A campaign advocating for unhoused individuals has set up shop on the New Haven Green.
The campaign "Where Then Shall We Go?" aims to rescue people who are left without a place to go every night, according to Mark Colville, one of the organizers with the Unhoused Activists’ Community.
Colville said every night, people are kicked out of public spaces such as the train station, and the campaign initiative is a way to offer them some refuge.
“Many, if not most of them, are now sleeping here, they have two hot meals a day and most of all they have a sense of community and togetherness,” Colville said.
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Colville believes the solution to the issue is for the mayor of New Haven to designate a parcel of land where tiny structures would be allowed.
“We need something different from a traditional apartment rental, we need a tract of land, on which safe tiny homes can be built to accommodate all of these folks.”
As previously reported, Colville set up tiny structures in his backyard in 2023 to accommodate the unhoused, ultimately leading to issues with the city due to the tiny structures not being up to the state’s building codes.
Mayor Justin Elicker has stood firm that sanctuary encampments are not the proper solution.
“They want the city to have a sanctioned encampment and we don’t believe that’s the right strategy to address the challenges around homelessness,” Elicker said.
He said the city has purchased a hotel for the unhoused population and is preparing to open a seventh shelter.
Colville said those are not viable options for the people staying on the New Haven Green.
“The kinds of trauma and anxiety and mental health issues, not to mention physical issues that arise when you're chronically homeless make it impossible for you, for many of these people to exist in a shelter all night,” Colville said.
Abdel Abounabet, a second year student at Yale University, described the situation as disheartening as he handed out lunch bags to the unhoused.
“Its very grounding to be out here, and once again it fulfills an obligation that I feel we all have to our community,” Abounabet said.
While he does not know what the right solution is for the group, he encourages others to do what they can in the short term.
“Just stretch out our helping hand, donate our time, donate our money, donate our efforts, just in hopes of doing what we can, so we can truly say we gave all that we could,” Abounabet said.
