The Lyceum Hosts Talks On Revitalizing CT Cities

Revitalizing Connecticut's cities will be discussed at the Lyceum in Hartford this morning. As WNPR's Lucy Nalpathanchil reports, the forum will focus on tRevhe need to increase workforce housing in existing urban neighborhoods.

Too often, cities are seen as problem centers rather than a place full of resources. That's according to Tim Bannon, Executive Director of the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority or CHFA, a quasi public housing agency.

One of the criticisms of Connecticut's cities is lack of affordable housing. Speaking on WNPR's Where We Live, Bannon suggests that before workforce housing can increase in the state, cities must deal with the erosion of its affordable housing stock.

"There are a lot of fine buildings that are crumbling to dust around us and we have to do something about that. When you have families living in conditions where there are asbestos and lead paint, you have a threat to the welfare of children that needs to be remediated. Housing first discharges our responsibility in our society to creating safe, clean homes for the residents of this state."

CHFA and other groups have been holding a series of forums at the Lyceum on urban housing and community development. Critics of urban areas often point to a lack of transportation and inadequate public schools as reasons people flee cities for the suburbs. But Bannon says making use of existing buildings is more cost efficient and can reinforce the appeal of living in a walkable community

"I think there's an imperative for addressing housing first because it creates opportunites for diverse communities that cities were originally. You can renovate and make safe and clean an affordable home in apartment building for $100,000 versus building a new one for $3-$400,000."

Bannon says one of the biggest challenges facing Connecticut is its young people relocating to more affordable communities in the U.S.

For WNPR, I'm Lucy Nalpathanchil.

The Housing forum begins at 9 am at the Lyceum on Lawrence Street in Hartford.