Anne Hughes

Dear Neighbor,

Sometimes we are in Labor … (Committee) into the middle of the night, hearing from workers who are forced to strike when employers undermine union negotiations by stalling and bad faith tactics to withhold basic fair worker protections and wages.

It’s time we join our tri-state neighbors in the face of brazen attacks on workers’ rights by powerful corporations, in the face gutting of the National Labor Board and worker protections by the new administration, by allowing striking workers to access unemployment insurance after two weeks of striking.

On Monday, I joined Gov. Ned Lamont, Housing Commissioner State Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno and other officials to celebrate the grand reopening of Homes with Hope's emergency shelters in Westport following $10 million in renovations.

The emergency shelters -- the 15-bed Gillespie Center, the four-bed Hoskins Place shelter for women, and Susie's House -- were updated to be ADA-compliant, had new ventilation systems installed, and had new rooms built. The food pantry was expanded to offer fresh produce, dairy, and meat, catering to local families in need.

The reopening comes at a critical time when housing in Connecticut is becoming less affordable, and the number of unhoused continues to increase.