CONNECTICUT, USA — More than $30 million of the federal COVID-19 relief funding that Connecticut received will go to a rental assistance program, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Monday.
The program, which makes rental assistance stipends available, will be for qualifying participants of the CareerConneCT workforce training program and people participating in the federally-funded training programs.
CareerConneCT connects job seekers with free, short-term job training programs that provide them with the skills they need to obtain employment in high-demand sectors. The program collaborates directly with state employers seeking to hire, giving participants a chance to connect directly with job openings.
“There are employers throughout Connecticut right now who want to hire and are in need of workers trained with specific skills," Lamont said in a statement Monday. "We created CareerConneCT with the goal of helping jobseekers obtain the skills necessary to fill available job openings, which can lead to a long-lasting, good-paying career. Housing and workforce are a natural pairing, and making rental assistance stipends available as part of this job training program will remove some of the barriers that prevent people from fully participating in the workforce.”
Those who participate in CareerConneCT also receive free supportive service while in training, including transportation, childcare, and housing, the Lamont administration said.
The rental stipends that the administration announced Monday will help boost the supports already in place, providing qualifying participants with between 3-9 months of help with a maximum of $15,000 per household.
To quality, participants have to have a household income of 80% of the area median income.
The one-time funds are limited, and anyone interested in participating is encouraged to enroll in CareerConneCT and apply for the stipends as soon as possible.
To enroll in CareerConneCT, jobseekers should register online here.
Applicants will be matched with a case manager who can apply for the rental assistance stipends on the participant’s behalf, in addition to connecting them to the appropriate training and additional support.
The stipends will be disbursed to eligible participants three months at a time base on prospective rent (not back rent) and are intended for those who are participating in the job training programs. Participants must have a landlord/rental lease and cannot be subleased.
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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