Despite major recent investments by the state, public housing in Connecticut still faces serious challenges, said experts at a workshop that was part of the Connecticut Housing Coalition Annual Housing Conference in Hartford this morning.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s 10-year, $300 million commitment to improving the state’s affordable housing has been helpful, but there are still unaddressed needs. A recent audit of the state’s available public housing stock, the first in years, uncovered many buildings in dire need of long-term repair and improvements. Though the state has provided guidelines for local authorities in order to help them figure out what their long-term capital needs are, in many cases the managers don’t have the technical expertise to carry out the assessment, said Maria DeMarco, principal of DeMarco Management Corp., which advises public housing authorities.

That’s critical, because despite the state’s recent efforts, "if you look at all of the needs that have been uncovered through this process, what’s available only covers a small part," and authorities which don’t make an effort to better compete for funds now could find themselves out in the cold, as state funds are tapped out and federal purse strings are tightened.

"I don’t see much [new public housing] being built, and the need is growing and growing," said DeMarco.

According to DeMarco, in many areas, two-year waiting lists to obtain housing for eligible applicants are now stretching to five years. One recent development she worked on had 800 applications for 24 available units.