The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Program aims to help struggling residents
UniteCT provides assistance paying rent, utility bills
HARTFORD — As the unemployment rate in Connecticut sits at more than 8 percent and people continue to struggle to pay their bills, the state is offering some funds to help.
The Department of Housing’s $235 million UniteCT program provides assistance to qualified families who have been financially affected by the pandemic, according to Dawn Parker, UniteCT director.
Parker shared what UniteCT does for people in need during a meeting of the Northwest Hills Council of Governments, saying she needed help from local towns to “get the word out.”
“We appreciate your coming here to share this information with us,” Don Stein, Barkhamsted first selectman and chairman of the NWCOG, said at Thursday’s meeting.
Parker encouraged selectmen and mayors from the council to share the information with residents, to use social media to promote available assistance, and to refer people to the website.
“Our Emergency Rental Assistance for Connecticut’s Economy — UniteCT, is money that will have an impact our our communities’ economies all over the state,” she said.
“The exciting part for small communities is, we can help households with up to 80 percent of ... HUD median income, with a priority to household incomes under 50 percent of that, or who have been unemployed for more than 90 days,” Parker said. “We’re looking for localized support for this funding.”
UniteCT representatives work with tenants and landlords, providing support and documentation for tenants to apply for assistance. There’s also a call center to provide guidance to people to apply. Much of the process can be done online.
“We also realize not everyone has a computer,” Parker told COG members. “UniteCT has a technology bus with 10 online workstations, to help people who need to apply. Towns can invite that mobile work station lab to provide the technology people need to apply. They can bring their documentation and do the work there.”
The agency also provides assistance from Connecticut Legal Services for evictions and other courtrelated actions someone might be facing.
“We also provide 2-1-1 information on applying for assistance,” Parker said. “SNAP (food assistance) benefits are slow right now, while food pantries are incredibly busy. It’s a perfect time to create a social service help day, providing people with information about what’s available to them. We can help towns with that, too.”
UniteCT also works with refugees and immigrants who don’t have documented income but are in need of help.
“There’s help from the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, services for people who can’t provide the proper documentation,” she said.
In addition, the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority offers mortgage relief and foreclosure prevention programs, through which homeowners facing financial hardship are eligible to apply for the Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program. According to its website, CHFA is continuing to process loans for singlefamily mortgages properties, underwrite mortgages and process construction advances for multifamily properties.
For program details and application information, email DOH-UniteCT@ct.gov, call 844-8668328 or visit portal.ct.gov/DOH/DOH/Programs/UniteCT.