Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

Homelessness is down in CT. Here are 5 things to know.

  • Social Services
  • by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas
  • January 8, 2020
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

A herd of volunteers across the country spend one winter night each year searching for homeless people.

Here are 5 things to know about what they found in 2019 in Connecticut, according to a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

1. Homelessness is down

The homeless population has steadily declined. There are 1,450 fewer homeless people identified in 2019 than 2007 – a 32% decline. There was a one-year increase between 2017 and 2018 because of the influx of Puerto Ricans moving to the state after Hurricane Maria hit the island.

Richard Cho, the chief executive director of Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, said that much more work remains.

“We are seeing modest declines. It’s not huge,” he said. “We are nowhere at scale. If we had more resources we would be seeing steeper declines.”

2. Most sleep in emergency shelters

Most of the homeless people counted by volunteers are living in short-term emergency shelters — about 70% in 2019.

The decline in the overall number of homeless residents has been matched by a dwindling number of people lingering in emergency shelters. However, the number living in long-term shelters has dropped much faster.

Cho said the decline in the number of people living in shelters is encouraging because it means they are getting the housing they need to avoid shelters. The number of beds in shelters has remained constant over the years, he said.

Because it is much harder to find those who are homeless and are so-called “couch surfing” and living temporarily with friends or family, these tallies don’t account for the whole spectrum of those experiencing homelessness.

3. There are homeless children, lots of them.

Volunteers counted 577 homeless children in Connecticut in 2019. While nearly all the homeless children identified were living on the streets or in shelters with their families, some were alone.

Nine, to be exact.

4. Nearly every homeless veteran is off the streets.

The number of homeless veterans has been halved since 2011. And among the 195 homeless veterans who remain, nearly all of them are sheltered.

5. Number of homeless declining faster than most states

The number of people identified as homeless since 2007 has declined faster in Connecticut than 33 other states. The state has also received official recognition from the federal government for ending veteran homelessness, meaning that when veterans become homeless they are being quickly identified and provided housing opportunities.

However, Cho said, “We are far from ending homelessness.”

About 3,000 people live in shelters on any given day.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jacqueline Rabe Thomas is CT Mirror’s Education and Housing Reporter and an original member of the CT Mirror staff. She has won first-place awards for investigative reporting from state, New England, and national organizations. Before joining CT Mirror in late 2009, Jacqueline was a reporter, online editor and website developer for The Washington Post Co.’s Maryland newspaper chains. She has also worked for Congressional Quarterly and the Toledo Free Press. Jacqueline received an undergraduate degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University and a master’s in public policy from Trinity College.

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Boston Fed chief predicts strong economic recovery begins in 2nd half of 2021 if vaccine reaches enough people
by Keith M. Phaneuf

A strong economic rebound also depends on states helping those hit hardest by COVID-19, a federal reserve official said.

CT budget debate heats up quickly over equity
by Keith M. Phaneuf

Urban lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee charged Gov. Ned Lamont's budget largely ignores inequities in education and health care.

Lamont leans heavily on federal aid to keep taxes flat in CT
by Keith M. Phaneuf

Gov. Ned Lamont relies on federal funding and state reserves to balance his new budget without significant tax hikes.

Lamont uses federal dollars and reserves to boost local aid, avert tax hikes in his new budget
by Keith M. Phaneuf

While Lamont’s plan provides short-term stability, it also could leave Connecticut with challenges after the 2022 elections.

Big variables cloud upcoming CT budget debate
by Keith M. Phaneuf

Another potential wave of federal stimulus, a complex spending cap and other variables cloud the next Connecticut budget debate.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Better rail service will boost Naugatuck Valley economy
by Kara Rochelle

For residents of the Naugatuck Valley, whether you ride the train or not, increased rail service will directly and positively affect your life. Increased and reliable rail service means increases in property values.

Opinion Why a Connecticut family foundation is funding the national movement for Black lives
by William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund. Board and Staff

The last several years have thrust racial injustice against Black people not only into the media spotlight, but also into our emerging public consciousness about the continued consequences of our nation’s legacy of slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation.

Opinion Statewide standardized testing this Spring: To what end?
by Christopher E. Trombly

Despite many challenges, Congressional committees in both houses remain steadfast in their belief that state standardized testing should be administered this spring.  They cite the recent announcement that NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) testing will not be conducted this year as adding to this “moral imperative.” Better would be for state departments of education to use the myriad data that administrators and teachers have naturally collected since March to allocate resources that will allow for student learning to be recovered, and for historic structural inequities to be addressed at long last.

Opinion Felons and non-citizens on Connecticut juries? Not a good idea
by Steven Wilf

A move is afoot to extend the privilege of sitting on a jury to released felons and non-citizen long-term residents. According to a recent report, supported by Connecticut Chief Justice Richard Robinson, making this change would increase Black and Latinx representation. This is a laudatory goal. But it undermines the very foundations of jury participation as a key aspect of citizenship.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO