Affordable Housing Key Element In Federal Plan To Address Homelessness 

Opening Doors, the Federal Plan to End Homelessness recently developed by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), contains five major themes needed to address homelessness.   The second theme is the need “to increase access to stable and affordable housing.”  USICH states that providing affordable housing is the “central part of ending the problem of homelessness” in America.    High housing costs remain the major reason for families becoming homeless and the major barrier to rapidly re-housing those persons who do lose their homes. 

The Federal plan indicates that a stable housing environment is essential to the effort to connect persons in need with the supportive services required to enable them to become self-sufficient contributors to the community.  USICH notes that providing affordable housing opportunities and supportive services is also a practical and cost-effective strategy to address community needs and lesson the burdens on local social and emergency care providers.

Danbury Housing Partnership Chair Mark J. Nolan commented:  “The provision of housing opportunities is not just good for the persons in need, it is good for the community as a whole since the social and economic vitality of the community is linked to the presence of a diverse, productive workforce.”

Nolan noted that major needs in the greater Danbury region include affordable housing for families, workers and seniors as well housing with supportive services for individuals with special health and social service needs.

The three additional major themes of the Federal plan will be addressed in future Partnership news updates.

For more information about the Danbury Housing Partnership, please call Chair Mark J. Nolan at 203-797-8255 or visit www.danburyhousingpartnership.org.

For more information about USICH and the Opening Doors plan please visit www.usich.gov.