing costs and has enabled individuals and families to achieve the dream of homeownership, fostering long-term financial stability and contributing to stronger communities.
 
To date, Time To Own has helped more than 4,800 homebuyers in 149 towns buy their first homes, more than half of whom are people of color. With the new funding allocation, Connecticut has invested $195 million in the program.
For more information on eligibility, additional considerations, and how to apply, please click HERE.  
 
HOUSING REFORM CONFERENCE
I had planned on attending the Partnership for Strong Communities event this week on Housing Reform as a guest but had not anticipated being asked to be on the panel with Majority Leader Jason Rojas. 
We spoke of the legislative challenges facing affordable housing and our increasing homeless population. We also spoke about the challenges of building more housing and the types of housing we would need going forward to provide the amount of housing our state needs. You can read more about the event and the conversation by clicking on the image below for an article in CT Mirror.
(photo credit CT Mirror)
 
POVERTY: A PANEL DISCUSSION IN AVON TOMORROW 
 
EARLY VOTING IS OFF TO A FINE START IN CT
Early voting got off to a fine start in Connecticut on Day One. As you know, this is our first time participating in this process. Check out the story from WFSB below.
 
Early voting in Connecticut is open until November 3rd for the November 5th election. In Avon, you can vote early at the Town Hall Meeting Room and All Purpose, Room 60 West Main Street. In Canton, it's the Canton Community Center Room C, 40 Dyer Ave. Please see the flyer below for more information and details about early voting. 
 
GET FREE HELP WITH HEALTH CARE INSURANCE
Connecticut has a free resource in the Office of Health Advocate (OHA), an independent state agency available to help everyone understand, navigate, and resolve healthcare insurance plan decisions on coverage, billing, denials of services and claims, and other healthcare-related issues.

The OHA also helps if you believe an insurance company wrongly denies a procedure. Kathy Holt, the Acting Healthcare Advocate, recently shared a couple of encouraging stories. The first involves an insurance company that denied a woman’s prior authorization for a medically necessary outpatient procedure to treat varicose veins. The OHA intervened, and the insurance company approved the procedure, saving that woman $3,667.

The second story involves a person who unsuccessfully tried to get coverage for a year-and-a-half for specialized glasses she needed to see after recovering from a stroke. The OHA team obtained a one-time exception from the insurance company saving that person $3,600.

If you need assistance with health care insurance, contact the Office of Health Advocate at (866) 466-4446 or (860) 331-2440 or

send an email here. The OHA may provide relief from your insurance confusion.
 
VISITING WITH FLAT HUDSON 
This week, I participated in the time-honored tradition of “Flat Stanley” or in this case “Flat Hudson.” My nephew, Hudson, is a second-grade student in Florida and his class is sending their paper avatars all over the country to learn about the United States.  The Flat Stanley project began in 1995 as a way for children to engage in penpal writing and to learn more about wherever “Stanley” travels to.  As of this morning, “Hudson” is winging his way to a friend in Colorado! 
 
STATE PARKS GETTING FINANCIAL BOOST
Governor Lamont has announced that $30 million in state bonding will go toward improving our state parks and forests. The funding will support much-needed infrastructure repairs and renovations across Connecticut’s 110 state parks and 32 state forests, ensuring a better experience for everyone who wants to spend time in the great outdoors.

$3 million of that investment will fund urgent repairs at state parks that were damaged in historic floods in August. The storm caused significant damage to:

This funding supports the Restore CT State Parks initiative, which is a historic effort by the Lamont administration and the state legislature to address the backlog of needed repairs. Since 2022, the state has committed more than $70 million to the American Rescue Plan Act and state bond funds to support investment in outdoor recreation.
 
Click here for a list of projects in our state parks system
Improving our parks and forests will benefit everyone in the state. Access to parks promotes physical fitness by hiking, biking, jogging, and more. Being outside also helps our mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. Additionally, parks provide recreational spaces where families can come together. Ultimately, this investment will increase the quality of life while preserving Connecticut’s natural beauty.
 
40 THINGS TO DO IN CONNECTICUT IN OCTOBER

Looking for something to do in Connecticut this month? Whether you want something active or relaxing, cultural or nature-oriented, historic or trendy, Connecticut's got you covered. Please see some highlights for October by clicking on the image below.

 
LAUGH TOWARD BETTER MENTAL HEALTH 
The Farmington Valley affiliate of The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is presenting "1 Degree of Separation", a free live show that applies comedy and laughter to the serious matters of depression and suicide prevention. The show takes place at Avon High School, this Friday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. While the event is free, a $10 donation is being suggested. Please click on the image below for more details from Avon Patch.
 
REMEMBERING ROBERT SHARKEVICH SR.
I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the Wethersfield Fire Department and the family of Firefighter Robert Sharkevich Sr., who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Flags have been directed to half-staff today in his honor.

Sincerely,


Eleni Kavros DeGraw
State Representative

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