The Housing and Community Development Leadership Institute (HCDLI) announced that its deadline for applications is March 1st, 2021. HCDLI is a project produced by the Governor’s Council on Women & Girls chaired by Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz. Working through the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and Workforce Equity, HCDLI is specifically designed to promote and advance more women of color into the housing and community development profession.
The course content for HCDLI is designed to cover a broad range of pathways in the areas of housing development including, but not limited to: planning, construction and finance; grant funding and tax credits for community development projects; assessing local community development needs; asset management, community development for achieving racial equity and environmental justice; and more.
The leadership institute will help women build the skills needed for a successful career in community and housing development. This includes learning how to connect HUD and other affordable housing programs with good community planning to bring stability and economic growth to low and moderate income communities.
“These kinds of programs are exactly what our state needs to extend opportunity to our residents, especially young women. If we’re going to build a modern economy that allow for pathways of success to all of our residents, with an emphasis on those who have faced barriers in the past, then these are the kinds of tools our state must support and grow to turn aspirations into realities. Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz has done incredible work chairing the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls, and the Leadership Institute is a wonderful product of that work,” said Governor Ned Lamont.
“We know that women, particularly women of color, are vastly underrepresented in professions that support the field of housing and community development. As chairwoman of the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls, I am committed to connecting women with the tools and platforms needed to succeed and build better lives for themselves and their communities. Through the Housing and Community Development Leadership Institute, which was inspired by the work of the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls, we can help more women and people of color break the glass ceilings in this field,” said Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz.
“I know firsthand from my work and experiences, that housing development can provide many career opportunities for women. As Commissioner of Housing, and a former nonprofit developer, there are very few women that look like me in this industry; both statewide and nationally. My vision for the Housing and Community Development Leadership Institute is to create a pathway for women of color to be engaged in all aspects of housing and community development,” said Commissioner of Housing Seila Mosquera-Bruno. “Thank you to Governor Lamont and Lt. Governor Bysiewicz for their leadership. I am grateful for the collaboration with CHFA and Hamden Economic Development Corporation to bring this project to life, and I look forward to working with everyone as we move forward.”
“As a woman of color, I am proud that the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) is helping to fund the Housing and Community Developer Leadership Institute. The Institute will provide training that creates opportunities for women and people of color in the industry, preparing them for jobs to help them to build a better future for themselves, and strengthen their communities,” said Nandini Natarajan, CHFA’s Chief Executive Officer – Executive Director.
“It has never been more important to expand opportunities for a rewarding career in this important field. The value of having young women in skilled and management positions will be a great thing, not only for them as a career option, but also for our communities who need the help more than ever. We are honored to be part of this program,” stated Dale Kroop, Executive Director of the Hamden Economic Development Corporation, and the Administrator for the Institute.
