New Haven Independent

By Andy Ross

When is enough, enough? I have heard this question asked several times during the past few weeks in completely different venues in New Haven. At Mayor DeStefano’s presentation on his framework for the economic development of New Haven on February 13, someone asked him why there is not enough affordable housing in the city. The mayor respectfully replied that since New Haven has more affordable housing than any other city in Connecticut, he thinks that we do have enough.
On February 21, during its regular meeting, the Hill South Team management held a discussion about the need for more shelters for the homeless. This turned into lengthy discussions about the neighborhood, its challenges and its progress. There have been a lot of complaints from residents about the city’s decision to use the Truman School as a temporary facility for the homeless while students were on vacation for a week. Chairman Johnny Dye had invited several guests to the meeting in order to reassure the residents and for the residents to hear more about the options the city is considering to help control the problem. Residents voiced fears that the homeless would begin to hang around the school even when not being sheltered there, as is common in areas with other shelters, and they expressed their concern that the school had even been considered for a temporary shelter in the first place. One resident made the tongue-in-cheek suggestion that the homeless be housed temporarily in City Hall so that the mayor can see the extent of the problem.
Why is it that New Haven has to be the city that takes in everyone’s problems? The short answer is that this is what we have always done. The long answer, which I would like to address, is much more complicated and is in need of serious study and reform. Not only do we have numbers of homeless out of proportion to our population, but we have criminals who have been released from jail who are dropped off in New Haven because we are reported to have the facilities to handle them and because we in New Haven never say no.
I am not in favor of refusing anyone in a time of need. I believe that we have a moral obligation to help the homeless and others who arrive here to make it their home. However, we have to put pressure on federal and state legislators to ensure that each town takes its fair share of those who need help. Times are different than they were 20 years ago. There are more homeless, not less, more released convicts, not less, and it costs much more to care for them than ever before. New Haven taxpayers are paying many of these costs.
Where do we draw the line? When are enough affordable housing, homeless shelters, and other social and health agencies, enough? New Haven has plenty of skilled professionals to handle an abundance of services to the needy; they are people with compassion and understanding. I would like New Haven to continue to serve those in need, as is our tradition, but it must—I repeat, must—be done in a fiscally responsible manner that is also responsive to our needs.

Andy Ross
New Haven resident
612 Chapel Street
New Haven, CT 06511
203-641-4666
andy@andyrossgroup.com