Press Releases
GOV. MALLOY RE-APPOINTS EVONNE KLEIN AS COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he intends to re-appoint Evonne Klein as Commissioner of the Department of Housing when his second term in office begins on January 7, 2015.
"As I have often made clear, the availability of affordable housing needs to be a priority because it is integral to driving economic development and growing jobs," Governor Malloy said. "In Connecticut, these efforts were allowed to languish for too long, which is why we recently announced that our state will be making its most significant commitment to affordable housing in decades. Evonne Klein has been central to these efforts and has been working closely with folks from throughout the state to revitalize our affordable housing stock. This is a significant task, but it is central to creating vibrant, thriving communities, and I am grateful that she is going to continue in this position."
"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve Governor Malloy and the residents of Connecticut in this capacity for the last two years," Commissioner Klein said. "While we have achieved much in the first term, I look forward to the next term with great anticipation. We will continue the progress made in ending homelessness, improving quality-of-life issues for residents, and helping communities increase affordable housing options in their towns."
Commissioner Klein began the position as head of the Department of Housing
in February 2013
, becoming the first Commissioner of the newly-created state agency, which was formed out of legislation Governor Malloy introduced in 2012 that consolidated the state's existing housing functions from several agencies into one centralized office.
The Commissioner's accomplishments include:
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Oversaw the creation of the new Department of Housing. Proposed by Governor Malloy, the department consolidated all housing programs and employees from multiple state agencies to advance strategies and administer programs that promote the development, redevelopment, and preservation of housing for very low- and moderate-income families.
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Implementing the Governor's $300 million plan to revitalize and preserve the more than 340 properties in the State-Sponsored Housing Portfolio. These investments, which are enhancing the sustainability and energy efficiency of these properties, are greatly improving the quality of life for residents.
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Revamped funding programs and processes that have resulted in dramatic increases in housing investment across the state. Fueled by Governor Malloy's unprecedented financial commitment to expand housing opportunities across the state, the department, under Commissioner Klein's leadership, has created and preserved 1,224 housing units (1,205 affordable) thus far in 2014, with an additional 3,673 units under construction. In addition, the department has financial commitments in place that will to build another 7,100 units across the state. Overall state investments in housing are at the highest level in 25 years.
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In collaboration with advocates and providers, spearheaded the creation of eight regional networks to address homelessness statewide. The goal of this Coordinated Access System is to break down the silos that exist in the homeless service system and to better share resources in order to move individuals and families out of homelessness more rapidly. The early results of Coordinated Access in Connecticut are promising, with some areas in the state already seeing decreases in the amount of time an individual or family is homeless.
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Successfully obtained approval from the Legislative Regulation Review Committee for the agency's regulations regarding tenants' right and grievance procedures. In the absence of these regulations, many tenants in state assisted housing did not have the option to pursue informal grievance procedures. Instead, they had to file for formal judicial proceedings, which can be intimidating, costly and time-consuming.
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Assisting shoreline owners interested in protecting their homes and businesses from future storms by establishing a $25 million fund, envisioned by Governor Malloy, to provide low-interest loans to property owners in coastal municipalities for property elevations and flood protection activities.
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For Immediate Release: December 17, 2014
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