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Why are people homeless?
People can become homeless for a variety of reasons including: high housing costs, low income, a financial crisis brought on by high medical bills, domestic violence, or chronic conditions such as mental illness, physical disability, substance abuse, or HIV/AIDS
How many people are homeless in Connecticut?
Over the course of a year in Connecticut, over 33,000 people, including 13,000 children, experience homelessness.
Approximately 2,000 people, including 400 children, stay in the 50 emergency shelters throughout the state each year. Many others who are homeless sleep in their cars, on the street, in tents, in the woods, in makeshift shelters under bridges, or in abandoned buildings.
The statewide data from the first annual 2007 Point-in-Time Count provides a new baseline number of the homeless in Connecticut: 3,325 total households – families as well as individuals – were counted on January 30, 2007. This number provides a snapshot of the problem of homelessness on one night of the year.
Who are the chronically homeless?
Those who experience chronic, or long term, homelessness often have one or more of the following conditions: mental illness, substance abuse, a physical disability, or a chronic illness such as HIV/AIDS. About 10-20% of the homeless population experiences chronic homelessness.
Among the 3,325 households counted in the 2007 Point-in-Time Count, 961 individuals reported having disabilities and had experienced homelessness for a year or more.
According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, a chronically homeless person is defined as “an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more, or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.” In Connecticut, that definition is expanded to families as well.
How is supportive housing different from affordable housing?
Supportive housing is affordable housing. Tenants in supportive housing sign their own leases and pay 30% of their income towards rent.
What’s the difference between emergency shelters, transitional living and supportive housing?
An individual or family can generally stay in emergency shelter up to 30 days. Transitional living housing allows families and individuals to stay for up to two years. Supportive housing is permanent housing – tenants can stay as long as they need to.
What does supportive housing look like? How does it fit into local communities?
Supportive housing apartments look like any other type of apartment. Supportive housing is created in two ways: building a new apartment building or renovating an older building to create “single site” supportive housing where the employment and other services are based at the same location. Supportive housing can also be created by renting existing apartments in the community – the “scattered site” model. In scattered site supportive housing, the services are provided by visiting case management.
