An estimated 1,000 community members are awaiting permanent housing or are temporarily in hotels across the State.
June 16, 2020 - It’s hard to “stay safe, stay home” when you are homeless. When COVID-19 hit Greater New Haven, our Coordinated Access Network (CAN) team recognized that the pandemic could easily spread through homeless shelters and put hundreds of clients and staff at risk. To address the increased public health concern, since March we have housed 208 individuals and provided resources to another 417 households to ensure they could avoid entering shelter. Still, an estimated 1,000 community members are awaiting permanent housing or are temporarily in hotels across the State. Unless we take action to find lasting solutions for everyone, our neighbors face the prospect of overcrowded shelters, increased street homelessness, and the many human and health implications that come with not having a stable, safe place to live.
Kelly Fitzgerald, United Way’s Senior Director of Financial Stability, sums it up: “This is a public health emergency. This is one of the state’s most vulnerable populations and we need to do what we need to do in order to keep them safe.”
Together with leaders from across the State, we’ve launched the 1,000 Homes Initiative to collectively house 1,000 individuals and families over the course of the next 120 days. This rapid rehousing will create the opportunity to find permanent homes for those in need while redesigning shelters to make them safer in the future. Keep reading to find out how you can support United Way’s work to end homelessness and ensure everyone has a safe place to come home to.
In partnership,
Jennifer
LANDLORDS, WE NEED YOU!
We are looking for housing units in the Greater New Haven area that we can match with families and individuals in need. Additional funding has been provided to support this effort. If you are a landlord with a vacant unit, we can fill it for you!
For more information, email GNHCAN.LE@gmail.com or call Lissette Hernandez at 203-915-2512.
MAKE A HOUSE A HOME
Everyone can play a role in ending homelessness. As a family enters a new house, they need supplies to make it a home of their own. Gather your friends and family, connect with your colleagues via a web call, or work on your own to compile a Welcome Home Kit for newly housed families and individuals. The options are endless, but the impact is lasting!
Currently, there is a special need for bedding and air mattresses, as well as other household items. Click the button below for more information on how to share the warmth of home.
DONATE TO END HOMELESSNESS
Give today to support United Way’s work to End Homelessness. Your contributions will help us prevent families from going into shelter, move people into permanent housing, and make homelessness rare and brief when it does happen. Together, we can provide help today, and hope for tomorrow.
