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Lamont extends declaration enabling continued federal support for food and housing

The support provides funds for supplemental food benefits for households in need.
Credit: USDA

HARTFORD, Conn. — The declaration allowing the state to continue receiving federal support for food and housing during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was extended through next summer, the governor's office announced Tuesday.

In a statement, Gov. Ned Lamont said the support Connecticut receives from the federal government provides funds for supplemental food benefits for households in need and individuals not housed in group settings who are experiencing homelessness and may be survivors of domestic violence.

The declaration, which was issued in June and was set to expire on Dec. 28, will continue through June 28, 2023, or until the federal public health emergency ends, whichever is earlier.

Lamont emphasized that he will not issue any emergency executive orders under this declaration. He said its purpose is to ensure that state agencies continue to have access to available federal funds.

“We need this declaration in place, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to access the federal support necessary for emergency food benefits and housing services that other states across the country are continuing to receive as a result of the pandemic,” Lamont said.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 224,000 Connecticut households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – formerly known as food stamps – have received an additional $929.1 million in emergency benefits that they otherwise would have been ineligible to collect. On average, these households are receiving an additional $156.44 per month in emergency benefits.

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The state has been able to place almost 7,000 people who are homeless and several hundred survivors of domestic violence into non-congregate housing since the start of the pandemic. Non-congregate housing is a location where each individual or household has living space that offers some level of privacy, such as hotels, motels, or dormitories. 

To date, the state has received $15.89 million in federal reimbursements for this purpose and is expecting to receive an additional $20.7 million for its continuation.

Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.

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