DCF requests one‑time $30.5M for emergency housing; raises shelter funding and capacity questions

Department for Children and Families officials asked the committee to consider a $30,500,000 one‑time general fund appropriation to continue the current emergency housing program and described additional requests to expand and stabilize shelter capacity.

Commissioner Chris Winters said the proposal includes a one‑time $30,500,000 appropriation for emergency housing for FY26, and the Office of Economic Opportunity presented a plan to add $3,300,000 to the Housing Opportunity Program (HOP) base to support shelters that came online this year plus a $2,000,000 one‑time statewide shelter expansion allotment.

Why it matters: DCF and the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) oversee funding that supports hotels/motels, shelter providers and community‑based homeless assistance. Lawmakers pressed department leaders on whether funding was sufficient to operate current shelter capacity and on whether the state should shift more responsibility and resources to community‑level solutions.

OEO director Lily Sojourner said the HOP expansion included both base increases and one‑time startup funding. She told the committee that DCF data shows approximately $17,000,000 from HOP goes to shelter operations for an estimated capacity of about 600 households. In the presentation a department speaker said the "true cost of operating that level of capacity is probably closer to $22 to $35,000,000," a range the department said committee members should consider when evaluating funding adequacy.

The FY26 emergency housing ask includes assumptions the department spelled out: maintaining the existing program under an 1,100‑room cap outside of adverse weather conditions and maintaining an 80‑day cap on days per household outside of adverse weather, with no explicit cap during adverse weather beyond room availability. Committee members asked whether the state should pursue a more decentralized, community‑based model for shelter operations and whether resources would be adequate if the state moved farther in that direction.

Representative questions reflected concern about per‑night rates and budget limits; one member asked about earlier caps and per‑night amounts. Department staff acknowledged those caps remain in place under current law and said they are tracking operational cost estimates.

Ending: Legislators asked DCF and OEO to return with more detailed cost and capacity data and to clarify how shelter operating costs compare to current HOP and emergency housing funding.