May 8, 2018
Contact: Patty McQueen 860-985-3533
Funding Increase for Nonprofit Community Providers;
Final Budget Agreement Should Include Best of Republican, Democratic Plans
(Hartford, CT) – The CT Community Nonprofit Alliance, representing hundreds of providers of services including substance abuse and mental health treatment, homeless and domestic violence shelters, support and residential programs for people with developmental disabilities and cultural programs, today said that any final budget agreement should include the $10 million increase in funding for nonprofit providers that is in the recent Republican budget proposals and had been in the Democratic proposal passed by the Appropriations Committee.
Gian-Carl Casa, President & CEO of the Alliance, said lawmakers should “take what’s best for hard-pressed providers from the many budget proposals we’ve had this session.”
Casa thanked the state House and Senate Republicans for including $10 million in the newest proposed state budget for the coming fiscal year, to increase funding for all human service providers. He expressed appreciation that a Democratic budget raised earlier this legislative session by the Appropriations Committee, included the same increase.
“Connecticut’s community-based nonprofits have not only not had a funding increase in more than a decade but they have been cut time and again while trying to meet a greater need for services,” Casa said. “The House and Senate recently approved wage increases for one sector that serves developmental disabilities, which we appreciate. But there are hundreds of providers across the state struggling to maintain programs who need a funding increase as well.”
For example, Casa said, opioid deaths have increased 150 percent since 2011, while funding for substance abuse treatment has been cut 30 percent.
“On behalf of the half-million people community providers serve, and at a time when the state’s fiscal picture has improved, I’m asking why any budget agreement would not include the $10 million increase for community providers,” Casa said.