Homeless advocacy groups in Connecticut are asking the state for immediate funds to assist a record number of homeless residents to find shelter and support services.
There are about 1,000 people experiencing homelessness in the state, and that’s a record number for Connecticut, according to the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.
However, the number of unhoused residents is likely higher, State Rep. Jay Case, R-Winsted, said.
“Those are people that we know of. There are people who aren’t willing to come in,” Case said. “We can try to calculate who’s out there. But there are some who don’t want to come forward.”
Case, along with several other state legislators, gathered in the legislative office building in Hartford Wednesday to address the increasing need for more cold weather shelters and funding.
Connecticut’s emergency shelter system is drastically underfunded, advocates say. They also say there are not enough trained professionals willing to work in the shelters.
Columbus House, which operates shelters in Middlesex and New Haven counties, is slated to open some seasonal shelters on Jan. 8, but Chief Executive Officer Margaret Middleton said the shelters are unprepared.
“When you hear that we have a staffing crisis, that sounds kind of bland and bureaucratic. What a housing crisis means is we haven't filled a single position that we've posted to run those programs,” Middleton said. “The state's money that goes towards running these programs cannot work. If it's not enough money to actually have the compassionate and professional people to do this work.”
Cold weather shelters were granted $5 million in funding earlier this year, which was released for use in November.
Funding is in place for programs preventing homelessness before it begins, but officials say more is needed for residents currently experiencing homelessness.
State officials say they understand where shelter providers are coming from, and are allocating as much funding as possible while maintaining a continuum of housing care and needs.
“We're just trying to take that holistic view of of homelessness and knowing that there are people that need services all throughout it, whether it's at the front door, whether it's right when you enter shelter, and you need to exit, whether it's staying in shelter, or whether it's in a rapid rehousing program or permanent supportive housing program,” Steve DiLella, director of Individual and Family Support Programs said. “What we're trying to do is build up the overall system and continuum of care, so that we can really try to affect change.”
This week, the Department of Housing released more than $45 million to help fund homeless programs. But, advocates said many of the funds were already disbursed and largely don’t contribute to emergency shelter space.
