Elicker: “This is a statewide problem, and we need a statewide solution. We cannot rely on the larger municipalities to bear the burden of the responsibility.”

[NEW HAVEN, CT] – On Thursday, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and New Haven Community Services Administrator Eliza Halsey provided testimony before the Connecticut General Assembly’s Housing Committee in support of H.B. 6893, An Act Appropriating Funds For Programs To Assist Homeless Persons. The legislation proposes $33.5 million to be appropriated to the Connecticut Department of Housing in Fiscal Year 2026 to expand assistance and programs supporting individuals experiencing homelessness. 

“The City of New Haven has done an immense amount of work to increase support for our unhoused residents – increasing our general fund budget again for homelessness services by over $300,000 bringing our total to $1.77 million in fiscal year 2024-25 – more than any other municipality in Connecticut.” stated Mayor Elicker in his testimony. “We are working with many nonprofit service providers and partners to expand access to 24/7/365 shelters and non-congregant shelters, provide daytime navigation hubs, and run warming centers. And it isn’t enough.”

New Haven currently has eight shelters and three warming centers. In addition, over 1,000 new housing units were brought online in 2024 with over 40% of them affordable – and there are another 7,000 new units in the pipeline. Mayor Elicker has set a goal of building 10,000 new units over the next ten years with at least 30% of those units affordable.

Despite the city’s efforts, Mayor Elicker emphasized that homelessness is growing in the Greater New Haven Coordinated Access Network. Across 19 municipalities in the region, there were 633 individuals on the verified unsheltered list in November, more than double the 257 individuals at that time last year. Young people experiencing homelessness have seen a similar increase – from 719 students experiencing homelessness in 2022-23 to 1,084 students experiencing homelessness in 2023-24 – a 50% increase.

The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH) has proposed allocating $33.5 million in FY26, based on expected increased need to prevent evictions, respond to housing crises, and provide case management services for permanent support housing to help Connecticut residents become stably rehomed. Details on the cost breakdown of these priorities can be found on the CCEH website.

“We know that Connecticut, along with many other states across the nation, is facing a housing crisis. With 110,000 fewer housing units than is needed to meet the statewide demand, we see the resulting rise in housing instability and homelessness in our cities,” stated Mayor Elicker. “In the City of New Haven, roughly 300 residents return to homelessness every year and we don’t want people to keep going through this cycle, we want people to have long term success – a main contributor is the lack of permanent supportive housing.”

Mayor Elicker expressed support for Governor Lamont’s proposal to use $58.6 million from the Opioid Settlement Funds to create 500 units of permanent supportive housing statewide –  housing and related supports to ensure long term housing stability – while also urging the state to also do more.

“In New Haven alone we estimate a need for additional permanent supportive housing for approximately 250 people. We think that number, while very, very helpful doesn’t get close to what we need,” Mayor Elicker said. “While many people struggling with homelessness are in their current situation for different reasons, currently we are seeing many people who are experiencing homelessness concurrently while struggling with mental health disorders or substance use disorders. Affordable housing, while critical, isn’t enough to ensure the long-term success of many individuals. This is why, in this moment, supportive housing is so critical.”

Building on Mayor Elicker’s testimony, New Haven Community Services Administrator Eliza Halsey, who supervises the city’s Office of Housing and Homelessness Services, added “New Haven could fill 250 units of permanent supportive housing tomorrow and our shelter beds would again be full with those currently unsheltered. Greater New Haven needs at least 500 units of permanent supportive housing over the next several years to meet current needs. The situation is dire and we implore you to support H.B. 6893 and fully fund the state’s homeless response system.”

Halsey also suggested amendments to the proposed legislation, including adjusting and indexing funds to inflation.

Mayor Elicker’s and CSA Halsey’s live testimony before the committed, followed by questions-and-answers from committee members, can be viewed here (public testimony #6 and #8, respectively). Both also submitted written testimony, which can be read below.

TESTIMONY OF NEW HAVEN MAYOR JUSTIN ELICKER BEFORE THE HOUSING COMMITTEE IN SUPPORT OF H.B. 6893, AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR PROGRAMS TO ASSIST HOMELESS PERSONS

Senator Marx, Representative Felipe, Vice Chairs Roberts and Herron, Ranking Members Scott and Sampson, and distinguished members of the Housing Committee. 

My name is Justin Elicker, Mayor of the City of New Haven, and I am here to testify in support of H.B. 6893, An Act Appropriating Funds for Programs to Assist Homeless Persons, and the proposed funding increase of $33.5 million for Connecticut’s Homeless Response System. 

