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We are beginning to notice another rise in encampments getting shut down. Just in the past 2 weeks, we have received calls about 5 different encampments needing relocation assistance. With the constant relocation of our clients, not only is it taking a massive toll on them physically, but it is affecting their mental health as well. Some clients have shared with me that they feel less than human after having to relocate all of their belongings to go and “hide away” in another location that they are not familiar with. Also, with having to relocate many individuals in a given time frame, we are running out of available areas to place these clients. We are fearful that if we set them up in a new location that it could be shut down very soon after.  This past week we were fortunate enough to house one of our clients who had been struggling with homelessness for the past 18 months. This individual has been very driven and motivated to get out of the situation he was in and was just getting the short end of the stick with job applications and housing opportunities. He began to feel very down and started to lose hope that nothing would go his way. Fortunately, luck started to come his way. He was able to get into a job program that will help him get his cosmetology license renewed so he can go back to work as a barber. We also were able to get him set up with a rooming house so he has a comfortable place to call his own and to allow him to focus on other important things such as employment and working on his mental health. He had such a huge smile on his face when we entered the unit for the first time and we are extremely proud of the work he has put in to better his situation along with being proud of his perseverance and his ability to keep pushing forward when things get tough. This summer has been unusually hotter than our average summers in CT. With this, we have been fortunate for the state to activate the “Hot Weather Protocol” a few times so far this summer. This means that once the temperatures reach over 90 degrees that the Governor has cooling centers across the state open up for folks to go and cool off or get water and relax in a cooler setting than outside. In Waterbury, there are also some splash pads around the city at local parks for people and children to access as well. We continue to be grateful to the City and everyone in the community that helps support our mission.

We were fortunate enough to be invited to the United Way of Greater Waterbury and the United Way of Naugatuck/Beacon Falls annual awards dinners. This was a great opportunity for us to show our appreciation for 2 amazing organizations in addition to the ability network with other programs and agencies. There was an overnight outreach event on April 30th where multiple agencies in the Waterbury area met up on the green and gave out a bunch of resources and supplies. Also, some of the agencies were able to do some canvassing of encampments with the Waterbury Police Department. This allowed outreach teams to offer resources and support to those we may not meet with during the morning/afternoon hours. In the beginning of April, we hosted our 2nd bi-annual Art Show where those who are unhoused were able to show off their creative skills and display some artwork for the community to come see, some individuals even purchased some of the art from our clients. This was such a positive experience for our clients that allowed them to feel a sense of pride, have the ability to earn some money, and overall was truly a wonderful coming together moment for everyone. We are planning to have our next art show in the fall.

’d like to start this blog off with a success story. We have been working closely with a 55 year old man who has struggled with homelessness on and off for the last 3 years. I would meet with this man roughly once a week to check in with him and to provide him with any necessary supplies. He had lost all of his vital documents after being evicted from his last residence, so it took some time to acquire those for him. Luckily, a few months ago we were able to get him a housing voucher through the Center for Human Development (CHD). After a couple months of searching around, he finally was able to move into his new place with his 3 year old dog at the beginning of this month. The look on his face was indescribable when he first walked into his new place he was so overwhelmed with joy.  We are noticing a dramatic influx of individuals who have come to our attention who require outreach services. This includes middle class families, the elderly, and those with acute physical/medical needs. During the month of December- the end of February, a warming center in Waterbury opened their doors 24/7 and acted as a place for folks to get out of the winter elements. Up to 35 people could utilize the warming center at a time which was a huge help in the community. Sadly, on March 1st, the warming center closed and displaced roughly 35 people back out to the streets. We are working diligently with other providers to ensure these individuals get the proper services they need.

During these frigid months of winter, it becomes much more challenging to assist every individual with their specific needs. We are beginning to see a rise in the amount of people who are living outside in the Greater Waterbury Area. Fortunately, thanks to our amazing donors, we received a bunch of resource bags from Entrepreneur's Source in Southbury and also from the folks at Liberty Bank in Naugatuck. With these resource bags, we are able to hand out a bag to each of our clients to carry their belongings in and to utilize the materials that are given to them in each bag. Each bag consisted of items such as hand warmers, hats/gloves, a small blanket, various snack items, and more.  As of January 11, we have 13 individuals who are document ready and waiting on a housing voucher. Unfortunately, we are seeing a decrease in the amount of housing vouchers that are available for our clients. This means that our folks are having to stay outside much longer than in previous years. In the past 2 months, we were able to assist 8 individuals get into stable housing or into a long term treatment program. We are hopeful to increase those numbers during the 2025 year.

