Shelter Owned By Columbus House, Run By 'Upon This Rock Ministries'

NEW HAVEN, CT —Among the more than 537 people and 90 families identified as homeless in Greater New Haven are those who seek shelter at Union Station. The rear few rows of benches at the busy depot on any given day are filled with folks, most with all their belongings in bags and carts.

Daily, Liberty Community Service outreach workers go to the station to check on folks and help provide temporary shelter and housing and other related services. The mission of the non-profit, seeking to end homelessness in New Haven, is focused on the unhoused who are living and struggling with mental health and addiction.

As Velma George, coordinator of the New Haven Office of Housing and Homelessness Services, said, these are the "boots on the ground" folks who work within the unhoused community.

Liberty Community Services outreach workers Kiana Richardson, Barbara McMillian, and Darrin Robinson along with program director Silvia Moscariello were at a news briefing Friday where it was announced the city has "activated" 50 emergency shelter beds.

'This is a big, big deal'

In an otherwise nondescript site owned and operated by Columbus House, the set-up includes a section for men and one for women and a large bathroom with showers.

"This is a big, big deal," New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said.

The temporary emergency shelter at 209 Terminal Lane is an addition to the continuum of existing support services for those experiencing homelessness in New Haven.

Carlos Sosa-Lombardo, New Haven Department of Community Resilience director, said that while, "providing emergency shelter is not the only solution," he added that the new shelter opening is a "significant step forward in providing shelter," albeit temporary.

The shelter will operate under agreements with two current service providers: Columbus House, which owns the site and will license the space to the city, and Upon this Rock Ministries, which will be contracted by the city to be the service provider and run the facility.

Elicker said that the church and Pastor Valerie Washington first collaborated with the city on warming shelters and then said, "let's do more." He said that Washington's "leadership and your values have dramatically helped us, and helped so many people who are the most vulnerable in our community."

"Truly, it's a blessing and an honor to be part of our community that is homeless," Washington said. "This is a part of ministry the Lord wants his church to be involved in. He said for us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and bring the poor that are cast out to thy house."

In addition to emergency housing accommodations, people will also be able to get connected to medical care, public assistance and other services that will support their longer-term housing needs. The now-open shelter operates from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., seven days a week through Oct. 30 when seasonal shelters and warming centers re-open in November.

New Haven currently has 177 beds at four sites, 37 rooms for families and 105 spaces at cooling/warming centers.

Alders Evelyn Rodriguez and Carmen Rodriguez thanked and praised the efforts of city, ministry, non-profit workers to see the newest shelter realized.