Renters are getting priced out of our towns
But we want to stay
We work hard to build our communities. We care for each other and help out neighbors when they need it. But when the price of rent keeps rising, people are forced out.
Charles’s landlord recently raised his rent by more than $100 a month. Charles, who has worked in education and healthcare, said he sometimes goes without eating so he can make ends meet.
“I love my community,” Charles, a single dad in Middlesex County, told us. “I love my town. [The] cost of living is just getting so high. It is hard to live here.”
His story isn’t unique. About one in three people in Connecticut rent, and many are struggling to keep up with rising costs. Rent keeps increasing. Wages aren’t keeping up.
We’ve been speaking to renters across Connecticut about their experiences. Many people want to buy a home, but rising rent makes saving for a down payment difficult. About half of Connecticut renters said they want to buy a home, but are worried it will never happen because of the cost. The dream of buying a house is becoming less realistic for more people.
When we asked people where they’d want to live if money wasn’t an issue, most said they’d like to stay in their towns.
“I would prefer to own,” Donna, in Shelton, said. “However, given the lack of inventory, the current economy, and the cost of living in CT, it’s unlikely that I would be able to afford purchasing a home here. Also, with rents increasing annually, I am considering moving out of state.”
Like Charles, her landlord recently raised her rent by more than $100 a month.
When housing becomes unaffordable, people have to leave the communities they’ve lived in their entire lives, move farther away from friends and family, take their children out of their schools, and sometimes give up their pets. Small businesses struggle to find employees, school districts have trouble finding teachers, fire departments can’t find firefighters and EMTs, and our economy suffers.
Renters are struggling with costs. A renter’s tax credit gives them a boost to pay off bills, buy groceries, and handle the essentials so that working class people have breathing room in their budgets. It makes it easier to stay in their communities because it eases some stress of the cost of rent.
A renter’s tax credit will make Connecticut more affordable for renters, strengthen our economy, and create a fair tax system. Take action today to tell your lawmakers to pass a renter’s tax credit.
