[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,74,86,98],{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43,"_44":45,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6252303,"mediaKeyId","3189762-23f972fd9243175cbb6d1a5765e7dcc7","parentId",3189762,"title","Libraries, arts leaders ask aldermen for capital, staffing and cultural funding amid federal cuts","audioSeconds",298,"startMs",8072000,"endMs",8370000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3189762-23f972fd9243175cbb6d1a5765e7dcc7&start=8072&end=8370","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3189762-23f972fd9243175cbb6d1a5765e7dcc7/thumbnail_8072000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6252303/New-Haven-County/Connecticut/Libraries-arts-leaders-ask-aldermen-for-capital-staffing-and-cultural-funding-amid-federal-cuts","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252303-89902bedfbe47bf2817792678f5e192f/orig.mp4?Expires=1769717337&Signature=SVU17WezIrX57Ze~f4hpiGXfwgb9185AA5bM~DCWXT3dewet227-~4MC76N~r0BTOWZJnRRNYuVm7Hfv6~A0boTHItmMC83IWDZY22AQdHGyK4k~7HFPcddxmgBD7qcgTxB7QINuy6ud8uAjXWUGVDU9kuPT9zolR6wv3C3WCwEerTokmSPpuxTg8WfMLxLGSnWawMoxJ~9e1wqYTShACGsRKnhMdPtR31fc2KZ41GXqzOM-eoo9UY4pU-o9RRa4-Lvv2PG-NhPX6ths93nw6zFBCc-YnxgAiD3Z5CJyAjDxrGouHNVrnPbQOlIEBUGgKc27pRd1SIP7LXBf5oqRew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Haven County, CT","date","2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","article","Representatives of the New Haven Free Public Library system and the city’s arts community urged aldermen to protect and expand funding for libraries and arts and culture programs as part of the municipal budget.

City Librarian Maria Bernain and Kim Rogers, identified in testimony as lead librarian for New Haven Public Schools, described capital and equipment needs across five library buildings and requested $500,000 in city capital funding and $400,000 for IT upgrades. \"We are community hubs that offer meeting rooms, book clubs and programs — we are safe spaces for residents — and our buildings need upgrades,\" Bernain told the committee.

Library testimony emphasized heavy usage: the system reported about 918,000 visits and more than 2,700 programs last year. Speakers described deteriorating roof and HVAC needs at branches including Ives and Mitchell and noted that library facilities are used as cooling and warming centers in extreme weather. Bernain said Ives’ last major renovation dated to 2017 for the makerspace addition, while portions of the building had not been touched since 1989.

Arts and cultural leaders warned that federal reductions and an executive order affecting the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and other federal arts programs put local cultural organizations at risk. Hope Chavez of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven said the city's arts department budget, at about $190,000, is too small to sustain programming and staff. \"Arts plus anything equals accelerated and sustained growth,\" Chavez said, urging expanded municipal support.

Several cultural-affairs commissioners and nonprofit arts leaders described partnerships with the city — festivals, neighborhood events and artist support programs — and asked for modest city investments to protect an ecosystem that they argued drives local economic activity and quality of life.

