Concerns about homeless shelter space as temperatures drop

With temperatures dropping, organizations that operate homeless shelters are making a plea for more support.

They said Connecticut’s homelessness problem continues to grow, but funding for shelter space has not kept up. Organizations say lawmakers need to take even more action when they craft the next budget.

“We are hearing of deaths across the state, of people who are dying outside,” Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness CEO Sarah Fox said.

Fox said her coalition is working to get an estimate on the shelter shortage, as demand can fluctuate based on weather.

She said homelessness is up 14% over the last year, though, while funding for cold weather shelters is down 10%.

Marilyn Rossetti, Hartford city council member and CEO for Open Heart Association, agrees shelters don’t have enough beds to meet the need when temperatures drop.

“We're always looking at a problem as far as bed availability,” Rossetti said. “There’s also the issue of people who don’t want to go into shelter, but there’s never enough beds.”

Wilfredo Ramos, who currently lives in a Hartford shelter, said the homeless problem is getting worse as people struggle to get into a shelter.

“You see young people in the lines and sleeping under bridges,” he said “That’s hard.”

CCEH also points out the state used American Rescue Plan Act funding to support homeless programs, but that money is going away.

They’re pushing for $33.5 million in the next budget to both address that need and provide support.

That includes $7.8 million for programs meant to keep people in their homes, $19.5 million for shelters and services and another $6.2 million to get people into permanent housing.

“Now people are staying [in shelters] for a year,” Fox said. “We have babies who are literally spending their first year in a shelter.”

Lawmakers said they want to provide more funding for shelters but will need to balance other demands when crafting the next budget.

“Are there dollars there – yes,” Rep. Jason Rojas (D-Majority Leader) said. “Will it come at the expense of something else – possibly. But we’re literally talking about life here, life and death here.”

Lawmakers return to the Capitol on Wednesday. Sen. Stephen Harding (R-Minority Leader) agrees that helping the homeless should be a priority.

He criticized the decision, though, to use one-time ARPA to support the ongoing need of shelter space.

“There can be investment that’s prioritized toward that, I think we just have to be smart in the investment that we make,” Harding said.

Advocates said there are also changes the state can make that don’t require additional money in the budget.

CCEH wants to see local and state officials move away from arresting or ticketing people who are homeless. The organization also wants the state to provide incentives for landlords who offer up units to help the homeless.

Rossetti, meanwhile, suggested a shift back toward more rooming houses – homes that offer people an individual room for sleep, but communal space for showers and other needs.

Rossetti said those can be a low-cost option to move people out of a homeless shelter while they search for a more permanent home.

“Someone started at a lower rent, you know, a smaller, maybe a shared bathroom,” she said. “And then they work and then they save and then they move to the next step.”