Submitted by Norm Needleman, State Senator.
I hope your week is off to a good start and are enjoying the last few days of winter. Please take a couple of minutes to read an important development regarding eligibility to schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment. Plus, there is a new program available to help eligible Connecticut households financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with utility and rental payments.
State Tentatively Prepares to Accelerate COVID-19 Vaccination Schedule
Governor Ned Lamont announced today that as the state anticipates an increased supply of COVID-19 vaccines in coming weeks, the state is accelerating its age-based rollout to proceed on a faster schedule than previously planned. Under the new accelerated schedule, residents between the ages of 45 and 54 are expected to become eligible to schedule vaccine appointments on March 19; two weeks later, on April 5, scheduling tentatively will open to all state residents 16 and over. The scheduling is still tentative in case of future changes.
Nearly 500,000 State Residents Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19
As of March 15, Connecticut has administered 1,379,497 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 496,006 residents being fully vaccinated and receiving both doses of the vaccine. An additional 918,741 first doses of the vaccine have been administered. Those totals include 35,250 doses of the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine in addition to other figures for the two-shot Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. As of March 15, 59 percent of Connecticut residents over the age of 55 have received at least one vaccine dose, with 77 percent of 75+, 71 percent of 65-74 year old residents and 40 percent of 55-64 year old residents receiving at least one shot. Overall statewide, 31 percent of all adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The state says it is ahead of schedule based on increased supply and strong execution, helping speed up the state’s opening of vaccine access to additional age groups.
UniteCT Launches Today – $235 Million Rental, Utility Payment Assistance Program
Today, Connecticut’s new rental and utility payment assistance program UniteCT launches, with $235 million in support for qualified Connecticut households financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with financial support specifically heading to households making up to 80 percent of the local HUD Area Median Income.
The program offers up to $10,000 in rental assistance for renters in need, with UniteCT offering to pay 85 percent of overdue rent in the six months prior to the application and landlords writing off 15 percent of those six months of arrears. UniteCT will additionally pay three months of upcoming rent; after then, a renter would need to recertify for another three months. Applicants will be asked to pay between 0 and 30 percent of impending rent payments depending on their income compared to AMI. There is also a $1,500 cap for utility assistance per payer, with funds to be committed by September 2021 and disbursed by December 2021.
While households at or below 80 percent of HUD AMI are eligible, priority will be made for eligible households earning under 50 percent of AMI or households with at least one member who has been unemployed for at least three months. Qualifying households have seen reductions in household income, seen rising costs or experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19, demonstrating a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
For information including applications and documents required for applicants, please visit this link.