No formal funding allocations were made during the hearing; aldermen said the testimony will inform capital and operating budget discussion in the coming weeks.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","New Haven BoA Finance Committee 4/30/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Library and arts leaders told the finance committee that the city must invest in library infrastructure (a $500,000 capital request), stronger arts department funding and staffing for cultural programs as federal grants shrink. Speakers warned that proposed cuts to librarians and arts educators would reduce services and community programming.","taxTitle","New Haven County, Connecticut","taxId",4247,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":75,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":76,"_40":77,"_42":78,"_44":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6252308,"Continuum, Compass describe emergency shelter and outreach work at Fox Inn and city navigation hubs",895,327000,1222000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3189762-23f972fd9243175cbb6d1a5765e7dcc7&start=327&end=1222","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3189762-23f972fd9243175cbb6d1a5765e7dcc7/thumbnail_327000.jpg","/articles/6252308/New-Haven-County/Connecticut/Continuum-Compass-describe-emergency-shelter-and-outreach-work-at-Fox-Inn-and-city-navigation-hubs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252308-71f89de1d895f128ce8fec597817e7f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1769717337&Signature=VtxiLqzTDkCEtmaKAkbRiMLEiR6ovOH5rzr2~j54dADS4uBTYdEN9AKXEN82PHI91BG9A2AGCp4UyhZgVrEsLWjG1QdJJfOkeZPTC8FflP8JNrHAbJwymnlsMvkgZLdI3DlHXNpNHfbp6RIlFKCJVG44JyOFhxGTZ1GQ~U46tHnetdRpQgZWPFlXjCBr~cdXe861viBnnmL4ev8aDwIQ-apGT9PIy~XM9bi1JJsKxuCrLrV2-o9G7WPbbWaWEujfs2dEdAuEIR-XaZb9wtNG4Nw3DK-Mo8Lkfvrmp0RSnlcYzrg9TVpYWaMCp~aOshkmPhrAAj3oxuoWdSnlKivr~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Continuum of Care staff and outreach partners described a series of emergency-response and stabilization services — including a converted hotel shelter called Fox Inn — that the city and nonprofit partners now offer to people experiencing homelessness.

John Lobeneck, identified in testimony as a licensed social worker for Continuum of Care, outlined the program model for Fox Inn, which the presentation said opened in late fall 2024 as a non‑congregate emergency shelter converted from a hotel. Lobeneck said the site is intended to serve people with complex needs, including older adults, people with disabilities, people experiencing serious mental health problems and those who require ADA‑accessible units and space for service animals.

\"We provide clinical mental‑health services, nursing, medication management, and trained behavioral‑health professionals,\" Lobeneck said. The facility design emphasizes private or semi‑private units and lower‑stimulus spaces compared with traditional shelters; staff said those features make the site more acceptable to people who decline congregate placements.

Speakers also described the local outreach and engagement model. Elm City Compass staff were credited with repeated street outreach and persistent engagement in cases where individuals initially refused services; staff repeatedly attended locations until individuals accepted support. One outreach case described a person who ultimately accepted transport to a stabilization facility, received nursing and clinical assessment, and later entered substance‑use treatment.

Continuum staff outlined connections between the emergency shelter system and longer‑term housing options: case management, referrals to residential rehab, supervised living, transitional housing and placement on shelter wait lists. They also described partnerships with the City’s police department and other first responders to reduce default reliance on emergency rooms.

Speakers reiterated the program’s complexity and the need for ongoing coordination and funding to maintain clinical staffing and transportation capacity. No formal votes or policy changes were made at the hearing; the presentation was informational and intended to help aldermen understand recent program expansion and service outcomes.","Continuum of Care and Elm City Compass staff presented case examples of outreach and described services at a converted hotel shelter (Fox Inn), a stabilization rest program, and linked services including nursing and behavioral health. Speakers urged continued collaboration between emergency response, police and community providers.",{"_32":87,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":88,"_40":89,"_42":90,"_44":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6252313,"Teachers, librarians and parents urge aldermen to protect student-facing positions amid district deficit",2353,3627000,5980000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3189762-23f972fd9243175cbb6d1a5765e7dcc7&start=3627&end=5980","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3189762-23f972fd9243175cbb6d1a5765e7dcc7/thumbnail_3627000.jpg","/articles/6252313/New-Haven-County/Connecticut/Teachers-librarians-and-parents-urge-aldermen-to-protect-student-facing-positions-amid-district-deficit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252313-5d8b61dc4e6b743c865cc2943df6561e/orig.mp4?Expires=1769717337&Signature=YaOD656z2XpJqR2C169TTltaJ2Ijyy103Swq7a0QpW6xhaonZaeYWfN6wMTWhHqurQS7pD0opcfSR4rCNyOd0Nh6OqGBApucGYRL9xnw6y~CU7877cPQt6DiwYW~v7kKrnC4NdyqGFPfr6nJJhG6QqUFoSXRVux5fPT3K1fexLvXQfvl1DFO3cjCANtGKaYAA~TJ~qTDBR1VowWw5RDnXALpz8gjSlAvFQU2CtPLvuUSPzGuvMILjwuTOpxMyQSxl7H4IR1Gs1NiclHxAvaRDjwQZN9G7YJk0uZYGCUA8GFbMklvc-IERyTliQtg1bfIr-jMYNDo7E6RE-ZCXQ1akA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A stream of teachers, parents, students and union leaders urged the Board of Alders’ Finance Committee to safeguard student-facing positions in New Haven Public Schools and to endorse the administration’s push for more resources from the city and state.

