Progress in Quest to Reduce Homelessness in New Haven

New Haven’s 100-Day Challenge to End Homelessness has ended and the results are in.

Workers from different community and state agencies teamed up for the challenge and set a goal of finding housing for 75 percent of the city’s chronically homeless population, or 107 residents.

During a roundtable discussion at the United Way of Greater New Haven, group leaders released the results. They say they found housing for 43 people and have finished the paperwork to get housing for 59 more. That’s 102 total people, which is just five shy of their goal.

“We’re very close and it’s amazing. We are really right up against that goal which is a phenomenal success," said Amy Casavina Hall of the United Way. "Processes that normally take two to three years to happen are now taking two to three weeks.”

As part of the challenge, workers conducted more than 550 surveys of homeless residents across the city to get a better handle on the overall problem.

They were able to accomplish so much in such a short time by simplifying the process, advocates said.

“Taking a very hard look at how we use our existing resources and using those resources better, more effectively, more efficiently to serve more people in urgent need,” said Lisa Tepper Bates of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.

While the 100-day time period for the challenge is over, the agencies plan to continue working together until at least mid-September to reach their goal.

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