Fifty unhoused individuals in New Haven will have somewhere cool to sleep tonight.
New Haven has opened a temporary emergency shelter amid a heat wave — and housing crisis — across the state. In March, the city bulldozed an encampment along the West River.
The shelter will operate from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., seven days a week. It’s open until the end of October.
It’s owned by Columbus House and is located at 209 Terminal Lane.
Mayor Justin Elicker said more than 500 individuals and 90 families are struggling with housing in the New Haven metro area — and the city only has the space to shelter half of them.
“It’s the heat outside, the fact that people are struggling and sleeping in encampments,” Elicker said. “The fact that people are sleeping in Union Station. We need these spaces and we need to do more, the city is working very much to do more.”
City Community Resilience Director Carlos Sosa-Lombardo said everyone deserves a safe place to sleep.
“Today, we affirm our commitment to ensuring that nobody is left behind,” Sosa-Lombardo said. “The opening of this temporary shelter comes as a response. We couldn't stand idly by while these individuals face the harsh realities of life without a place to rest their heads.”
Individuals using the facility will also be connected to medical care and long-term housing assistance.
A referral is required to be considered for a bed. Individuals must be 21 or older and should call 211 if they are interested in a spot.
