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| Dear Neighbor,
I am so excited to announce the reopening of the Time To Own Homebuyers program, which assists low and moderate residents in Connecticut in buying their first home! Nearly 5,000 CT residents have benefitted from the program so far. Maybe the time is right for you. Please see more information and details about the program below. Topics in this week's newsletter include:
- Time To Own Program Reopens
- Early Voting Off to a Fine Start in CT
- Get Free Help With Health Care Insurance
- State Parks Getting Financial Boost
- 40 Things to do in CT in October
- Remembering Robert Sharkevich Jr.
Have a great weekend,
Travis |
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| Great news for low and moderate-income, homebuyers in Connecticut!
This week, the State Bond Commission approved $40 million in state funding that will be used to reopen the popular Time To Own program to a new round of applicants.
Time To Own has helped thousands of people buy their first homes since launching in 2022. The program provides forgivable loans for down payments and closing costs and has enabled individuals and families to achieve the dream of homeownership, fostering long-term financial stability and contributing to stronger communities.
To date, Time To Own has helped more than 4,800 homebuyers in 149 towns buy their first homes, more than half of whom are people of color. With the new funding allocation, Connecticut has invested $195 million in the program. |
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| For more information on eligibility, additional considerations, and how to apply, please click HERE. |
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| Early voting got off to a fine start in Connecticut on Day One. As you know, this is our first time participating in this process. Check out the story from WFSB below. |
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| The Community Room at City Hall, 125 East Avenue, is the early voting location in Norwalk. Please take a look at the flyers below for more details. Remember, every vote counts! |
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| Connecticut has a free resource in the Office of Health Advocate (OHA), an independent state agency available to help everyone understand, navigate, and resolve healthcare insurance plan decisions on coverage, billing, denials of services and claims, and other healthcare-related issues.
The OHA also helps if you believe an insurance company wrongly denies a procedure. Kathy Holt, the Acting Healthcare Advocate, recently shared a couple of encouraging stories. The first involves an insurance company that denied a woman’s prior authorization for a medically necessary outpatient procedure to treat varicose veins. The OHA intervened, and the insurance company approved the procedure, saving that woman $3,667. |
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| The second story involves a person who unsuccessfully tried to get coverage for a year-and-a-half for specialized glasses she needed to see after recovering from a stroke. The OHA team obtained a one-time exception from the insurance company saving that person $3,600.
If you need assistance with health care insurance, contact the Office of Health Advocate at (866) 466-4446 or (860) 331-2440 or send an email here. The OHA may provide relief from your insurance confusion. |
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| Governor Lamont has announced that $30 million in state bonding will go toward improving our state parks and forests. The funding will support much-needed infrastructure repairs and renovations across Connecticut’s 110 state parks and 32 state forests, ensuring a better experience for everyone who wants to spend time in the great outdoors.
$3 million of that investment will fund urgent repairs at state parks that were damaged in historic floods in August. The storm caused significant damage to:
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This funding supports the Restore CT State Parks initiative, which is a historic effort by the Lamont administration and the state legislature to address the backlog of needed repairs. Since 2022, the state has committed more than $70 million to the American Rescue Plan Act and state bond funds to support investment in outdoor recreation.
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| Improving our parks and forests will benefit everyone in the state. Access to parks promotes physical fitness by hiking, biking, jogging, and more. Being outside also helps our mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. Additionally, parks provide recreational spaces where families can come together. Ultimately, this investment will increase the quality of life while preserving Connecticut’s natural beauty. |
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| It's not too late!
Looking for something to do in Connecticut this month? Whether you want something active or relaxing, cultural or nature-oriented, historic or trendy, Connecticut's got you covered. Please see some highlights for October by clicking on the image below. |
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| I am sending my heartfelt condolences to the Wethersfield Fire Department and the family of Firefighter Robert Sharkevich Sr., who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
As always, feel free to call me at 1-800-842-8267 or email me at Travis.Simms@cga.ct.gov if you have any questions or concerns. Also, please like my official Facebook Page for regular updates.
Sincerely,
Travis Simms
State Representative |
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