Homelessness in Connecticut increased this year by more than 9%, which is down from a 13% increase last year.
Currently, about one in every 1,000 Connecticut residents is experiencing homelessness, according to Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness Chief Executive Officer Sarah Fox.
“We must deepen our commitment to prevention, strengthen crisis response services and expand affordable housing to continue driving numbers down and ensure all of our neighbors have a safe place to call home,” Fox said.
The national homelessness rate increased by 18% this year, up from a 12% increase last year, according to Fox.
“After a decade of decrease, we're in our fourth consecutive year of increase. But the rate of increase has dropped, and it places us ahead of the national curve,” Fox said.
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), commissioned the Point-in-Time Count report. It involves the state’s homeless service providers tallying the number of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness on a single winter night.
The national homelessness rate increased by 18% this year, up from a 12% increase last year, according to Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness Chief Executive Officer Sarah Fox.
Previously, the rate of increase in homelessness in Connecticut exceeded the national average.
This year, Connecticut’s research and report was conducted by Nutmeg Consulting in partnership with Continuums of Care, state agencies, Coordinated Access Networks (CANs) and providers.
On Jan. 28 of this year, there were more than 3,500 people experiencing homelessness in Connecticut, both sheltered and unsheltered. This is an increase of 325 people over last year.
However, there was a 45% increase in unsheltered homelessness, which means those who are unhoused sleep outdoors, or in cars rather than emergency shelters beds.
The numbers show Connecticut’s homeless response system is successful, but needs more resources, Fox said.
“It's not so much, ‘What were we doing last year?’ Because the system's in place. It works,” Fox said. “It's a compounding impact of the affordable housing crisis, of not having enough permanent housing beds.”
Connecticut has increased its shelter capacities by more than 570 beds in recent years, but it still isn’t enough, Department of Housing (DOH) Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno said.
“We see the reductions in the rate of increase of homelessness year over year,” Mosquera-Bruno said. “Family households experiencing homelessness also showed a drop year over year. These data points tell us that prevention is working.”
The Point-in-Time results are both a sign of progress and a reminder of how much is left to be done in Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DHMAS) Commissioner Nancy Navarretta said.
