Danbury’s moral imperative to house the homeless
As Executive Director of the Association of Faith Communities, one of the shared values I see across all religions is a moral imperative to help those who are truly unable to help themselves. In a recent letter to the editor, dozens of Danbury faith leaders cited Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Buddhist scriptures in support of the Pacific House-run shelter at the former Super 8 hotel. There are currently more of 80 souls residing there, with dozens of Danbury residents waiting to enter. After exhausting all other legal options, the shelter’s doors remain open only under Governor Lamont’s emergency powers, which are set to expire Feb. 15.
To be clear, the town of Danbury is facing an urgent crisis of unprecedented scale. Within a month, Danbury’s only remaining homeless shelter could be forced to close, flooding Main Street with Danbury’s entire homeless population, in the dead of winter.
It’s a housing crisis, it’s a health crisis, it’s a moral crisis. I say this without passing judgment on anyone, but rather to raise awareness of our collective moral imperative to do something immediately. How will we want to see ourselves, when we think back to this moment years from now?
In years past, there were several small shelters in town that each did their part to serve the homeless community. Dorothy Day Hospitality House, Jericho Partnership, City Shelter and various overflow locations collectively sheltered around 100 homeless people during the coldest winter nights. All of these shelters are out of service, either due to zoning issues or because collective housing is not COVID safe. The question is, come February 15, when there is no longer a single shelter in Danbury, where are we going to put Danury’s homeless population of at least 100 people?
The fact is, we could completely eliminate homelessness in Danbury, if only we had enough affordable housing. Shelters play an important role as a temporary solution, but Danbury no longer has a single shelter. We can obtain vouchers to cover the cost of placing Danbury’s homeless population in affordable, supportive housing. Rather than being concentrated in one area, they could be spread across the city, in safe residences, with case managers working diligently to connect them to services and employment opportunities. The problem is that the vouchers only cover a “fair rent” established by HUD. What landlord would rent a one-bedroom apartment for $1,412 from HUD, when he could get $2,000 on the open market from a recently moved New York commuter?
There are, in fact, serious benefits to providing affordable housing. First, there is the virtue of housing the homeless, which literally saves lives. Second, unlike taking a chance on someone whose job could be lost at any time, most voucher clients have the support of non-governmental organizations, which can help secure rent payment. let it happen. There have been times, for example, where ARC has paid a client’s rent, to keep the landlord intact, while we help the client find a new job.
Beyond the benefits of affordable housing, there are also downsides when a city falls below affordable housing standards. Under CT 8-30g, if Danbury’s affordable housing stock falls below 10% of our total housing stock, then new affordable housing developments may circumvent local zoning regulations. Danbury recently went from 12% to 11% affordable housing. With households growing by 1.5% as the population grows by 6.6%, Danbury is on track to fall below 10% affordable housing very soon.
Meanwhile, following the expiration of the eviction moratorium, a rising tide of evictions flooded the market. Without more affordable housing for these families, Danbury’s homelessness crisis will surely be exacerbated.
The only way to solve this problem is to increase the stock of affordable and supportive housing in Danbury. If every landlord in Danbury offered one or two units at HUD’s “open market rent” for vouchers, we could eliminate Danbury’s entire homeless population while simultaneously increasing Danbury’s affordable housing stock, let alone the value of doing a real “good deed”. .” If every house with a vacant in-law were to rent it out to one of these customers, it would have a big impact. If every religious congregation supported landlords in their communities, helping them reduce their rent to accommodate customers with vouchers, it would make a huge difference. If developers added to Danbury’s affordable housing stock, we could fill those units overnight.
There are endless solutions to the crisis we face. The only thing we can’t do is sit in the sand and pretend that Danbury is not facing an urgent homelessness and affordable housing crisis. At present, there are no plans to accommodate Danbury’s homeless population. If the Governor’s emergency powers expire and Danbury’s only remaining homeless shelter is forced to close in a month, what will we do to ensure there is a safe place for every lost soul ? The clock is turning.
Rabbi Ari Rosenberg is the executive director of the Association of Religious Communities at 24 Delay St. in Danbury. He can be contacted at execdir@arcforpeace.org.
