Rell's budget cuts public housing money

Hartford (WTNH) - Gov. Jodi Rell released her revised budget Thursday and it includes deep cuts to many programs and services, including money for public housing.

Today Andrea Okrentowich and her young daughters walked into Governor Jodi Rell's office and asked to speak with her. She wasn't there but Andrea says the governor's proposal to eliminate $3.9 million for the state's public housing grant program could leave her and her children homeless.

"It's been very hard. It always comes down to a choice between food and rent," Andrea said. "If the rent goes up we're going to lose everything."

The PILOT program, or Payments In Lieu Of Taxes, is state aid to municipalities that offsets the lack of property taxes collected from public housing. If funding for the PILOT program is cut, thousands of families who live in public housing will face huge rent increases.

"Honestly I think we would have to rely on the food banks more which we do now and honestly I don't know if I could stay in my house. I think we'd end up homeless if it goes through," Andrea said.

Gov. Rell's spokesman, Chris Cooper, points out that the state is grappling with a $8 billion budget deficit.

"PILOT is a program that many times has been funded out of the state surplus. There is no surplus," he said.

Cooper also noted that Rell's budget does not include a tax hike.

"Right now everyone in the state of Connecticut is hurting. People have lost their homes, their jobs. They are fearful of the future. Taxes are really something that would hurt us coming out of the recession instead of help," he said.

The legislative session is slated to end Wednesday.