The following information was shared at a press conference held on Friday, February 3rd:
(NEW HAVEN, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, Senator Richard Blumenthal, and Senator Chris Murphy today held a news conference in New Haven to announce that the State of Connecticut is receiving an $18 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address homelessness among people in unsheltered settings and rural communities.
The funds are being directed toward two state agencies – the Connecticut Department of Housing and the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services – and will be distributed over three years with the state receiving approximately $6 million annually. These funds will be used for three separate services:
- Access point to homeless services: The Connecticut Department of Housing will invest $6 million ($2 million annually over three years) toward the state’s newly created regional hubs, which provide an access point to homeless services, including walk-in referrals. Connecticut has seven hubs strategically located throughout the state within each of its regional Coordinated Access Networks. These hubs provide intake services and diversion services, which ultimately can be used to prevent individuals and families from entering homelessness.
- Homeless outreach services: The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services will invest $6 million ($2 million annually over three years) to provide homeless outreach services. These funds will be directed to private, nonprofit agencies and used to hire homeless outreach workers who will identify individuals and families living outside and in places not meant for human habitation. These workers will be able to quickly identify these individuals and families and act as quickly as possible to house them. They will also be able to refer these individuals to other services they may need, such as mental health services, medical support, and employment services.
- Permanent supportive housing: The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services will invest $6 million ($2 million annually over three years) to provide approximately 40 rental assistance vouchers, along with supportive services, that will house people directly from unsheltered homelessness. This allocation for permanent supportive housing will include a services component that will assist unsheltered individuals and families who have rental assistance vouchers but do not have ongoing housing support services. This funding will help the participants have a safe, affordable, and permanent place to live and will provide services to assist with addressing issues that may have contributed to their homelessness.
Governor Lamont said, “Stable housing is not only critical for the development of safe communities, but it is a moral imperative. We must ensure that everyone has access to a safe and stable place to call home. Here in Connecticut, we have a strong network of support services that are not only focused on providing housing for those in need, but also connect people to the related services that can cause housing instability, such as those related to mental health, employment, and healthcare. This $18 million commitment Connecticut is receiving for homelessness support will provide a significant boost for our state. I appreciate the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for their commitment to addressing homelessness, not only in our state but throughout the country.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal said, “This $18 million in federal funding is a lifeline. As temperatures drop to dangerous levels in Connecticut today, too many people are still struggling to find shelter in our state. These critical funds will be transformative and will no doubt help many vulnerable people at the time when they need it most. I am proud to see these funds delivered to Connecticut and will keep fighting for more resources to address this crisis.”
Senator Chris Murphy said, “Every person deserves a safe, warm, and stable place to call home. We have a lot of work to do to address the shortage of affordable housing in our state, but this $18 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will go a long way to ensure more people can access support services and ultimately find permanent housing. It’s an enormous investment in Connecticut’s work to tackle homelessness, especially for those without shelter and those in rural communities.”
U.S. Representative John B. Larson (CT-01) said, “It is a real honor for Connecticut to be one of the first states in the country awarded funding from HUD to offer services for the homeless population, both in the urban and rural corners of our state. These funds will support new hubs to offer resources for individuals without phone or internet access, permanent housing options for residents at risk for homelessness, and dedicated funding to support homelessness initiatives in Litchfield County. I am proud these groundbreaking initiatives are all made possible by an $18 million federal grant.”
U.S. Representative Joe Courtney (CT-02) said, “We have some outstanding leaders in towns throughout eastern Connecticut who have been successful in helping people struggling with homelessness to get back on their feet. The only barrier to sizing up that success is a lack of resources. Today, Connecticut is becoming one of the first states nationwide to receive federal funding through the Department of Housing to help ramp up services that provide direct, critical assistance to people in our communities without homes or shelters – helping folks get out of the cold, into safe housing, and on the way towards a healthy and sustainable future. Resources like these are an investment in the hearts of our communities, and I’m proud to know it’s being made possible with federal funding.”
U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) said, “We have to do everything we can to provide support for people and families who are experiencing homelessness throughout Connecticut. This $18 million in funding will now support the work of the newly created hubs that provide an access point to services for unsheltered individuals who do not have access to a phone to contact 2-1-1 emergency services. Additionally, this funding will be used for supportive housing to help those unsheltered who have rental assistance vouchers but lack critically needed support services like case management and access to healthcare. Increasing coordinated access, diversion services, and homeless services systems will allow our communities to intervene before individuals and families even become homeless.”
U.S. Representative Jim Himes (CT-04) said, “It is our moral duty to protect our communities most vulnerable citizens. This $18 million will be a transformative lifeline for families across Connecticut, helping them access health care, diversion services, and temporary housing through the cold winter months.”
U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes (CT-05) said, “Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. Today, I join in celebrating $18 million in federal funds coming through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help address homelessness across Connecticut. This infusion of federal funding will promote healthy and safe communities where all can live in dignity.”
This $18 million in funding for Connecticut is part of a larger announcement from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide $315 million in grants for homelessness services throughout the country.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said, “Homelessness is a crisis, and it is solvable. Housing with supportive services solves homelessness. That’s why for the first time the federal government is deploying targeted resources to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness in unsheltered settings or rural areas. With these grants and vouchers, HUD is filling this gap and giving communities the resources and tools to improve housing and health outcomes for people on the streets, in encampments, under bridges, and in rural areas.”
Connecticut Department of Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno said, “On cold days like today, we need to ensure that our unsheltered citizens have access to a warm place. This generous HUD award will allow Connecticut to expand its services to the unsheltered population by providing funding to increase homeless outreach, coordinate entry to the newly created hubs, and permanent supportive housing. With these funds, the Department of Housing is excited to work with our partners to end unsheltered and rural homelessness across Connecticut.”
Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Commissioner Nancy Navarretta said, “This funding will enhance DMHAS efforts to provide targeted outreach to persons experiencing unsheltered homelessness, connecting them to housing services across Connecticut. Our goal is to ensure that people exit homelessness quickly and can address the factors that impacted, and may have exacerbated, their housing crisis. DMHAS looks forward to continued partnership with HUD, sister state agencies, our dedicated service providers, and those we serve.”
Anyone experiencing homelessness is strongly urged to call 2-1-1 to get connected to supportive services.