by Donald Eng
A tent among several within a homeless encampment next to I-84 in Hartford on Tuesday, March 20, 2021. Credit: Doug Hardy / CTNewsJunkie
WEST HARTFORD, CT — As a fall chill settled over much of Connecticut this week, Gov. Ned Lamont and the state Department of Housing released $8 million to help people experiencing homelessness stay warm and find homes this upcoming winter.
State officials and housing advocates gathered at the Journey Home free furniture bank on New Park Avenue in West Hartford to announce two funding initiatives. The Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) is awarding $4.5 million in funding to support cold weather emergency shelter services for the 2025-26 winter season. Additionally, the department is providing $3.5 million to support 14 homeless hubs across the state, which serve as alternative entry points to the state’s coordinated access networks.
Along with the 211 phone system, these physical sites can connect people experiencing homelessness with services and resources to assist them.
“No one in Connecticut should have to sleep outside in freezing temperatures,” said Deputy Housing Commissioner Julian Pierce. “And under this administration, homelessness cannot and will not be a death sentence.”
Pierce said last year cold weather emergency shelter funding helped nearly 5,000 people find refuge from the cold, and that the state had grown its shelter capacity by 574 beds.
The funding comes as Connecticut is grappling with increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness. According to the most recent Point-in-Time (PIT) count, the number of people experiencing homelessness in January increased by nearly 10% from 2024 to 2025. And the number of people who were completely unsheltered – sleeping in cars, under bridges or out in the open – rose by 45%.
Matthew Morgan, executive director of Journey Home, said the organization, which coordinates all cold weather programs in the capital region, is “very concerned” about the upcoming winter. The cold can be deadly for those who are unsheltered, he said. One individual last year suffered from frostbite that resulted in him losing both legs, he said.
“With the American Rescue Plan funding expiring that had been funding all of these cold weather programs, we were really worried that without the state stepping up, we would have quite a catastrophe in our hands this winter,” he said. “So we are so relieved and so grateful Connecticut has decided to invest in its people to keep them safe and warm. These are literally life-saving investments that allow us to care for our most vulnerable.”
State Sen. Derek Slap, D-West Hartford, said federal cuts to food and energy assistance programs means the legislature and governor will have to “step up” in the upcoming special session to help address basic human needs.
“The cold weather is coming and we know that for many folks, that’s going to mean life and death decisions,” he said. “I think many people think homelessness is something that happens to somebody else and it doesn’t affect them. But in reality, so many of our constituents are one paycheck away, one healthcare calamity away from finding themselves without a home or without heat.”
Lamont said the state had made improvements in increasing the housing supply, but that more work needs to be done. He expressed support for legislation that would cap the amount out-of-state corporate rental purchasers can raise rents, and for continuing negotiations on a comprehensive housing bill and permanent cold weather funding for shelters.
“This is a down payment on what we’ve got to do to make sure in this cold weather, we can provide a little bit of extra support,” he said.