A community of “tiny homes” built for unhoused people in New Haven has failed to get approval from the state to recieve electricity for heat this winter.
The dwellings, which are on private property behind the Amistad Catholic Worker House, were denied in part because they do not have bathrooms or kitchens.
Mark Colville is a housing activist who founded the group, owns the property and lives on the site. He said that should not prevent them from getting electricity.
“They’re treating these things as if they are low-income housing, as if they are housing units,” Colville said. “They are not housing units. They are an emergency shelter for unhoused people.”
Mayor Justin Elicker (D) said the dwellings will be allowed to remain while the decision is appealed.
“We encourage them to sit down with the the folks at the Office of State Building Inspections and talk about why the denial was issued, and understand if there was a pathway for them to potentially get those waivers,” Elicker said.
But he added that it wasn’t as easy as flipping a switch to turn on the power.
“I can't just decide to disregard the law,” Elicker said. “I can't disregard the regulations that have been put in place to keep people safe. And I cannot tell my building inspector to just disregard this law for this property. That would not be safe.”
The organization has 30 days to appeal the decision. Colville said they will do so.
According to Elicker, the group could meet as early as Friday to work through the reasons for the denial.
