Human Services director details rising demand and seeks modest increases for food, housing and crisis programs

Michelle Picariello, director of Human Services for the Town of Cheshire, told the council the department is seeing rising need for basic assistance and requested targeted increases to program accounts during the budget committee meeting on March 23.

"The mission of our department is to support the social, emotional and physical well-being of Cheshire residents across the lifespan," Picariello said, and then summarized operational pressures: fuel assistance expenditures rose from about $4,812 in the prior fiscal year to roughly $6,300 so far in the current year; referrals for the food voucher program are up by 19 clients; and energy assistance clients increased by about 39 so far. Housing insecurity assistance increased from a little over $5,500 in fiscal 2025 to $17,382 year to date, a mix of hotel shelter and rental assistance.

Picariello told the council most of those direct-assistance programs are funded from the department's gift account, which relies on donations rather than tax dollars, and expressed concern about sustainability as demand rises. She requested restoring nutrition funding to $10,000 (it was cut to $5,000), a $3,000 increase for youth services program materials, and $5,000 to crisis intervention to meet the higher need for housing assistance and ongoing case management.

Councilors thanked the department and asked for year‑over‑year crisis-referral data and clarity on line items. Picariello said she would provide comparative referral numbers. Council members acknowledged the department's small share of the total municipal budget (about $33 per capita) and expressed support for the program's outcomes while noting broader fiscal constraints.

The requested increases were recorded for the committee's deliberations; no appropriation vote was taken at the March 23 session.