Seven activists with U-ACT, or the Unhoused Activists Community Team, were arrested in New Haven on Tuesday for pitching tents at an encampment on the Upper Green. They said they defied police orders to bring attention to the problems facing the city’s unhoused population.
“There’s a lot of folks who can’t risk arrest, so I was more than happy to be one of the ones who could,” said Alexis Terry, one of the arrested activists. “Because something needs to be done, and people have to take a stance. Many people out here have chronic health conditions in addition to having to navigate the coordinated access network in order to find housing, resources and advocacy. Those are the things we’re trying to highlight and bring attention to.”
Activists said the organizations there to help seem understaffed, undertrained and overloaded. They also said they want an end to the encampment sweeps, permanent bathrooms, and land where people can camp without being bothered by police.
However, city officials say encampments can become dangerous and unsanitary. Mayor Justin Elicker said encampments are not the answer and wants to create more affordable housing.
“The city of New Haven does more than any other city in the state of Connecticut when it comes to supporting the unhoused. We have seven shelters online, we just opened one up about two weeks ago,” Elicker said. “There’s been over 2,000 new units online in the past five years, 40% of those are affordable or deeply affordable. And we have 3,500 additional units in the pipeline. 40% of those are affordable. That’s the real way to address the challenges around homelessness.”
Elicker adds the city provides mental health support and addiction services to those who need it.
City agencies said they placed more than a dozen people from the encampment in shelters.
