We Should Choose To Protect Connecticut Families From Housing Insecurity

A recent report from the Urban Institute projected that poverty among American families would fall by half this year. Child poverty is expected to drop to 5.6 percent , a decline of 61 percent from 2018 levels. According to the analysts, these drops in poverty are due to increases in federal funding for safety net programs during the pandemic, most notably the stimulus checks, unemployment insurance, and expanded SNAP benefits. Other antipoverty strategies not included in the Urban Institute’s calculations include funding that targeted housing insecurity, specifically, nationwide eviction moratoriums, funding from FEMA to provide shelter for unhoused people in hotels, and federal emergency rental assistance.

These housing strategies have been particularly helpful for Connecticut families facing housing insecurity or homelessness. The funding for hotel accommodations for individuals facing homelessness provided much needed respite and security during the pandemic. From her work with unhoused individuals in New Haven, Leah Robinson noted in the CT Mirror that “the chance to move to a hotel brought about a substantial sense of relief” for those who would have otherwise slept in a crowded shelter or on the streets during the pandemic.