Tim Tai, Senior Photographer

By Hanna Żochowska

The City of New Haven, home to around 130,000 residents, faces a significant crisis — homelessness. In the 2016 Point in Time Count, nearly 4,000 people across Connecticut were identified as homeless or at risk, a number that has continued to rise. 

This vulnerable group includes single men and women, families with children, veterans, survivors of domestic violence and those with mental or physical illnesses. Marginalized people are disproportionately impacted, highlighting systemic inequities that worsen the situation. Last fall, Connecticut allocated $7 million in state funding to support a new affordable housing project in New Haven. Has it worked so far? 

“It’s really disturbing to see how many people, especially minorities, are stuck in this cycle of homelessness,” said Lisa Kim, a college student in New Haven. “As a student, I’ve learned a lot about the systemic issues that cause this, but seeing it firsthand in my own city is different. It makes me want to get involved and do something to help, but sometimes it feels like the problem is just too big.” — she said.

The announcement for this immense allocation was made in a speech by Governor Ned Lamont and Housing Authority Director Karen DuBois-Walton.

Governor Lamont highlighted the critical need to increase housing options to protect vulnerable communities from further displacement. He explained that the allocated funds are specifically intended for developing new housing units, rather than replacing existing ones, thereby expanding the overall availability of affordable homes and ensuring more people have access to safe, stable living environments.

“This will expand housing that’s affordable,” DuBois-Walton echoed the governor’s statement. “We are not tearing down and replacing units that were already here. This is new inventory. These are new units coming on board.”

Has anything actually changed in the City of New Haven since that announcement?

The News spoke with the Community Service Administration to tackle this question.  The answer? Kind of. 

The Community Service Administration pointed to the difficulty of addressing complex issues such as mental health disorders, substance abuse and chronic illnesses. 

“The reality is that while we’ve made significant strides in expanding affordable housing, there are still critical gaps that leave some of our most vulnerable residents without the support they need,” said one administrator.  “These individuals often require more than just a roof over their heads.” 

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), approximately 25% of unhoused individuals in the U.S. are living with serious mental illness, compared to just 4% of the general population. Additionally, substance abuse affects nearly 38% of homeless people, further complicating their path to stability.

While so many people are struggling with such deep-rooted issues regarding mental health — were a couple more houses really supposed to solve those problems? “Well, we have to start somewhere”— a CSA official said.

Other cities facing similar challenges have adopted a “Housing First” approach, which focuses on providing permanent housing without preconditions, while also offering supportive services like mental health counseling, addiction treatment, and healthcare access. This model has been effective in reducing chronic homelessness in places like Salt Lake City and Houston.

On Monday, April 22, 2024, the Supreme Court heard a landmark case on homelessness, one of the most significant in decades, addressing the constitutional rights of unhoused individuals. The case, Johnson v. Grants Pass, focuses on whether cities can criminalize camping or sleeping in public spaces when there are no available shelter options, raising critical questions about the balance between local regulations and basic human rights. The outcome of this case could reshape how cities nationwide handle the growing homelessness crisis, making it a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate about the treatment of unhoused populations. Given the record number of people in the U.S. without permanent housing, the ruling could set a precedent that extends far beyond Oregon, with strong implications for similar situations across the country, including on the East Coast.

Grants Pass, a small city in southern Oregon, has experienced rising rents and a lack of affordable housing, with only one overnight shelter available for adults. As a result, clusters of tents began to spring up in local parks, symbolizing the city’s growing homelessness issue. In response, the city enacted a ban on public camping and imposed fines of $295 on individuals found sleeping outdoors.

The implications of this policy have been far-reaching. The fines disproportionately targeted unhoused individuals who could not afford to pay, often pushing them further into poverty. Additionally, critics argue that such policies do not address the root causes of homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing and access to mental health or addiction services. Instead, they criminalize poverty, leading to legal battles and worsening cycles of instability. Other cities across the U.S. are watching this case closely, as the Supreme Court’s decision could influence local policies on how to manage public spaces and the rights of unhoused individuals.

The state’s decision to destroy encampments and forcibly relocate unhoused individuals reflects a similar attitude that is seen towards the unhoused population in New Haven. Just a few years ago, a similar situation happened in New Haven, when the homeless encampment was bulldozed, because the deadline was reached for it to be vacated.

The News spoke to a local NGO’s — Columbus House — Officer to gauge citizens’ response to the recent affordable housing developments done by the officials. According to Columbus House, the response has been mixed.

Local officials reported strong support from many residents who recognize the importance of affordable housing in promoting a more equitable city. However, they also acknowledge challenges, particularly the “Not In My Backyard” (NIMBY) attitudes, where some residents express concerns about potential impacts on property values or neighborhood character. These concerns can slow down or complicate housing development projects.

Despite these obstacles, officials emphasize that ongoing community engagement and education have been key to changing perceptions. When people witness the benefits affordable housing brings, such as reducing homelessness and revitalizing neighborhoods, many residents who were initially hesitant often become advocates themselves. “We’ve seen people shift their views once they understand the positive impact on the community,” one official noted.

While the Housing Authority director DuBois-Walton inclusively initiated a venture of transforming the part of Whaley avenue around the new building in order to make it more pedestrian friendly, both projects — affordable housing included — are expected to be fully finished by March 2026.

It remains to be seen whether the city’s efforts to expand affordable housing and revitalize communities will have a lasting impact on New Haven’s homelessness crisis. While these initiatives represent progress, the question of whether they will fully address the city’s housing challenges or if additional systemic changes are required to provide stable housing for all residents is still open for evaluation.