Connecticut officials on Thursday announced $8 million in funding for homelessness services, including an increase in cold-weather shelter capacity.
“This isn’t just an investment – this is a lifeline,” said Julian Pierce, deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Housing, at a press conference at a West Hartford furniture bank operated by the homelessness services nonprofit Journey Home.
Pierce said $4.5 million would go toward cold-weather shelter capacity. Matthew Morgan, CEO of Journey Home, said that funding was crucial.
“Last winter, one individual who there was no space for in our warming centers actually got frostbite and lost their legs. We had other people who were unsheltered who passed away,” Morgan said. “So we are so relieved and so grateful that Connecticut has decided to invest in its people to keep them safe and warm.”
Another $3.5 million, Pierce said, would go toward the state’s “homeless hubs,” “physical spaces where people experiencing housing instability can connect with services, build a plan and start their journey towards stability.”
“These hubs are more than buildings and go beyond shelter,” Pierce said. “They are beacons of hope for individuals and families staffed by talented and compassionate professionals who meet people where they are and help them take the next step forward together.”
Some at the press conference said further investment could be needed, citing a year-over-year increase in homelessness in the state.
“We are still extremely concerned that we saw a 45% increase in unsheltered homelessness over the past year, and are worried that we may not be able to offer shelter to everyone who needs it this winter without additional investment in shelter and housing resources,” Morgan, the Journey Home CEO, said.
“We are gravely concerned about impending federal cuts and what we will see going into the future, and what that will mean for our neighbors across the state,” said Sarah Fox, CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.
Gov. Ned Lamont said further work on homelessness was a priority for his administration.
“We're doing a lot, but we’ve got to do more,” Lamont said. “We are going to be getting together sometime in the next month or so, seeing how we can set aside a little bit of extra money to protect us from these cuts coming out of the Trump administration.”
Lamont, who vetoed a landmark housing bill passed by the Connecticut General Assembly during the past legislative session, touted the construction of affordable housing in the state in recent years.
“But I still worry about, you know – the rents are going up, and landlords are taking advantage of it and pushing some people out,” Lamont said. “They can jack up the rent 20, 30%, and all of a sudden you see what happens to homelessness.”
Lamont said Thursday that he and legislators were still in talks over the future of the housing bill.
