Homelessness advocates press Connecticut to boost HB 51‑60 funding to $123.9M, citing rising unsheltered cases
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Summary
Nonprofit providers, people with lived experience and local officials urged the Housing Committee to raise the governor's homelessness appropriation and to fund flexible prevention dollars, more rental assistance, and statewide staffing increases to meet a reported 44% rise in homelessness since 2021.
Advocates and service providers told the Connecticut Housing Committee that the state’s homeless response system is under‑resourced and that the governor’s proposed funding for HB 51‑60 is insufficient to meet rapidly rising needs.
Multiple nonprofit leaders and people with lived experience urged the committee to amend HB 51‑60 to increase annual appropriations from the governor’s proposal (about $33.5M for the items discussed) up to $123.9M. They said the larger package would fund three pillars: prevention/diversion flexible funds, expanded emergency shelter and outreach capacity, and an enlarged rental‑assistance (RAP/WRAP) program paired with case management.
A common request was $10M for flexible prevention funding, $31.6M to bring people inside and expand capacity, and about $82.3M to scale rental assistance and accompanying case management — the sums advocates say are required to reduce inflow and stabilize people already in the system.
Tasia Andino of the Friendship Service Center said her housing‑search position (which housed 118 people during the prior grant period) was cut and that restoring specialists statewide would speed placements; she requested $1.75M to fund two specialists per Coordinated Access Network (CAN) region as part of a $15.8M staffing ask. ‘‘Investing 15,800,000 annually will help expand staffing capacity, bring people inside faster, increase placements, and improve housing stability statewide,’’ she testified.
People with lived experience and clinicians testified how quickly households slide into crisis and how limited flexible payments (security deposits, first month’s rent, IDs) impede exits from the streets. Sarah Fox and representatives from the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness and the Partnership for Strong Communities argued prevention dollars save public costs and lives; outreach and staffing shortages create dangerous delays in shelter and service access.
Nonprofit leaders also urged $12.3M for extreme‑weather response and more street outreach positions, citing an increase in unsheltered homelessness and multiple recent deaths. Several providers noted federal funding uncertainties and argued the state must sustain investments if federal grants decline.
Committee members thanked speakers and asked detailed follow‑up questions about program design and staffing. No vote was taken; advocates said they will continue to press for a higher appropriation and for clearer program design to expand RAP/WRAP with paired case management.
