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How the housing crisis is affecting thousands in New Haven

There are roughly 30,000 people in New Haven alone, questioning if they will end up living on the street. Realistically, most of them will never get their answer.

Brooke Griffin

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Published: 6:45 AM EDT August 9, 2023
Updated: 7:30 AM EDT August 10, 2023

FOX61 is committed to diving into the housing crisis in Connecticut, with each story shedding light on the issues people face while trying to put a roof over their heads.  

We spoke with two families facing different sides of the same battle with a system that isn’t set up to let them win.  

There is an unprecedented 30,000 people on the New Haven Section 8 housing waitlist. Still, most of these people’s applications will never even be processed due to too-little housing available, insufficient funding, and an overall lack of resources.  

Even if a family does receive a voucher or has one already, that doesn’t mean they are housing-secure. 

Two decades ago, a family needing housing assistance from a federal program such as Section 8 could apply and receive an answer within a reasonable amount of time.  

Elm Cities Housing Authority President Karen Dubois-Walton tells us now, with living expenses going up and wages not matching that increase, there is a higher demand for housing assistance, especially here in Connecticut.  

“We are the wealthiest state in [the] wealthiest country; there is more we can be doing to help the unhoused families,” DuBois-Walton said.  

Dubois-Walton spends every day meeting with those who are desperate for help. She said she feels the weight of the most vulnerable population in New Haven on her shoulders.  

“It can be unsatisfying to hang up the call and walk away without offering them a solution to their urgent need,” DuBois-Walton said.  

Today there are roughly 30,000 people in New Haven alone questioning if they will end up living on the street. Realistically, most of them will never get their answer.  

“You and I will be dead and buried before we reach the end of a list like that,” she said.  

One of those families waiting for an answer is the Blank family. 

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