CT CAN End Homelessness Digest

A monthly digest of CT CAN End Homelessness initiative updates, including committee and subcommittee reports, upcoming meetings, events, and more. If you have important information about Connecticut's homeless response efforts to share, please contact us at info@cceh.org.

Relaunch Announcement & Updates

CT CAN End Homelessness has been undergoing a strategic restructuring to position CCEH as the backbone organization leading a bold reimagining of our collective approach to preventing and ending homelessness. Through collective impact, data-driven solutions, and strong collaborative partnerships, we are committed to transforming our system for lasting change.

We are excited to officially relaunch CT CAN End Homelessness in May 2025. As part of this restructuring process, we have implemented several key changes:

Streamlined Committee Structure: We have reduced the number of committees to eliminate duplication, ensuring each has clear goals and defined work areas.
Enhanced Diversity & Inclusion: Committee composition has been restructured to reflect a diversity of backgrounds, work experiences, and perspectives.
Community Collaboration: Each committee will now include a minimum of five community partner seats to strengthen cross-sector collaboration.
Steering Committee Established: A new Steering Committee will provide strategic direction and serve as champions of CT CAN End Homelessness.
Consensus-Based Decision Making: We have adopted a consensus-driven approach to foster inclusivity, build stronger relationships, and encourage innovation.
Communication: We will be officially using Civic Roundtable as a communication platform to share information, resources, and have secure communication.

New Initiatives Launched:

Emerging Leaders: A professional development and support program designed for front-line staff who represent the next generation of leadership in the homelessness response system.
Legislative Leads: A subgroup within the Policy & Advocacy Committee focused on empowering front-line staff to engage in advocacy efforts and connect with fellow advocates.

Currently, the CANs are finalizing their nominations for committee members. Once finalized, all committee members will participate in Collective Impact training provided by the Tamarack Institute.

CT CAN End Homelessness Campaign Updates

Statewide CAN Leadership

We are in the process of completing a thorough review of all federal funding streams that support our efforts. This comprehensive analysis will allow us to identify potential risks to existing funding and help us proactively plan for sustainability and strategic advocacy. By understanding where we are most vulnerable, we can better align our priorities and ensure continued support for critical services.

Coordinated Entry and Outreach Subcommittee

The subcommittee is currently conducting a detailed debrief of the recent cold weather season. As part of this process, we are finalizing statewide turnaway data, which will be instrumental in our advocacy efforts. These figures will help illustrate the gaps in shelter capacity and underscore the urgent need for increased funding and resources to support individuals experiencing homelessness during extreme weather conditions.

Policy and Advocacy Update

CT CAN End Homelessness advocates continue to make headway this legislative session:

We celebrated our important bills passing out of the Housing Committee, including our $33.5 million ask, the Interagency Council on Homelessness, and alternatives to ticketing, fines and arrests.
Representatives from all seven Coordinated Access Networks met with the End Homelessness Caucus to present to legislators on the history of the CANs, their basic function, the demand we are seeing, the data we use, and the stories of people who need our services.
Senator Blumenthal stood alongside advocates and the End Homelessness Caucus for a press conference on the impact of potential HUD staffing and funding cuts.
Advocates met with Senator Murphy to support the NAEH request for increased Homeless Assistance Grant funding, staffing challenges, the increase in older adults experiencing homelessness, and how we can support the Senator’s work on our behalf.

The next step is continuing our legislative outreach – visit our website for information about how to get involved! Please also join us for these upcoming events:

Screening of new CT Public documentary “Where Then Shall We Go?”

Friday, April 25th at 1:00 PM | Room 1B of the Legislative Office Building at 300 Capitol Ave. in Hartford

Hosted by the End Homelessness Caucus

Nominations Extended for Committee Membership

Nominations are officially open for Committee Membership. All nominations will be submitted by CAN Leads. If you are interested in being nominated, or have a recommendation for a colleague, please contact your CAN Lead before April 25. For more information or for your CAN Lead please contact Amber Freeman at afreeman@cceh.org.

Committee Descriptions

Statewide CAN Leadership:

A collaborative, committed and united group of homeless service providers, funders, community action agencies and government representatives
Focused on targeting the strategic action areas necessary to prevent and solve homelessness

Youth and Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness Subcommittee:

Focuses on addressing the unique challenges faced by youth and young adults experiencing homelessness
Key responsibilities include identifying service gaps, advocating for policy changes, and fostering collaboration among service providers, community organizations, and partners

Policy and Advocacy Committee:

Responsible for developing the annual Legislative Agenda, conducting Legislative Listening Sessions, and implementing the Legislative Advocacy Plan
Encourages individuals with lived experience to engage with policymakers, and oversees the Legislative Leads initiative

Exit Subcommittee:

Aims to enhance pathways to stable housing for individuals experiencing homelessness
Key objectives are to increase successful exits to permanent housing, reduce the length of time spent in homelessness, and minimize returns to homelessness

Prevent, Respond, House - Save Lives

“What Prevent, Assist, House, Save Lives!” Means to Me

Social Media Campaign

We’re using the slogan “What Prevent, Assist, House, Save Lives Means to Me” to summarize our legislative agenda and describe how the Homeless Response system responds to a person’s housing crisis at every stage.

Write down your thoughts on your sign! Use a dark marker, make the words BIG, make the sentences simple. Consider the importance of prevention, assistance/crisis response, and housing, and what that means to you and your community.
Take a picture of people with their signs. Try to keep it to groups of 1-3, and zoom in to faces and signs, so that you can see the writing on each page.
Upload pictures to your organization’s page, tag the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, and add the hashtag #ctcanendhomelessness.
If you have any questions, please contact Katherine Whitney at kwhitney@cceh.org.

Prevent, Assist, House, Save Lives Sign

Recovery Peer Support Worker Training

Essential Virtual Solutions, in collaboration with Connecticut Mental Health and Addiction Services, will host a free, virtual training on Recovery Peer Support, today April 17th from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Click Here to Register.

Presenters:

Kimberly Comer, NCPS/CRP

Brandy Anderson-Willis, RCP/RCPF/MAR/TTS/CPSP/CPSC

Two CEs available upon completion of evaluation.

Upcoming Meetings

These sessions are a space for community members to contribute to achieving our goal of eliminating homelessness. Your participation enriches our open dialogues and collective efforts to develop lasting solutions.

All meetings are open to the public. Registration is required.

Entry & Outreach Subcommittee

April 24th

12:00 - 1:00 P.M.

Homeless Youth & Young Adult Subcommittee

May 13th

1:30 - 3:00 P.M.

Exit Subcommittee

May 9th

12:00 - 1:00 P.M.

Policy & Advocacy Committee

May 13th

1:00 - 2:30 P.M.

(860) 721-7876 | info@cc eh.org | www.cceh.org