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New Haven to propose converting a local hotel into an emergency shelter

Advocates say the non-congregate shelter is better for residents in the long run.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The City of New Haven is proposing to buy the Days Inn on Foxon Boulevard and turn it into an emergency shelter to help address the city’s housing crisis for those experiencing homelessness. The proposed shelter would be the first of its kind for the City of New Haven. 

Mayor Justin Elicker said the city has reached a tentative deal with the owners of the hotel to acquire the $6.9 million building using American Rescue Plan Act funding and the city’s budget surplus to help operate the proposed shelter. 

“This is a really important step that we’re taking to ensure we have more access for people to stabilize and to access more support,” said Elicker. 

Advocates say the non-congregate shelter is better for residents in the long run. 

“This has become a best practice, one of the silver linings of the pandemic is that we learned new ways to do these sorts of things, and we learned that non-congregate shelters really is the better way to provide shelter it gives people their own personal space, gives them the ability to come and go on there own gives them privacy which is important,” said Steve Werlin, Executive Director for Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen. 

“A non-congregate shelter is really an appropriate response to a humanitarian crisis,” said Werlin. 

The city says they know there may be some concerns from nearby businesses and neighbors about the proposed shelter. 

“It’s not going to be the site where people just line up outside, people will have to be referred to the shelter, and we want to make sure in addition to people getting as much help as they need as their staying there we don’t have an impact on the surrounding community,” said Elicker

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Mayor Elicker Plans to propose the deal to the Board of Alders at the upcoming meeting Monday night. The board would then schedule a public meeting on the topic to take input from community members before bringing it to a final vote. 

The city hopes to have the shelter up and running before winter. 

Jake Garcia is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at jgarcia@fox61.com. Follow him on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram.

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