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Homelessness advocates press for $33.5M in ongoing funding for prevention, response and permanent housing
Summary
Service providers, housing advocates and municipal officials told the Appropriations subcommittee Connecticut's homeless response is strained and urged the legislature to add sustained funding for prevention, eviction diversion, shelter capacity and permanent supportive housing.
Nonprofit providers, municipal officials and statewide advocates testified to the Appropriations Subcommittee that Connecticut's homeless response system is underfunded, that homelessness has risen in recent months, and that additional ongoing state support is required for prevention, crisis response and housing.
Sarah Fox, chief executive officer of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, told the panel that homelessness rose 13% in 2024 and that roughly 5,000 people are experiencing homelessness in the state, including about 900 people living unsheltered. “Investments in prevention, crisis response, and housing save lives,” she said, and asked the committee to fund the homeless response system at $33,500,000 to create “a strategic pathway forward.”
What advocates asked for - A number of speakers asked the legislature to annualize cold‑weather and emergency response funding and to provide additional, ongoing resources for eviction prevention, flexible financial assistance and shelter diversion hubs (CAN hubs). One request listed during testimony: $5.3 million annually for an eviction prevention partnership and $2.5 million for flexible funds for short‑term financial assistance. - Several witnesses urged additional rental assistance program (RAP) funding and immediate expansion of rental vouchers and supportive housing wrap vouchers. The Partnership for Strong Communities asked the committee to increase RAP funding substantially and to expand housing vouchers; written testimony cited gaps between existing vouchers and the number of eligible households.
Why it matters: Testimony placed the issue in human and fiscal terms: homelessness is associated with higher emergency room use and inpatient care, while stable housing plus case management reduces recurring costs and improves outcomes, witnesses said. Providers said staff are overstretched, shelters operate at or beyond capacity, and delayed federal funding and expiring ARPA dollars are creating uncertainty for service providers.
On the record - Testimony documented client stories and system metrics: callers to 2‑1‑1 for shelter and housing assistance have surged, waiting lists exist for rental assistance, and providers cannot place people because rental vacancy and the supply of affordable housing remain constrained. - Municipal and nonprofit leaders including housing directors from New Haven and East Hartford described local housing gaps and asked the state for increased wrap vouchers and capital to create more permanent supportive housing.
Process and next steps - Witnesses encouraged the committee to treat homelessness prevention and housing expansion as a budget priority and to provide ongoing, indexed funding rather than one‑time allocations. The committee did not vote during the hearing; advocates said they would follow up with written materials and asked for the funding to be included in the final budget.
Ending: Advocates framed spending on prevention and housing as cost‑effective public investments that reduce emergency costs and improve health and public safety; they urged the subcommittee to adopt the requested increases to the homeless response system.
