A $3.4 million federal grant to house and help some of the most difficult homeless people to reach was in jeopardy for want of state funds. Time was running short and the Connecticut Aids Residence Program (CARP) knew they did not have time to spend on an old fashioned lobbying program.Instead I worked with CARP to convene a series of lunchtime media conferences focused on the people who would be taken off the street by the grant. We held our first session on the steps of New Haven City Hall to facilitate participation by the City's mayor and other officials (see the media alert we used to draw coverage). We moved our second session to the steps of the Connecticut Capitol. Thanks to the media attention generated by these events, we held our third session - a victory celebration - back in New Haven (see our announcement). CARP has become Liberty Community Services, a supportive housing and service organization that demonstrates dignity, compassion and respect in its work with Connecticut residents confronting homelessness and disability.
Known as the Safe Haven Project, it is located in our New Haven’s historic Ninth Square district, Safe Haven will provide 33 permanent apartments for the hard-to-reach home-less, as well as gallery, office and retail space. Residents will have access to a variety of supportive services and round-the clock onsite staff.
Results: We saved $3.4 million in federal funds and lined up a partial match in state funds.