Homelessness fell 24% in three years. How did Connecticut do it?

By Kyle Constable, CT Mirror

After years of stagnation, Connecticut has significantly decreased its homeless population for three consecutive years, outpacing most other states during that time. It also has reached a handful of milestones, the most prominent of which was an effective end to veterans homelessness in 2016.

Advocates fighting to bring an end to homelessness altogether say their once-seemingly unrealistic goal may at last be reachable in Connecticut, a state that not long ago was a laggard nationally but has emerged as a model.

Cunningham and others credit a governor who made ending homelessness – not just managing it – a priority of his administration. While homelessness will never disappear completely, advocates say, an “end” to homelessness means it is rare, brief and non-recurring.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s push to coordinate efforts between service providers and make more resources available has had a “huge” impact both at Columbus House and across the state, Cunningham said.

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