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Prevent: We are requesting $10 million for a Housing Crisis Response Fund so providers can resolve and respond to housing crises when they occur, act quickly when a household is at immediate risk, and reduce avoidable shelter entry where possible.
Respond: We are requesting $12.3 million annually for year-round extreme weather capacity and $6 million for staffing support to preserve core service delivery and stabilize the shelter, outreach, diversion, and crisis response infrastructure communities rely on every day.
House: We must also continue advancing the broader investments needed to move people from homelessness into permanent housing and keep them housed. Connecticut needs both immediate stabilization and long-term housing solutions.
Taken together, this is an immediate request for $28.3 million to help stabilize the homeless response system now.
Please also reach out in support of the following legislation:
H.B. 5259, An Act Concerning the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
Why It's Important: More than 5,000 Connecticut students are experiencing homelessness, and the federal protections that keep them enrolled, transported, and supported are increasingly uncertain. H.B. 5259 safeguards educational stability by codifying McKinney-Vento rights in state law so students can stay connected to school no matter what happens federally
H.B. 5235, An Act Concerning a Plan and Coordinated Response to Persons Experiencing Homelessness on Property Under the Control of The Department of Transportation.
Why It's Important: This bill calls for a coordinated, humane, and housing-focused response when individuals are living on DOT property. We must ensure Connecticut leads with outreach, case management, and housing solutions, not displacement without alternatives.
H.B. 5260, An Act Prohibiting a Municipality from Imposing a Penalty for the Performance of Certain Activities of Daily Living
Why It's Important: H.B. 5260 would correct the harm done by the Supreme Court in Johnson v. Grants Pass, a decision in 2024 which allows state and municipalities to arrest, ticket, or fine people sheltering in public spaces while unhoused -- even when there is no other option.
S.B. 364, An Act Concerning Extreme Weather Protocols.
Why It's Important: This bill would require state agencies to develop standardized and more responsive extreme weather protocols for heat, cold, and severe weather. The recent string of cold-weather emergency activation periods underscores the risks to health and safety of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
These bills reflect a simple but essential principle: Connecticut must respond to homelessness with dignity, humanity, and coordination.
REMEMBER: We have one month to go. Legislators need to hear directly from the people doing this work and from those who see every day what is at stake. Thank you for using your voice in this critical final stretch.
SHARE THIS ACTION ALERT:
Get the word out to your colleagues, staff, volunteers, community partners and board members - now is the time for everyone to amplify the call for funding that will Prevent, Respond, and House our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
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