Cheshire nonprofit urges council to treat homelessness as local crisis; council accepts $1,100 donation
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Summary
Hope for Our Neighbors told the Town Council the group is already sheltering residents and distributing cold‑weather kits; the council accepted a $1,100 donation to Human Services and councilors promised continued collaboration on housing and shelter strategies.
Hope for Our Neighbors told the Town of Cheshire council on Dec. 16 that houselessness and housing insecurity exist in the community and that the nonprofit is partnering with the police and Human Services to respond.
Paul Bowman, a HFON board member, said the organization documented a small encampment on state property last winter and worked with police and Human Services staff on wellness checks, hotel placements and cleanup. "When we went in there it was probably around 18 degrees," Bowman said, describing police wellness checks and images the group shared with the council.
Patty Flynn Harris, HFON vice president, described HFON’s services and fundraising, including a recent grant from United Way of Greater Waterbury and a community fundraiser. She said HFON provides a cold‑weather kit that officers distribute — sleeping bags, coats and warmers — and that some people in Cheshire refuse shelter or have had negative experiences with shelters. "There's no services and we know that here in town," she said, adding that the nonprofit has used its gift account to pay for hotel placements and emergency remediation when needed.
Human Services director Michelle Picariello, present during the presentation, told the council that intake for state shelter referrals runs through 2‑1‑1 and that callers can experience long wait times. She said hotel placements are an emergency measure, not a long‑term solution. "The hotel housing though is not a sustainable long term plan," she said.
Council Chair Peter J. Talbot thanked HFON, the police and Human Services staff for their work and noted the council will consider budget and nonfinancial supports. Councilors raised specific requests HFON may bring forward — fee waivers for permits and zoning applications, use of town land or buildings, and assistance with connection fees — and encouraged the nonprofit to return with formal proposals.
On the consent calendar the council unanimously accepted and appropriated a $1,100 donation from Hope for Our Neighbors to the Human Services gift account to provide shelter for an unhoused individual. The council also heard HFON ask the town to help document needs and consider longer‑term housing options beyond hotel placements.
Next steps: HFON said it would continue outreach and return to council as planning and requests are developed; staff indicated the council's budget review in the spring will be an opportunity to consider requests that affect town funding or fee structures.