Unhoused residents in New Britain say they are fed up with being pushed out of the community area they shared, and they believe the city is more focused on creating new businesses and expensive housing than tackling the issue of homelessness.
The community area, located on Arch Street in the back of the Friendship Center, is used by many unhoused community members who like to gather there throughout the day until they can return to the center for food and shelter later in the day, residents said.
Previously, there was access to a portable toilet and benches that residents would use. However, the toilet was removed and more recently the benches were also moved to another park that the city is looking to revitalize. Officials dispute the idea there are not myriad services — longstanding and new — in the city to access, and said there are ideas for expanding programs.
One of the unhoused residents, who used the name Mike, said that he did not believe that the benches would be taken away when he heard the news, as many come to this area to find safety and refuge.
“They take refuge here because it’s an easy escape from being homeless and having to deal with the stresses of that,” he said. “Having somewhere to go where you can take a load off (for) the time being, while you’re trying to get help, build yourself more socially.”
Mayor Erin Stewart, however, said the city is addressing the issue of homelessness, with additional programs and a new center that provides myriad services. She said the people who gather where the benches used to be were told they would be moved.
“We continue to address the need in our community, we wish surrounding towns would do the same, and we remain committed to providing support to those who want it,” she said.
Further, Housing and Homeless Coordinator Mary Floyd said that there’s always tension between trying to bring new businesses, new housing, and new revenue to the city while trying to serve the most vulnerable people.
‘Being here helped me out’
The residents shared some of the challenges they said they are facing, which includes lack of access to vital resources, inadequacy of assistance in finding work, challenges with complex paperwork for aid, along with the impact of removal of the portable toilet and the benches. They used only first names or pseudonyms to protect their privacy.
Mike also said that the space behind the Friendship Center is considered a food drop off section for people who are looking to help unhoused residents.
“Sometimes people can’t make it to their hospital appointments. People come here, drop food off. People take this as a stage for doing the positive thing, rather than people having to look for these people who might die because they’re just in a situation…you can come here and you can actually take charge of the situation rather than taking it away.”
Despite not having access to all the services they need, Mike also said that residents who use the space do what they can to help one another with difficult life situations.
He noted, for example, that he was able to help an unhoused resident reach his doctor and help him get assessed.
“I was able to find him, take his papers, get him in touch with the doctor for his appointment. And I actually brought him to the hospital two days ago and was able to bring him in,” he said.
But Mike said he also wishes that the so-called community area would be changed to support individuals like himself, who are really trying to make their lives better.
“If they built up this area, people would have even more respect for it and it would still be a great place for people to come to just try to get their lives better. I come here and…this doesn’t seem like just a hang out. It seems like a place where you can really go to somebody if you’re in trouble. People here are so great to each other…I’m telling you I’m stronger now. But when I was, oh man, I tell you, I was in trouble, and being here helped me out,” he said.
He said that it would also be helpful for services and resources to come to the area were unhoused residents congregate, especially those who offer help and support for mental health or addiction services – as many people do not have access to transportation or bus fare to travel to different locations where services are offered.
Another person, who is no longer homeless, still comes here as he said he is a part of the community. The man, who called himself Rick, said it troubles him that he sees police give out $99 tickets for loitering to people that are not causing a disruption and have nowhere to go, as many are required to leave the shelter at 6 a.m.
“They know these guys ain’t got no money, all of a sudden — you didn’t (pay) this ticket. Now, you got a warrant, they know exactly where to find you, now you are going off to jail,” he said.
Another man, who used the name Chris, said that he has been homeless in this area for a month and a half. He said he is particularly disappointed that the benches have been taken away, as he has used them to sleep on, especially while he nurses his broken leg.
“So now I sleep on the rocks. You know what I’m saying? They tell us they brought us back here. They pushed us back here from City Hall, then they’re going to push us out of here, too. It’s like, now where are we supposed to go?,” he said.
Coupled with his broken leg, Chris said he also lives with Tardive Dyskinesia, which, according to The National Institute of Health, is “a movement disorder characterized by uncontrollable, abnormal, and repetitive movements of the face, torso, and/or other body parts.”
He said the disorder also makes it difficult for him to work a physical job. “It’s hard for me to even concentrate. My eyes, everything, my nerves. It’s hard for me to get a job. Last time I had a job, my disorder started kicking, I almost blew out my shoulder. So they fired me. I’m a risk. I could hurt someone, I can be on a ladder and drop something or fall myself. So they don’t want me, I’m a risk, they don’t want me to work. So I’m stuck,” he said.
Other residents said it also can be difficult for those who eventually become housed, or are able to find work, as they are still struggle financially, yet no longer qualify resources that were available to them when they were unhoused.
“They build these new buildings and set up everything like they’re doing so much. But then when it comes time to help, if they were doing all this helping with all these grants and all this stuff that you have, why are there so many homeless people back here?” one resident said.
The resident said that for many individuals, the entire process can be daunting and has caused individuals to decide not to go through with it, as it can be a lot to navigate the system on their own – with little resources and support.
City response
Stewart, the mayor, in addressing concerns unhoused residents shared about feeling pushed out by new developments, having a hard time accessing services and benches being taken away, said, “With time things change, the benches have been in place for the past seven years now and all the people who hang out there have been told the benches were going to be moved to make room for new parking spaces to accommodate the new low income residents that are moving into the area.”
Stewart also said the city is working to provide resources for unhoused individuals and “have been more than accommodating for the past seven years but the needs of the community are shifting, along with their ability to provide additional services.”
