Hartford (June 18, 2015) — More than 460 people have found stable and secure housing as a result of statewide Rapid Results 100-Day Challenges to End Homelessness in five regions across Connecticut.
Four challenges launched on March 9, and involved teams from Greater Hartford, Fairfield County, southeastern Connecticut and northeastern Connecticut. These teams joined the effort started last year in New Haven. In all, more than 140 agencies and providers were involved, impacting 85 percent of the state’s homeless population. The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness and Journey Home of Hartford were the project leaders.
At noon on Wednesday, June 24, the teams will gather at Community Renewal Team Inc., 555 Windsor Street, Hartford, to share their final results and celebrate their success. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra will speak.
The results (subject to change) include:
● More than 180 highly vulnerable and long homeless individuals housed in New Haven
● More than 120 individuals and families in Fairfield County housed and another 80 matched to housing
● Nearly 50 chronically homeless individuals in Greater Hartford housed and another 46 matched to housing
● More than 60 individuals in New London County housed
● Nearly 50 individuals and families in Windham County housed
These efforts are part of Connecticut’s work to end homelessness among Veterans by the end of 2015, and chronic homelessness by the end of 2016. Earlier this year, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced that Connecticut was one of four states chosen for Zero: 2016, a national initiative organized by the nonprofit Community Solutions and dedicated to ending Veteran and chronic homelessness (the long-term homelessness of people with disabilities) within the next two years. At the same time, the governor announced an expansion of existing permanent housing subsidies meant to help the state move toward that goal.
“I know that Governor Malloy and the residents of Connecticut are proud to support the great work and innovation of all the housing providers involved in this effort. It is because of their work on the front lines, each and every day, that we are able to celebrate this progress,” said Evonne Klein, commissioner of the Department of Housing, the state lead on efforts to end homelessness. “Working together, we are closer than ever to ending chronic homelessness in Connecticut.”
Only 18 of the 71 communities involved in Zero: 2016 are on track to meet the goals and Connecticut is the only state in this small group, in large part because of the progress generated through the Rapid Results 100-Day challenges. In the last four month, providers across Connecticut have housed 371 Veterans and 229 individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
“The 100-day efforts across the state show the power we can unleash when we let the people who do this work on the ground re-engineer the system – these efforts are helping our communities leap forward toward our Zero: 2016 goals,” said Lisa Tepper Bates, executive director of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.
The 100-day initiatives brought together advocates, activists, service providers, and others to combine resources more effectively to advance the goal of ending homelessness. Each team created a plan and set goals at launch, and met at the 50-day mark to provide updates.
“The 100-Day Campaign has given us the opportunity and permission to try things temporarily and see what works and doesn’t work,” said Matt Morgan, Journey Home’s executive director. “We have been able to take some risks we would not have taken before the Campaign, and we have made it easier and faster for those who are chronically homeless to get the documentation they need and to move into housing.”
The Connecticut-based Rapid Results Institute, which developed the “100 day” approach, provided support throughout the process. Daniel Manitsky, senior catalyst with The Rapid Results Institute (RRI) said, “The Rapid Results Institute’s work helped break-down walls between organizations and, in some cases, different municipalities, to help ensure everyone was able to provide more efficient, effective services to those in need. The work also helped communities improve their targeting of resources, allowing the most intense services to be provided to those that needed the most help.
“The 100-day projects, which we successfully carried out in New Haven last year and continue to roll out in other states across the U.S., help frontline workers set-up and take more of a leadership role,” Manitsky said. “Developing their skills as managers and leaders, while allowing for new ideas and voices to be integrate in efforts to strengthen the system for helping those who are struggling to find stable housing.”
The 100-Day Challenges were funded by:
● Alpha Community Services YMCA
● Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation
● City of Hartford
● Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut
● Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness
● Connecticut Mental Health Center Foundation
● Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
● Journey Home of Hartford
● Melville Charitable Trust
● NewAlliance Foundation
● Opening Doors Fairfield County
● Supportive Housing Works
● United Way of Coastal Fairfield County
● United Way of Greater New Haven
● United Way of Southeastern Connecticut
● Yale-New Haven Hospital