Homelessness requires region-wide solutions

Those who live in the suburbs may be glad that they don’t live in a city and have to face this reality daily. And yet, a significant number of the people seeking shelter in the city of Hartford do not come from Hartford.

Late in August, in the city of Hartford, the names of 413 men, 141 women and 30 families were on the official list of those needing shelter.

Those numbers don’t reflect others on the streets who are not yet on the list, nor those already in homeless shelters in the city. That number of shelter beds simply does not exist in Hartford, and winter is coming.

Given COVID-19 restrictions, fewer spaces will be available in the basic warming center once it gets cold. Last year’s emergency family shelters at local faith communities will not be available because buildings are not properly ventilated to be safe in the pandemic overnight, and volunteers not at risk for COVID-19 are lacking. Without question, people will die for lack of shelter this winter.

Those who live in the suburbs may be glad that they don’t live in a city and have to face this reality daily. They might blame the Hartford city government for not using funds wisely, or they might blame the homeless themselves for being irresponsible or using drugs or whatever stereotype they might have. I suspect, however, that most people are unlikely to think that this is their problem.

And yet, a significant number of the people seeking shelter in the city of Hartford do not come from Hartford. They arrive on buses from Glastonbury or Newington or Bloomfield or Wethersfield or other surrounding towns, encouraged by those from whomthey sought help in their hometown to go where services are available.

They come to Hartford because there are probably no homeless shelters or agencies where they may get rent assistance, or help in acquiring other basic needs in the suburbs which they called home.

So many of those on the streets need to replace basic identification papers, like birth certificates and drivers licenses, so that they can access state and federal assistance available to them. Imagine someone without their most basic documents trying to do navigate the Department of Motor Vehicles. They come to Hartford to find case workers or volunteers to help them move through the maze, which will allow them to receive disability or other funds owed to them.

This winter, they will come to Hartford, because basic warming centers that operate overnight simply do not exist in most suburban towns.

Homelessness and hunger, mental illness, domestic abuse and substance abuse disorder are not only Hartford problems — they are regional problems that require regional solutions. As towns fight against affordable housing units or substance abuse treatment centers in their ZIP codes and would not even consider funding a homeless shelter, the problem continues to grow.

The suburban towns do not make direct contributions to the budget in Hartford to care for these most vulnerable of our neighbors. In addition to the lack of beds in shelters, drug rehab centers cannot accommodate all of those who seek a way out of their addictions. The social service agencies, faith communities and police in

Hartford find themselves stretched to the breaking point to find funding, space and personnel to address the many and varying physical and mental health needs of our homeless neighbors.

Many kind residents of Greater Hartford contribute generously to various non-profit and religious organizations that serve the most vulnerable people in Hartford, and that does make a difference. But it is not enough. The towns surrounding Hartford need to invest in services for their own vulnerable populations as well as in truly affordable housing. That takes time.

So, for this winter, those towns should be sending not only people in need of services but dollars to pay for those services to Hartford. They should be staffing warming centers in their own towns to shelter people from freezing temperatures. They should take these steps today, as time is running short. Because none of us wants to open this paper on a cold day in January to read a story about someone who has died on the streets of the city for lack of a safe place to sleep.