Connecticut has to address homelessness, not treat symptoms

This month, I’ve had the opportunity to work up close and personal with the housing crisis here in Connecticut at my other job as an intern at the District of Connecticut Federal Public Defenders Office. To characterize the experience of having to maneuver the field of resources for those with insecure housing situations, it’s fairly easy to say that it’s not quite pleasant at all. The clients themselves, their advocates and even the staff of the services around the state, each reckon with the problem of a lack of resources and support. The system itself is overburdened with too many people and too little resources, especially those tailored to long-term solutions for solving and preventing homelessness. The last resort is emergency or temporary shelters, yet that is much more available and prioritized than other solutions. If Connecticut wants to reckon with its out-of-control homelessness problem it has to look to solve it and prevent it, not just treat the symptoms.  

It’s no secret that across the country people are facing a housing crisis. In Connecticut, this issue is further exacerbated by statewide policies which lower supply and raise costs. For example, there is not only a lack of statewide rent control initiatives, but even local governments are restricted from implementing such a change if they want to. Plus, there are statewide zoning policies that restrict supply and raise prices by prioritizing large lots and single-family homes, many of which are out of the price range of low-income consumers. As such, Connecticut is now ranked as the worst state in the US for renters as rent increases here have been outpacing the national average.  

What’s often unspoken about this widespread problem is how much worse it is for low-income households. The relative amount of supply nationwide improves as income rises, leaving those categorized as extremely low income with only 34 available and affordable homes for every 100 people, according to 2022 American Community Survey. While others may be able to weather the storm, the most vulnerable communities are left scrambling for options when there are rarely any.   

This is what leaves the state in its current situation, where homelessness is on the rise for the third year in a row and has risen 13% from January 2023 to January 2024. The systems are not built to support this kind of stress and the cracks are starting to show. Average stays in shelters dramatically rose during the year and have not gone down. Advocates are continuing to beg the legislature for adequate funding for emergency services but receive little support due to statewide fiscal guardrails. The workers who make up these support systems are suffering as well, with many citing worsening debt, financial pressures and extreme burnout because of inadequate pay and higher time demands.  

The answer comes in two parts. First, Connecticut must take decisive action even if it costs money. For example, earlier this year Governor Ned Lamont proposed a new interagency council to address homelessness, but did not grant it any additional funding to make distinctive change citing the state spending cap. As the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition put it, criticizing the lack of real support, “solutions require services and services require spending.” Fiscal guardrails in place since 2017 have crippled this state’s ability to fund social services like this one, and only through switching the focus of our budget can we adequately help people and fix problems like this one. The state comptroller just announced a $113.2 million General Fund surplus this year alone, not to mention the billions of dollars saved up otherwise. The money is there but it must be used, and until the state decides to do that, this problem will persist and more people will go unhoused.  

Second, the money can’t be focused on just serving emergency resources which can only treat the issue. There exists a gap between solutions as emergency resources and shelters only kick in when someone is actively going through a crisis. The main goal of the system should be to prevent this from ever happening in the first place, and currently the ability to do that is severely lacking. When someone is forced onto the street the negative impact on their mental and physical health is profound, even if they have a shelter bed to sleep in during the night. Instead of reacting when this happens, proactive efforts through the form of rent control, rental assistance, increasing affordable housing, changing restrictive zoning laws and improving other supportive services can make the difference.