Posted on September 28, 2023
HARTFORD – State Rep. Tony Scott (R-Monroe) joined fellow state lawmakers, nonprofit providers, and the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH) at St. Elizabeth’s House on Friday morning to speak about the issues that have led to increased homelessness and how the state plans to address them. Scott advocated for greater resources to be allocated from the state surplus to help decrease the number of people experiencing homelessness.
“We had a unanimous vote in the Housing Committee to approved $50 million for homelessness support, unfortunately we only secured $5 million. This is not a partisan issue, it’s a humanitarian issue that we need to address. As Connecticut experiences surpluses, funding to address homelessness needs to be a top priority for putting those dollars to good use. We have this winter to show our colleagues that this $5 million was well spent, but that more funding would go a long way in moving these numbers downward,” said Scott, who serves as the Ranking Member of the legislature’s Housing Committee.
According to the CCEH, homelessness has increased 13% on an annual basis. This sharp increase has been attributed to inflation, lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a statewide shortage of housing inventory – including a lack of affordable housing options.
Despite the call for greater resources to be driven toward addressing these symptoms, the legislature did approve a $5 million budget allocation for the various coalitions to implement housing solutions. Deputy Housing Commissioner Brandon McGee, who attended today’s news conference, indicated that those dollars will be released to Connecticut’s communities soon. Regardless, the lawmakers reached consensus that more must be done in a short period of time.
“It’s important to recognize that this is a problem, and as state representatives it’s our responsibility to address this challenge. The government is here to support those in need, and I applaud our partners in the CCEH and those on the frontline for the hard work that they are doing,” added Scott.
At the conclusion of the news conference, CCEH’s Executive Director, Sarah Fox said that there are committed providers in every corner of the state, ready to help in situations of crisis. Residents are encouraged to dial 2-1-1 if they feel that they need additional housing or social services.