Guilford Gets $350K In Coronavirus Funds To Fight Homelessness

GUILFORD, CT — Guilford will receive a $350,000 grant, the equivalent of four full-time positions to support its homelessness diversion program.

The grant was announced Thursday when Gov. Ned Lamont approved the allocation of $3.4 million in grants from the state’s Coronavirus Relief Fund, which uses federal CARES Act money, to finance programs in several towns across Connecticut that will be used for homeless shelter improvements, homeless prevention services, and financial assistance for low-income residents at-risk of becoming homeless.

Administered by the state Department of Housing, the grants will provide "critically needed" assistance to many who have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“These grants will be used to ensure the supports are in place for those who are on the verge of becoming homeless, and we can rapidly respond to the situations they are facing,” Lamont said in a media release. “Having a safe and secure place to call home is a critical component of responding to this public health crisis.”

Several of the grants will be used for shelter diversion programs, which aim to prevent homelessness by helping those in need of shelter to identify alternate housing arrangements. This prevents the need for entering shelter, and creates a pathway toward long-term housing stability.

The Guilford grant for Greater New Haven CAN Shelter Diversion will provide four full-time positions to support their diversion program, including two diversion specialists, a family stabilization specialist, a housing specialist, a homeless verification specialist, and a diversion team lead.

In 2019, 13,223 households in Greater New Haven called 2-1-1 with a housing crisis, approximately 2,925 of whom attended a Coordinated Access Network appointment to seek assistance. At the highest point, there were over 300 individuals on the shelter waitlist. Greater New Haven has begun implementing diversion as a critical intervention. This shelter diversion program will reduce the number of households becoming homeless, the demand for shelter beds, and the cost to shelter agencies by increasing the region’s capacity.

“When an individual or family is having a housing crisis, we can keep them stably housed in the community and prevent them from entering into homeless service system,” Connecticut Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno said. “This funding increases the capacity to prevent, prepare, and respond to housing needs and pandemic precautions.”

Now's also the time to apply for heating assistance, the town reminded on Facebook.