
HARTFORD, CT — Every year the Connecticut Independent Living Centers, which help individuals with all types of disabilities move out of nursing homes, find gainful employment, or affordable housing, seem to be on the chopping block. This year is no different.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy proposed eliminating all state funding for the five regional centers as part of his budget proposal. That was before Republican President Donald Trump released his budget blueprint that further cut their funding.
“On a very modest budget, our Independent Living Centers [have] been available to the 347,000 individuals with disabilities living in Connecticut, and we have already been forced by budget reductions to curtail services,” Daria Smith, executive director of the Connecticut State Independent Living Council, said. “If state budget cuts are implemented, in this new era of less support from the federal government, the individuals we serve could have nowhere to turn for support.”
Eileen Healy, executive director of Independence Northwest, said the state’s five centers helped 233 individuals transition out of nursing facilities and saved the state about $11 million. Another 422 received services that prevented the need for costly emergency health, transportation, and residential supports, and 17,000 received information and referral services on disability related topics.
“It seems ridiculous to me that we are not identifying the savings associated with this,” Healy said.
She said her center gets about 55 percent of its funding from the federal government and the other 45 percent from the state.
The centers were funded at about $372,000 last year before they were cut further in July bringing the allocation for each of the five centers down to $40,000 each. The 2016 budget cuts had already reduced the service areas from 169 cities and towns down to 25.
Following that 60 percent budget cut in 2016, Healy said some centers reduced staff, and others introduced waiting lists so some clients with disabilities are waiting six months to a year for services.
“During that time period individuals lose their jobs, they lose their housing, they get put into institutional settings that cost the state far more money than what the centers are getting,” Healy said.
She said the demand for these services will increase as the state continues to cut other human service line items.
“People with disabilities are vulnerable,” Jade Vail, an employee and a client at one of the centers, said. “Balancing the budget on the backs of Connecticut’s most at-risk citizens is wrong.”
She said they want their funding restored to the full $528,680 allocation and is worried not only about her job, but also her ability to continue to maintain her independence.
“I will be a burden on the system, instead of continuing to contribute to it,” Vail said. “My sense of purpose, well-being, and value will be greatly diminished.”
But it’s a tall ask in a year when lawmakers are struggling to close a two-year, $3.6 billion budget deficit.
Rep. Cathy Abercrombie, D-Meriden, who is the Appropriations Committee Human Services subcommittee co-chair, said the subcommittee did not recommend eliminating the line item, but it did recommend a reduction in the $372,000 allocation the centers received last year.
Support authentic, locally owned and operated public service journalism!
She said every nonprofit organization funded by the state budget will receive a cut. At the same time lawmakers recognize the important work done by these centers and fully support their mission.
“We had to make some tough decisions in this budget,” Abercrombie said.
The legislature’s Appropriations Committee is expected to release its spending proposal by the end of the month.
More State Budget news

Stefanowski Talks Abortion, Employee Raises & Budget In First Press Conference
For a half-hour Wednesday, Bob Stefanowski stood outside the state Capitol and fielded questions on abortion rights and state employee raises in a sign the Republican candidate plans to run a more conventional campaign in this year’s rematch with Gov. Ned Lamont.
Keep reading
Lamont Signs The Budget
Alongside Democratic legislative leaders, Gov. Ned Lamont signed the $24 billion budget adjustment Monday that includes $600 million in tax relief. That’s more than they anticipated they would be able to offer Connecticut residents this Election year because revenue came in higher than expected, but it still creates about an $800 million deficit in 2024. …
Keep reading
ANALYSIS | It’s A Wrap: The Winners and Losers of the 2022 Session
It was a short legislative session, but the House and the Senate were able to move a lot of business this year, including the passage of a $24-billion budget with around $600 million in tax cuts.
Keep reading
Connecticut Acts To Help Its Lead-Poisoned Children
After decades of inertia, Connecticut is finally moving to help its thousands of lead-poisoned children and prevent thousands of other young children from being damaged by the widespread neurotoxin.
