
A push to get disabled or elderly veterans into affordable housing in Connecticut. A bill going through the state legislature is helping with that.
“It’s something that’s earned. It’s something that’s deserved and it’s something that’s necessary,” Bridgette Prince, an Army veteran, said.
For her, advocating for affordable housing is her priority, particularly when it comes to veterans who may be older or living with disabilities.
Standing in front of the unfinished Martin Luther King Apartments in Hartford, Prince hopes affordable housing developments like the MLK Apartments will be open to veterans.
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“For what veterans have given, what we sacrificed, I think that is the one thing that the state, the city, the federal government can do,” Prince said.
Representative Jaime Foster, chair of the Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee in the state legislature, is a sponsor of SB 1277.
The bill would amend housing laws to improve affordable housing opportunities for elderly veterans or those with disabilities.
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“The idea that they would sort of not have stable housing is a real disservice to our nation's heroes,” Foster said.
Prince said she hopes down the line, all veterans will be able to benefit with an affordable roof over their heads.
“I think this is the ultimate way of saying thank you for your service,” Prince said.
Foster said the hope is for either SB 1277 to be voted on as a standalone bill, or as part of a larger bill focused on veterans.