Our History

In October 1987, under the leadership of the Rev. Thaddeus Bennett, then Executive Director of AIDS Ministries, four organizations came together to talk about how to address the growing problem of housing for people with AIDS. They created a collaborative to assist programs in building strong supportive housing models for people with HIV/AIDS. Connecticut's AIDS housing programs were created in response to a clear crisis: people who were sick and dying had no place to live due to discrimination and loss of income during illness.

The CT AIDS Residence Coalition incorporated in 1989. Its founding members included Center City Churches, the CT AIDS Residence Program (now Liberty Community Services), the Stewart B. McKinney Foundation, Leeway and St. Luke's Community Services (now St. Luke's LifeWorks). The aim of the group was to work with and mutually support organizations wishing to create AIDS housing by sharing resources, skills, and information. Together we would advocate collectively for funding on a local and national level.

In the Fall of 2005, the agency changed its name to the Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition to reflect its broadened mission to embrace all aspects of housing and services to persons living with HIV/AIDS in Connecticut and the fact that CARC is the only statewide AIDS coalition.