We often get correspondence from people looking to move to Hartford or from those trying to relocate somewhere else in town. There are some standard pieces of advice that we will give — check out a neighborhood on foot and late at night, decide what your priorities are when it comes to what you want to live near, and look for rental signs or go word-of-mouth instead of just finding listings online — but we are not experts and are unable to comment much beyond those ideas about comfort vs. safety.
The Connecticut Fair Housing Center has conducted research over several years. They say that they have learned there is “a lack of housing mobility for low-income residents in the Greater Hartford area. Many citizens feel unhappy with their current living situation, but do not believe they can move, even to other neighborhoods in the same city. Obstacles such as lack of knowledge about schools or services in a town, confusion about housing voucher application processes, difficulty finding listings of available apartments, as well as fear of discrimination prevent people from moving.”
To move toward a solution, they have created a “Moving Forward Guide” that shares basic tools for moving, but also delves into eligibility requirements for certain types of housing, financial planning, and how to identify and deal with housing discrimination.
The first edition of the guide has launched today.
Read the guide online or request a copy
The guide’s language is very accessible (we’ve read it), but those who would like more assistance with moving can take a free class provided by the Connecticut Fair Housing Center. The first class will take place on July 16, 2015 at the Hartford Public Library. For more info or to sign up, go to the website or call (860) 856-5496.