HARTFORD, Conn. – A federal report released this week says homelessness increased more than 17 percent in Connecticut this year, but housing advocates say the raw numbers don't tell the whole story.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development report counted almost 4,000 people as being homeless in the state in the 2018 "Point-In-Time" count. But that figure includes almost 600 people evacuated from Puerto Rico to Connecticut by the Federal Emergency Management Agency following Hurricane Maria.

According to Richard Cho, CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, the number of state residents who are homeless remained about the same as last year.

"While that's not necessarily cause for celebration, the numbers that HUD reported did not break down the families who are being sheltered through this special circumstance from those that would be experiencing homelessness otherwise," says Cho.

He says overall, there has been a 25 percent decrease in homelessness in Connecticut since 2007.

Cho points out that 280 homeless Connecticut families have been housed this month alone, due in part to improvements in the response to homelessness that have evolved in the last several years.

"We've developed a system that is able to identify people who are experiencing homelessness," says Cho. “We put them on a list, and we ensure that there's an accountable plan to help those individuals and families reconnect to housing."

He adds that Connecticut was the first state in the nation to effectively end chronic homelessness among veterans.

But Cho believes that homelessness persists mostly because wages are not keeping up with the rising cost of housing.

"While we can work better to make sure that we can help individual families leave homelessness once they enter it, the challenge is how do we stop that inflow into homelessness in the first place? And to me, we can only do that once we solve this affordable housing crisis," says Cho.

More information about Connecticut's efforts to end homelessness is available online at 'CTcandata.org.'


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CONCORD, N.H. -- As National Youth Homelessness Awareness Month comes to a close, groups will continue working to identify barriers for young people staying housed and trying to fill the gaps.

New Hampshire has an adult homelessness services system and child protective services, but advocates have raised concerns about the growing homeless youth population.

Erin Kelly, director of youth and young adult homeless services for the nonprofit Waypoint NH, said many young people have needs unmet by either system of care. She noted young adults respond differently to homelessness than many older adults.

"Part of providing services to young people is being able to recognize that the choices that they make and the mistakes that they make are the things that are helping them to develop into adults that can really have good conflict resolution and problem-solving skills," Kelly explained.

According to the "Point in Time" survey from the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, on a given night in New Hampshire more than 1,600 individuals experience homelessness; 65 of them are "unaccompanied adults" age 18 to 24, and more than 400 are people experiencing chronic homelessness.

Kelly added every young person at risk of experiencing homelessness has different needs and skills, so the supports they provide vary. She pointed out for some people, it is about helping them to gain employment readiness skills, so they can get a job and live independently, while others may apply for college.

"For some young people, it might be about applying for and helping them to apply for Social Security so that they have the ongoing supports that they need," Kelly emphasized. "Because they are unable at the moment to be able to work and support themselves."

Kelly added it is important for the state to acknowledge the gaps between child and adult services, and make sure support is available to young people, so they don't have to experience chronic homelessness into their adult lives.

Nationally, one in four young people who age out of the foster system experience homelessness within four years.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Groups working to keep Missouri residents in their homes since the pandemic began are trying to identify the barriers to receiving emergency rental assistance.

As of September, the state had given less than 20% of the funds it was allocated from the American Rescue Plan, despite many Missouri renters facing financial hardships and eviction notices.

Katherine Fenerson, civic engagement organizer for Action St. Louis, said it can take weeks for applications to be processed, and without an eviction moratorium in place, many folks cannot afford to wait.

"There have been just a number of problems and barriers, including just the lack of communication, little to no transparency in how the city is working through the process," Fenerson asserted. "There's also been a lot of unnecessary documentation, things that have not been requested or that have even been needed."

Congress has dedicated roughly $47 billion for emergency rental assistance nationwide, and states like Missouri that have not spent at least 30% of their allocated funds may be at risk of the money being distributed elsewhere.

Since federal and state moratoriums on evictions have been lifted, Fenerson added most recent census data showed more than 25,000 Missourians have reported being at risk of eviction in the next two months. She said there are multiple ways to apply for rental assistance.

"Also, you can call 211, or you can call 1-800-427-4626," Fenerson outlined. "And they say that they will assist you in applying over the phone - however, you will still need to mail or email the supporting documents that are needed."

The St. Louis Sheriff's Department has announced evictions are currently paused for the Thanksgiving holiday, and will resume next week until the week of Christmas, when another temporary halt takes place through the end of the year.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Programs that allowed struggling homeowners to pause monthly payments during the pandemic have reached their limits for millions of borrowers. Minnesota non-profits say that's why they need more exit plans to prevent lasting economic devastation.

A report from property analysts CoreLogic estimates 1.2 million U.S. homeowners saw their forbearance protections reach the 18-month limit this fall.

Former St. Paul mayor and current Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity president Chris Coleman said creating more pathways for debtors to dig out from past due amounts is vital. A foreclosure not only harms the borrower, Coleman said, but the community as well.

"You have the physical impacts of having abandoned homes or homes that are not being kept up," said Coleman. "Or you have the costs of that, which number in the millions."

The Minnesota Homeownership Center says Congressional estimates show every foreclosure costs a community $80,000 because of resources tied to the process. And when a wave of foreclosures occur, those costs multiply fast amid a backlog of properties.

Both the Center and Habitat for Humanity encourage at-risk families to contact them about prevention services.

Minnesota Homeownership Center President Julie Gugin said falling behind on payments can be frightening for a homeowner. She says that often sets up barriers to take action.

"A natural reaction to crisis is to try and ignore it," said Gugin. "It's a way to manage the stress of the trauma."

She said reaching out is an important step in getting the ball rolling on saving your home. The Center adds that foreclosures are especially hard on Black households, with data showing it takes longer for them to get back into homeownership.

Coleman said as mayor, he saw first hand the long road to recovery after the Great Recession of 2008, when properties wound up in the hands of investors elsewhere in the country. That prevented local communities from benefiting from these assets.

"All of this money is flowing out of the state of Minnesota," said Coleman. "You're not building equity that can help that family be secure for years and years, and generations to come."