“For two years this change was part of the conversation surrounding planning for the new Hope Connection Center, a center which includes access to our bus pass program, as well as access to bathrooms, showers, laundry, mental health support, social services, and more. We continue to address the need in our community, we wish surrounding towns would do the same, and we remain committed to providing support to those who want it,” she said.
Stewart said that over the years they have worked to address homelessness through various initiatives, which include Building Hope Together, a task force to end homelessness; the Mayor’s Opioid Task Force, and the Central CT H.O.P.E initiative, which works on heroin/opioid prevention and education.
New Britain Common Council Minority Leader Aram Ayalon said he is working to gain the trust of the unhoused community and show them he is an ally for them.
He said the factors contributing homelessness in the city include lack of education, health care, affordable housing, communication in languages other than English, and gentrification policies.
One of the solutions Ayalon recommends to help unhoused community members get back on their feet includes the city adopting a change of mindset.
“The change of mindset should be, the city should serve all its residents, not just the developers and the homeowners or the people that are more affluent. It should serve everybody and it should reflect in the budget,” he said.
He said it also is important to make services and resources more accessible to residents, especially those who are unhoused.
“The services that are available should be provided in different languages. They should send people to them (places where the unhoused are congregated), instead of waiting for them to come,” he said.
Ayalon said taking the benches and mobile bathroom from the unhoused community area in the city is like taking their home away. He and others recently brought new chairs to the spot.
“This is a place the homeless were able to find shade, find at least some relief in a place where they can get together and help each other for years now. And taking this away, it’s earth shattering. I mean, it’s just unacceptable and it should be reversed,” he said. “New Britain needs to change its priorities and also cater more to the housing needs of the residents, right now.”
Ayalon said he also recommends the intake process for many of the social services become mobile and come to the areas where the unhoused congregate in order to eliminate transportation barriers.
“Have somebody come with a computer and do all of this right there where they are, find what their issues are, (show them) the services that are available…and then provide them the transportation to where they need to go because some of them have severe disabilities and can’t get to where they need to go,” he said.
“So there needs to be a shuttle. We’re not talking about long distances, a few miles here, a few miles there. New Britain is not very large and most of the services are available in New Britain. A better use of funds and change of attitude in the city start with the mayor, [and a] change of attitude toward residents who are experiencing unfortunate life circumstances,” he said.
‘We need more of just about everything’
Officials said that the initiatives named by Stewart are under the umbrella of New Britain Recovers, which represents a consortium of the many individuals and community resources that provide services in the areas of homelessness, addiction, and youth prevention.
New Britain Recovers was created in 2021 to offer a hand up to those who are struggling with mental health, homelessness and addiction. The city began the efforts to help community members who were struggling in 2007, when they created a 10-year plan to end homelessness. To help streamline these efforts, the city hired Community Services Director Mallory Deprey and Floyd, the housing coordinator, to work in City Hall.
Because of the city’s collaborative community partners, it was awarded two multi-year grants to address needs of the most vulnerable populations in 2020, which changed the way the city was able to provide the services.
Before these grants, committees operated independently, despite involving many of the same partners, so New Britain Recovers began in 2021 as a way to streamline operations and increase access to resources.
Through this work, the city’s Recovery Navigator Program was created in partnership with New Britain EMS. Now, first responders encourage a move to recovery, fueled by training and data collection, officials said
The New Britain Recovers initiatives include 44,074 total youth and family interactions, Building Hope Together has prevented homelessness for 165 families since August 2020, and the initiatives have made a total of 1.25 million impressions across all its digital platforms, officials said.
The city also has the new Hope Connection Center, which provides a holistic approach to addressing needs of those experiencing substance abuse, homelessness, or other trauma, officials said.
This center is run by the Friendship Service Center, Inc. at 57-61 Arch St., and serves as a safe space for those in need to shower, laundry facilities, and access to a wide range of resources if they want it. The Hope Connection Center also serve unhoused individuals in Plainville, Southington, Berlin, and Bristol.
Floyd noted, about the concerns expressed by the unhoused, “my understanding is they (benches) were moved to a park that has basketball courts at 369 Arch Street, which is close to Wheeler Clinic, close to Community Mental Health Affilates. So… they are hoping to revitalize that area.”
However, they are working to get more outreach workers through the Coordinate Access Network (CCAN), who go to where unhoused people are to encourage them to get into the Homeless Management System by calling 211 or going to the Friendship Center.
“We’re trying to get more outreach workers, that’s federal funding. The state just gave a grant to our CCAN to hire additional outreach worker, at least an additional maybe 1.5. Right now we have Maryanne Farah who does the outreach and finds people who are literally homeless and tries to encourage them,” she said.
She also encourages all who are in need of services to come to her office in City Hall, connect with Farah, where they can help individuals in need of services directly, to try to avoid having them go places and need bus passes.
About the disconnect between unhoused community members knowing about and accessing the town services, Floyd said there is an overall need for more services, which requires more funding from the state.
“I think the disconnect is the fact that we need more of just about everything. You know, funding is what it is. The Journey Home and Community Companion Homes, all the CCANS were lobbying to try to get additional funds put into the governor’s budget, particularly for cold weather so that we wouldn’t have to ask for that every year. That’s an additional service too. It’s a matter of having, unfortunately, a greater need than we have resources for, but the resources are out there,” she said.
Floyd said that residents in need can also reach out to the Friendship Center, St. Vincent DePaul in Bristol (which is part of the city’s CCAN), and The Salvation Army.
“The issue is more of when you’re homeless, you don’t want to wait at all and you shouldn’t have to. But resources being limited, sometimes people will have to,” she said.
“People get discouraged because the wait when you are homeless is interminable. Even if it’s a day, it’s too long,” she said.
Editor’s note: First names of pseudonyms were permitted to protect privacy of community members.