We have to make Connecticut affordable for the working class
Across Connecticut, hardworking people are having to turn their thermostats up in the summer, down in the winter, and limit how much they drive because the cost of essentials have gotten too expensive.
“Electric, gas, and maintenance costs are going up,” Carolyn, in Glastonbury, told us. “We have to keep our house very cold [in the winter] to make it last as long as possible. We didn’t even turn our heat on until late November. I am concerned about our health as a result.”
A., in Oxford, had family members move in because there isn’t enough affordable housing.
“Having to choose between the electric bill and groceries has become a monthly decision,” she said.
When the price of one essential, like utilities and gas, go up, it shrinks budgets and makes everything else harder to afford. People are struggling to pay rent, child care, healthcare, and groceries. If your budget isn’t going as far as it used to, you’re not alone.
Among Connecticut parents of young children alone, 36% of those surveyed said they were struggling with paying utilities, according to data from The Connecticut Project grantee RAPID Survey Project. Of those parents:
It’s not only parents. Hardworking people in every age group are struggling to get by as the price of everything goes up.
Christina, in Enfield, said she is barely making ends meet and has gotten help from family.
“This year (and the last five years) my mom got me heating oil for [Christmas] and my in-laws paid our water bill,” she told us.
Paul, in New Haven, said his utility bills are “choking him.” Brenda, in New Britain, can no longer afford her car insurance because of her electric bill.
“Thank God for energy programs, but [I] still pay a large amount a month,” she told us.
Financial assistance and discounted energy rates are available for some people, and you could qualify for a program to make your home more energy efficient, even if you rent. But extra insulation and weather stripping isn’t enough to make Connecticut affordable.
“I haven’t gotten more than a 2% raise since 2020, and the cost of living keeps increasing in double digits,” Kyle, in West Haven said. He added that while he cut his electricity use in half, his bill is double what it used to be.
“I don’t put the AC in the windows any longer in the summer because I can’t afford it,” he said.
Working class people need to cool their homes during the hot summer months and heat them during frigid winters, fill their pantries, and use gas if they drive to work, the grocery store, or to visit friends and family. Turning off the heat because they can’t afford it puts people’s health and safety at risk. That shouldn’t have to happen, but many working class people are having to decide between paying their rent, buying groceries, and paying utility bills.
The bottom line is that when one thing gets more expensive, it stresses your entire budget. But when everything keeps going up, we need to find a way to make change so that people aren’t forced out of the state. Join us in the fight to make Connecticut more affordable and make our state work for working class people.