Multiple speakers called on aldermen to prioritize classroom staffing over administrative cuts and to oppose proposals that would eliminate library media specialists, arts teachers, paraeducators, and other student-facing roles. \"Cutting the educators who are doing the actual on-the-ground work of teaching and learning with our young people must be a nonstarter,\" said Julia Miller, identified in testimony as the 2025 Connecticut Teacher of the Year.

Union leaders from the New Haven Federation of Teachers asked the committee to back the mayor’s $5 million proposed increase for schools and to press the state to revise the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula. Jenny Graves, vice president of NHFT, told aldermen the union is working with the superintendent and the mayor to seek state action and urged local approval of the increase: \"We cannot keep doing more with less,\" Graves said.

Teachers and students supplied concrete examples of what would be lost if cuts proceed. A music teacher testified that band and arts classes provide critical community and social supports for students; another teacher warned that removing library media specialists would jeopardize research, makerspace activities and literacy supports. A student member of the Board of Education described the library media specialist as essential to school life and said losing the position would harm study spaces, events and student morale.

Speakers also urged the aldermen to press the state for structural change. Several witnesses repeated the union’s call for state-level action to add a 50 percent weight to special-education funding in the ECS formula. \"We need assurances that any deficit mitigation actions taken by the district stay as far away from children as possible,\" said Julia Miller.

No finance-committee votes were taken on school funding at the meeting. Committee members signaled they will factor testimony into upcoming budget deliberations and urged continued coordination with the Board of Education and mayoral office on state advocacy.

Notes: testimony combined remarks from classroom teachers (including arts and music educators), union leaders (NHFT leadership), parents, student representatives, and school staff. Several speakers referenced district mitigation proposals and differing counts of possible layoffs; those layoff figures were cited during testimony but are proposals under consideration by the Board of Education rather than final actions by the aldermen.","Teachers, union leaders, parents and students told the Board of Alders’ Finance Committee that proposed budget mitigation plans should avoid cuts to classroom teachers, librarians, arts and extracurricular positions. Many speakers urged the committee to support the mayor’s $5 million local increase and press the state for fair funding.",{"_32":99,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":100,"_40":101,"_42":102,"_44":103,"_46":104,"_48":105,"_50":106,"_52":107,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":108,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":109,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6252317,"Coalition asks New Haven to add $993,000 to support food pantries, healthy-food procurement",7773,963000,8736000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3189762-23f972fd9243175cbb6d1a5765e7dcc7&start=963&end=8736","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3189762-23f972fd9243175cbb6d1a5765e7dcc7/thumbnail_963000.jpg","/articles/6252317/New-Haven-County/Connecticut/Coalition-asks-New-Haven-to-add-993000-to-support-food-pantries-healthy-food-procurement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252317-c19447db600ba5229b3107aa99f1c476/orig.mp4?Expires=1769717337&Signature=dlW70GcA8R-2ufRkPH5snWwAmtgGHMrac5Uif5uVduBdmtKOMHgyAacbKCqbp0i3-2qExsenjmVxyBv5r81XqltaWUU4f6MgsYHWgQhUr9qjWjVXYaILLdOmg0QdV69RrmO~FPAKD-I4mwF1bdnZjC0cQhh2pnWnt4aZGh53Uzr9XHvTn0EJYwp4L-oX3Pa5ucnqFrI4kTNE6odil1uwqTSJ2UPCFXq9mudRv0BGBDZoVzBGaREPU0TKx4sUJT6-lIdGTSWKH7whxWqYr-qDvsCKkBc6gC759alZdA5bLClnPwfqNvOpQe5qWbxGcXhTKY07oX0X7DN~4s5V86MG0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On a night of packed public testimony before the Board of Alders' Finance Committee, the Coordinated Food Assistance Network asked the city to add $993,000 to the proposed budget to support New Haven's network of food pantries, soup kitchens and related programs.

CFAN representatives told aldermen the request covers healthy-food procurement, equipment for pantries and meal-distribution programs, and staff capacity — including a proposed SNAP outreach worker and a community health worker to connect clients with benefits and services. \"We are asking the city of New Haven to do your part,\" CFAN speaker Alicia Santilli said at the hearing.

CFAN and dozens of partner speakers described rising demand and operational strain. Steve Worland, executive director of the Downtown Union Soup Kitchen and one of CFAN’s co-chairs, noted that a pending Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) proposal could provide a major one-time boost but is not guaranteed. \"Putting food assistance into the general fund declares an intent to maintain this network when federal funding falls short,\" Worland said.

Speakers supplied local data and operational details to justify the ask. Kathleen O’Connor Daphne of the Community Alliance for Research and Engagement cited the citywide food-insecurity rate: \"In 2024, food insecurity among residents in New Haven rose to 27 percent,\" she said. CFAN testimony summarized recent program activity: volunteers pack roughly 1,200 grocery bags per school-break distribution; over three years those distributions totaled about 10,800 bags serving roughly 18,000 people, including 8,365 youth.

Front-line pantry operators described day-to-day shortages. Maurice Grant of Loaves & Fishes said his organization has seen weeks in which Connecticut Foodshare deliveries dropped from their normal 10,000 pounds to 3,000 pounds, leaving storage rooms nearly empty. \"When we ran out of food five weeks ago, I ran laps to grocery stores to make sure we had food on Saturdays. That's not sustainable,\" Grant told the committee.

Food recovery groups and logistic partners urged investment in infrastructure. Roberto Casanueva of Haven's Harvest said the nonprofit redistributes tens of thousands of pounds of surplus food each week and asked the city for operating support, a full-time warehouse manager (CDBG-funded), and assistance securing a long-term food-recovery hub. \"Rescue food recovery is the best return on investment,\" he said, citing environmental and social benefits.

Speakers described how the requested dollars would be used: purchase and refrigeration of fresh produce, a refrigerated vehicle for distribution, staffing to coordinate pantry logistics and SNAP outreach, and expansion of school-break grocery programs so more children can receive groceries during extended breaks. Several speakers stressed that many pantries are volunteer-run and lack funds to store and distribute fresh foods.

No vote on the CFAN request occurred during the hearing. Aldermen and staff said they will consider the ask during formal budget deliberations.

Looking ahead, CFAN leaders and partners asked the city to stabilize food assistance funding in the general fund — not only CDBG — so pantries and recovery networks can continue when federal sources are uncertain.

Notes: testimony combined public comments from CFAN and multiple partner organizations including Downtown Union Soup Kitchen, Loaves & Fishes, Haven's Harvest, Beulah Heights Social Integration Program, New Haven Pride Center, United Way of Greater New Haven, and others.","At a Board of Alders finance hearing, the Coordinated Food Assistance Network (CFAN) and partner organizations urged the city to include $993,000 in the municipal budget to shore up pantries and soup kitchens, expand healthy-food purchases, and fund staff for SNAP outreach and logistics.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Libraries, arts leaders ask aldermen for capital, staffing and cultural funding amid federal cuts

Continuum, Compass describe emergency shelter and outreach work at Fox Inn and city navigation hubs

Teachers, librarians and parents urge aldermen to protect student-facing positions amid district deficit

Coalition asks New Haven to add $993,000 to support food pantries, healthy-food procurement