We know that Connecticut, along with many other states across the nation, is facing a housing crisis. With 110,000 fewer housing units than is needed to meet the statewide demand, we see the resulting rise in housing instability and homelessness in our cities. In the Greater New Haven Coordinated Access Network, which includes 19 municipalities in our region, there were 633 individuals on the verified unsheltered list in November, that is more than double the 257 individuals at that time last year. Unfortunately, the number of our young people experiencing homelessness has seen a similar increase – from 719 students experiencing homelessness in 2022-23 to 1,084 students experiencing homelessness in 2023-24 – a 50% increase. 

The City of New Haven has done an immense amount of work to increase support for our unhoused residents – increasing our general fund budget for homelessness services by over $300,000 bringing the total to $1.77 million in FY24-25 – more than any other municipality in Connecticut. We are working with many nonprofit service providers and partners to expand access to 24/7/365 shelters and non-congregant shelters, provide daytime navigation hubs, and run warming centers. And it isn’t enough. 

We urge your support for H.B. 6893 that will significantly increase desperately needed funds for programs that support people who are currently unhoused.  

I’d like to emphasize one area of funding that we believe is particularly important - increased funding for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). We are excited about the Governor’s proposal for $58.6M from the Opioid Settlement Funds for 500 units of permanent supportive housing statewide. However, in New Haven alone we estimate a need for additional permanent supportive housing for approximately 250 people. While many people struggling with homelessness are in their current situation for different reasons, currently we are seeing many people who are experiencing homelessness concurrently while struggling with mental health disorders or substance use disorders. Affordable housing, while critical, isn’t enough to ensure the long-term success of many individuals. This is why, in this moment, supportive housing is so critical.  

To be clear – in the city of New Haven, roughly 300 residents return to homelessness every year over the past three years – and a main contributor is the lack of permanent supportive housing (subsidized housing alongside support services). 

Thank you to the committee for your time and consideration, and I strongly encourage your support for these proposals.  

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TESTIMONY OF NEW HAVEN COMMUNITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR ELIZA HALSEY BEFORE THE HOUSING COMMITTEE IN SUPPORT OF H.B. 6893, AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR PROGRAMS TO ASSIST HOMELESS PERSONS

Senator Marx, Representative Felipe, Vice Chairs Roberts and Gaston, Ranking Members Scott and Sampson, and distinguished members of the Housing Committee. My name is Eliza Halsey, and I am the Community Services Administrator for the City of New Haven.

I am writing in support of H.B. 6893, An Act Appropriating Funds for Programs to Assist Homeless Persons, and the proposed funding increase of $33.5 million for the Homeless Response System.

New Haven is one of the few municipalities with staff dedicated to addressing homelessness. The City is part of the frontline response by providing funding, coordinating federal and local resources, and serving as a critical point of accountability for the homeless response system in the area. We remain committed to these efforts, but we cannot address this crisis alone. Our homeless response system remains critically underfunded as demand for services continues to rise.

In 2024, homelessness in Connecticut increased by 13% and we saw a 79% increase in calls to 2-1-1 for housing and shelter. In Greater New Haven, the number of verified unsheltered individuals has doubled to more than 630 individuals over the past year. In 2024, New Haven launched a new 100-bed non-congregate shelter in a former hotel and another 75-bed shelter—for a total of 307 full shelter beds in New Haven alone. Even with these additional beds, our warming centers in New Haven and the region are consistently full. We serve residents from across the state. Already this winter, the Governor has declared three multi-day cold weather emergencies for which the Mayor and I were directly involved in nightly communications to ensure individuals did not freeze outside. This is simply not sustainable.

Warming centers and shelters are critical, though are designed to be temporary solutions. New Haven could fill 250 units of permanent supportive housing tomorrow and our shelter beds would again be full with those currently unsheltered. Greater New Haven needs at least 500 units of permanent supportive housing over the next several years to meet current needs. The situation is dire and we implore you to support H.B. 6893 and fully fund the state’s homeless response system.

Finally, we ask that the bill be amended to annualize funding or adjust and index it to inflation according to the outline below:

• $5.3 million in annualized new dollars for an Eviction Prevention Partnership, which will ensure statewide access to high-quality legal and social services for individuals and families facing eviction.
• $2.5 million in annualized Flexible Funding, which provides short-term financial assistance to individuals on the brink of homelessness, including young people on their own.
• An adjustment of $9 Million in funding for Homeless Response Services, indexed to inflation, which will ensure the long-term stability and strength of Connecticut’s Homeless Response System.
• $5 million in annualized funding for Cold Weather Emergency Services, to ensure no individual or family is left without a life-saving place to stay during the harsh winter months.
• $5.5 million in annualized funding for CAN Hub & Diversion Services to support Coordinated Access Network (CAN) Hubs, which provide direct services to prevent homelessness through diversion programs and coordinated entry systems.
• $6.2 million in annualized funding for Case Management for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) to stabilize individuals in Permanent Supportive Housing through Connecticut’s Rental Assistance Program (RAP).

Thank you for your time and consideration and I strongly encourage your support.