About
Fighting Homelessness Since 1982
Columbus House is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides a broad continuum of care to people who are experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk, empowering them to move toward independence.
Serving Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, & New London Counties
Our primary goal is to provide housing either through our own programs or through referrals to service-enriched or independent housing. We strive to get people into a home as quickly as possible – many times bypassing the shelter system altogether.
Help Columbus House End Homelessness
2,584
People Served in the Last Year
Every donation makes a direct impact for our neighbors.
Over 40 Years of Service
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1982
Shelter doors open at 200 Columbus Avenue, our original location in New Haven.
1986
Columbus House opens its first Men's Seasonal Overflow Shelter in New Haven.
1992
Outreach & Engagement program with collaborative partners begins serving those who are living on the street.
1995
Our first Transitional Living Program, Davenport House (now Recovery House), is implemented.
1998
Cedar Hill, our Permanent Supportive Housing site, begins offering case management for clients.
2002
New shelter at 586 Ella T. Grasso Boulevard in New Haven opens, doubling our capacity to serve single adults.
2005
Case managers begin serving Permanent Supportive Housing clients living in “scattered site” apartments.
2009
Permanent Supportive Housing services expanded to help Waterbury residents.
2010
The Middlesex Family Shelter in Middletown becomes a Columbus House program.
2011
Rapid Re-Housing programs begin and Pathways to Independence program launches.
2013
Columbus House expands to serve over 350 Veterans and their families. Our first Medical Respite Program opens.
2015
Federal government announces that CT is the first state in the country to end “chronic” homelessness among Veterans.
2016
The Wallingford Emergency Shelter becomes a program of Columbus House.
2017
Launch of the HOMELESS:HOUSED project, a collaboration between Columbus House and Yale School of Architecture.
2018
Three-Year CARF Accreditation Awarded to Columbus House. Columbus House and partners help launch ctcandata.org.
2019
Alison Cunningham, Columbus House’s leader for over 21 years, says farewell.
2020
Development of new Rapid Exit Approach, moving 700+ people into permanent housing.
2022
With COVID safety measures in place, guests begin returning to the New Haven Shelter on April 1.
2026
Today, CEO Louis Gill is rethinking homelessness solutions and how we structure our programming.
End of Timeline
