CT homelessness continues to drop but health challenges are serious
This year’s point-in-time count of homelessness in Connecticut finds the numbers are going down – that’s the very good news. This year the CT Coalition to End Homelessness found that on January 22nd, when volunteers fanned out across the state to count the homeless, the number was 3,033. That’s the lowest number since the survey started in 2007, and down 32% from 2007. Also down were the number of homeless families and chronically homeless people.
However, serious health and safety challenges still plague Connecticut’s homeless.
484 homeless people reported experiencing homelessness due to fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, 421 reported severe mental illness, 212 have a serious substance use disorder, and 61 have HIV/AIDs. Homeless people in CT with severe substance use disorder were twice as likely to be unsheltered (living in a place not meant for human habitation, such as in abandoned buildings, under bridges, or in parks) as living in a shelter or transitional housing. Hartford had the most homeless or unstably housed youth at 579.
Lots of work to do