MERIDEN, Conn. — Hope has a new home in the form of Hanover Place, a nine-unit development that will house veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
American Legion Post 45 Commander Bob Williams said he is proud to see the project completed.
“I think they’re long overdue. I think of veterans don’t get the respect they need, especially our veterans from Vietnam, so I think it’s a wonderful project, “ said Williams.
Governor Lamont, Meriden Mayor Kevin Scarpati, and other state and local officials were also on hand to cut the ribbon and discuss the project’s importance.
“It’s housing so that folks who grew up here can stay here, so folks who work in Meriden can live where they work, and veterans who have served their country can afford to be here in a town like this,” said Governor Lamont.
“It’s also something that I think goes unnoticed is the effect that homelessness has on our veteran population with more than half a million Americans experiencing homelessness every single day, it’s important to note that one in five homeless men are veterans,” said Mayor Scarpati.
As of now, four tenats have been approved to move in and applications are still being reviewed as the city works on certificates of occupancy.
The project was funded by $1.65 million in state grants from the Connecticut Department of Housing, as well as private-public partnerships, all under the direction of the Meriden Housing Authority.
In January, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its 2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. The report found that in Connecticut, 3,033 persons experienced homelessness on a single night in January 2019, a decrease of 23.7 percent from 2018.
That’s in contrast to national numbers, where HUD says 14,885 more people were found to be homeless since 2018. But homelessness among veterans and families with children continued to fall, declining 2.1 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively, in 2019.
The national estimate is based on data from 3,000 cities and counties. Every year on a single night in January, agencies and tens of thousands of volunteers go out to identify who is living in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, or on the street. HUD says these one-night ‘snapshot’ counts, as well as full-year counts and data from other federal agencies, are crucial to understanding homelessness.
Key Findings About CT in the HUD Report
- Most homeless persons (2,577) were located in emergency shelters or transitional housing programs while 456 persons were unsheltered.
- The number of families with children experiencing homelessness decreased 44.9 percent from 2018.
- Veteran homelessness increased 3 percent (or five persons) from 2018. Since 2010, however, veteran homelessness decreased by 59.6 percent. On a single night in January 2019, 195 veterans were experiencing homelessness. Note: CT was the first state to end chronic veteran homelessness,in 2016.
- Chronic or long-term homelessness among individuals declined by 74 percent (96 persons) over 2018 and decreased by 74 percent (or 575 persons) since 2010.