The future of homelessness services
December 10, 2024
Home State is CT Mirror's housing newsletter written by Ginny Monk, who has covered housing since 2017. Not a subscriber? Sign up here.
Good morning!
Last week, homelessness service providers and advocates gathered in New Haven for the Columbus House breakfast to talk about some of their work this year and what they’re expecting in the upcoming year.
I was particularly interested in some of the discussion about politics, both at the federal and state level. Our country is at a moment of anticipated change with the shifting of presidential power. Connecticut is also looking ahead at a legislative session that starts Jan. 8 and negotiation of a new biennial budget.
The conversation at the breakfast highlighted what will likely be some complicated discussions around funding for homelessness services in the state. There is a lot unknown – both about how the state will choose to allocate funding for a wide variety of human services that need money and about what federal funding will look like over the next four years.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker was one of the event speakers, and I was particularly struck by some of his comments about the incoming presidential administration under President-elect Donald Trump.
“We received millions upon millions of dollars to create affordable housing, and we are very concerned about the risk of losing those funds,” Elicker said.
He was referring to some of the federal monies that cities like New Haven get to develop affordable housing, including the HOME funds and tax credits that make up a major part of our country’s affordable housing development.
This is a sentiment I’ve heard expressed from many housing advocates and officials, as well as homeless service providers. While there is still a lot we don’t know about what housing policy under the Trump administration will look like, they have said they’ll streamline and cut government spending.
This means many people are worried about the future of certain human services. And that worry is paired with uncertainty about the next state budget.
Lawmakers and the governor’s office have already butted heads over the limits to state spending, and there are a slew of housing programs that advocates want to shore up in the coming session.
The breakfast last week included many calls for more action and more people to speak out.
Caroline Beltre, a Columbus House board member, told her story of being homeless and how the experience led her to advocacy. She became homeless after experiencing domestic violence, she told the crowd.
“One of the most important things I do is use my voice during the legislative sessions,” Beltre said. “I believe it is vital for legislators in a position to create change to understand the importance of funding for homelessness prevention and how ending homelessness in connected is not just a dream, but something we can do right now.”
Read the rest of this issue of Home State
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