SOCIAL WELFARE A House Is Not A Motel
New Haven continues its leadership on homelessness issues
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onnecticut has been a leader in homelessness issues for years – being one of the first states to end chronic veteran homelessness, we set our sights on more ambitious goals, and it looked like they were working. But from the pandemic on, especially once evictions resumed, the conditions that create homelessness seemed to reverse a lot of good work. Under a booming economy, it seems as though we are at a mismatch and new solutions are needed. New Haven, for its part, took some inspiration from the pandemic and is finding a novel use of old hotels to help end homelessness. Early on in the pandemic, it became abundantly clear that communal housing was not going to work in the fight against a contagious disease. Many towns and cities across the country essentially deputized hotels, motels, and the like to maintain their ability to house individuals, while also keeping them safely socially distanced. The idea, while not exactly novel, seemed logical, and as the pandemic waned, towns and cities thought, why not just continue to do this? The City of New Haven used funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to purchase a hotel that had ceased to operate. According to the New Haven Independent, who reported on this and other purchases made by the city, said that “the building itself contains 57 rooms, and is expected to house up to 112 individuals for periods of 65 to 100 days at a time.” This is a stark contrast to the congregate settings of many shelters, allowing for privacy, and some would argue, dignity, that will assist individuals in getting back on their feet. The local non-profit, Continuum of Care, they said will help to run the shelter which will include case management, job training, primary healthcare and mental health
The idea, while not exactly novel, seemed logical, and as the pandemic waned, towns and cities thought, why not just continue to do this? services as well as meals, clothing and other basic needs, according to their reporting. Mayor Elicker noted that this transformation is a bargain, “effectively turn-key” compared to having to build a location, and after some minor repairs could be open before the end of the year. Columbus House, the leading homelessness services organization in the city, is doing just that on Ella T. Grasso Boulevard. While not the “turn-key” solution the city itself has found, they are effectively adding hotel style rooms to their existing space – but not before knocking down their old building. Once again, the New Haven In-
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dependent reported out that the planned three-story building would have 80 one- and two-person bedrooms, each paired with private bathroom. It’s hard not to find an area that COVID didn’t fundamentally change – homelessness is one area that many people in local government hope that we never have to go back to the old ways of doing things. New Haven is making that investment to try. Through innovative use of existing infrastructure, for adapting to novel ideas, issues like homelessness can be tackled, if not solved. We were on the right path once, we can get there again.