Keep reading
Bill Bolstering Contracting Oversight Board In Jeopardy After Lamont Administration Raises Concerns
It passed unanimously in the Senate, but a bill that would give the State Contracting Standards Board greater oversight over state contracting appeared stalled in the House Wednesday on the last day of session. “The governor and I have not talked about the bill,” House Speaker Matt Ritter said. “The commissioners have sent us a…
Keep reading
Senate Approves Tax Cuts, Sends $24B Budget to the Governor
The state Senate gave final approval late Tuesday to a $24 billion election year budget plan that includes around $600 million in tax relief while enabling the state to make an $3.5 billion payment on its unfunded pension debt. Senators voted 24-12 at around 10:30 p.m. to send the midterm budget adjustment to the desk…
Keep reading
House Green-Lights $24B Budget
On a party-line vote early Tuesday, the House passed a $24 billion budget adjustment package containing more than $600 million in tax cuts which Democrats heralded as “historic” and Republicans derided as temporary. Lawmakers voted 95 – 52 at around 12:20 a.m. to send the 673-page budget document to the Senate for consideration before the…
Keep reading
Budget Materials
The General Assembly is preparing to debate adjustments to the $24 billion state budget. Below are a few of the documents we’ve been provided as back-up materials. The budget, HB 5506. Town runs. Car tax impact on municipalities. Finance Committee Power Point.
Keep reading
Lawmakers May Vote for First Pay Increase in 20 Years
With legislative retirements mounting, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were considering Monday raising the salaries of General Assembly members for the first time in more than two decades and indexing their pay in the future. During a morning press briefing, House Speaker Matt Ritter told reporters that funding for pay raises had been…
Keep reading
Amid Surging Revenue, House Prepares to Vote on Budget Adjustments
Connecticut’s House of Representatives was expected to vote Monday on a $24 billion budget adjustment package, buoyed by revised revenue predictions that exceeded expectations by more than $350 million. The revised consensus figures released Monday confirm the surge in revenues that enabled Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative Democrats to reach an agreement last week on…
Keep reading
Dems Detail Budget Deal With $500 Mil in Tax Cuts, Extension of Gas Tax Holiday
Legislative Democrats and Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration announced Wednesday the details of a $24.2 billion budget adjustment package, which they say provides around $500 million in tax relief including extending a gas tax holiday until December. Lamont and legislative leaders outlined the agreement during an afternoon press conference in the state Capitol building. Both chambers…
Keep reading
Health Care Workers Call for New Hires
After a record number of health care workers are expected to retire this year, health care staff called on Gov. Ned Lamont to commit to filling 1,000 vacant positions by August 1 of this year. A record 1,137 state workers who notified the state that they will retire this year comes at a moment of…
Keep reading
Senate Joins House And Votes To Give Raises, Bonuses To State Employees
The Senate gave final approval by a 22-13 vote on a plan to give unionized state workers a set of raises and bonuses. The plan, negotiated by Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration and a coalition of public sector labor unions, provides three years of 2.5% raises and step increases as well as a total of $3,500…
Keep reading
House Advances Labor Deal In Historic Vote
Lawmakers in Connecticut’s House of Representatives signed off on a plan to give state workers a set of raises and bonuses Thursday in a mostly partisan vote on a negotiated labor agreement. The House voted 96 to 52 in support of the deal with 1 Republican, Rep. Tom Delnicki of South Windsor, joining all Democrats…
Keep reading
Republicans Propose Last-Minute Tax Package
Legislative Republicans pitched a $1.2 billion tax relief plan Thursday which reduces state income, sales and gas taxes and proposes to join other states in suing the federal government to challenge restrictions on spending pandemic relief funds. House and Senate Republicans announced the plan during a state Capitol press conference Thursday morning. It cuts the…
Keep reading
The Budget Battle Begins To Take Shape
Tax collections have improved and pushed Connecticut’s budget surplus to $4 billion, but the state budget still relies heavily on federal funding and without it the state would end up running a “sizeable operating deficit.” The Office of Policy and Management told state Comptroller Natalie Braswell Wednesday that if not for the use of the…
Keep reading