Our program has received an influx of clients looking to enter detox. In the past 2 months, Josh and I have been able to assist 7 different clients with getting into a detox/rehab facility. One of the clients we assisted had never been into treatment before, so she was very anxious and hesitant going into it. Her and I sat together and began to call the Access Line to see if beds were available for her. After several hours, we were informed that there was an issue with her insurance where she was deemed ineligible for Husky Insurance. Luckily, after a few phone calls, we were able to get to the bottom of the issue with her insurance. This entire process took place over 3 days and each day was tougher than the last regarding this client's state of mind, feeling towards treatment, and overall health. Currently, she is still in treatment and is thriving there! Once she has completed her program, she will be able to move into her new apartment. As of November 1st, we had 41 clients on our caseload. Out of those 41, we have 22 clients who are matched to a housing voucher or are next in line to be matched. This is very important to note because this allows us to focus more on those individuals who have no documentation at all or those who need a more hands-on level of care. We are hopeful that we can see a quick turn around for our folks who have housing vouchers with this frigid winter coming very soon.

Due to the continuing rise of rents, there has been a significant increase in the amount of people living outside in Waterbury. Our program has received 14 new clients as of August 1, with 6 of these individuals being over the age of 55. We are noticing more and more families who are becoming homeless, but we are specifically seeing more single mothers with young children having to resort to sleeping in their cars until there is shelter space available.  On a positive note, we were able to house one of our clients who has been struggling with homelessness for over 3 years. Words cannot describe the smile on his face when he walked into his apartment for the first time.

The month of June definitely brought its challenges with the main one being the humidity. The Governor activated the “Extreme Hot Weather Protocol” during the back half of this month. Agencies and public buildings became cooling centers during this time, allowing people to get out of the extreme humidity and heat for a bit to get some water and cool off. Even when this protocol was not put in place, we were making sure all of our friends who are sleeping outside had plenty of water, ice packs. We are also fortunate to hand out some personal battery fans to help them keep our friends cool thanks to donations.  One encounter of my work that I would like to share is regarding a 72 year old man who reported to be living outside for nearly a month. Once Josh and I met with the client, he discussed with us his medical concerns that led him to being sent to the hospital recently. This client was unable to return to the shelter due to requiring a handicapped accessible facility. Unfortunately, there were zero beds available in the entire state. During the intake with this client, his health began to decline so we made a call for an ambulance to pick him up. He was sent to the hospital where he was nearly discharged with no safety plan in place. We began pleading with the nurses to keep him for more observation and fortunately they listened. After further observation, they found that he had serious heart complications and he required surgery. He is now currently in a short term rehab facility and then he will be placed into residential living. This is a glimpse of the work we do and one highlight of the month.

Over the month of April Josh and I were able to meet with over 40 different clients and provide the necessary services for each individual. We were able to help 3 clients in particular get their own housing. We have 2 more that are awaiting to get their keys in the coming week. This has been an exciting time for our clients. These clients have struggled with homelessness for over a year and also have many physical/medical conditions that have made their experience being outside that much tougher. We currently have over 25% of our clients in the housing search with another 35% who are document ready awaiting the proper housing voucher.  With the warmer weather approaching, Josh and I are beginning to prepare our clients by providing them with bottles of water and “rapid response” bags that contain hygiene products, socks, cleaning wipes, a small blanket, flashlight, and various snack items. These bags were graciously donated to us thanks to the Cornerstone Church of Cheshire.

Earlier this month, I received a call from Lt. Stokes from Waterbury Police regarding an encampment of ours that has gotten the attention of the Police Chief. He informed me that this location needed to be cleaned up by the end of the week or they would have to come in and clear everyone out. So, I was able to clear out the mess with help from one of our clients and we reached back out to Lt. Stokes to have the refuse team come and gather all of the bags of garbage we brought out. I am hopeful that the continued relationship we have with the Waterbury Police Department will ensure the safety, well-being, and wrap-around support that benefits our clients.  One of the challenges I have faced these past couple months is when we get clients matched to vouchers, we are seeing that it is taking much longer for them to find apartments. This means that our clients have to remain outside in the elements much longer than they had anticipated in the past. Currently, we have 10 of our clients who are matched to a housing voucher and out of those 10, 7 of them have had a voucher longer than 3 months. We are hopeful to see a turn around soon.