Thomas MacMillan Photo
Volunteers look for homeless people during a 2014 canvas.
New Haven is steadily finding homes for chronically homeless people — but there are still plenty left to count.
That’s the challenge for next week’s annual “Point in Time” census.
Volunteers will fan out in cities throughout the state to count the number of people living on the street or in cars as well as those in temporary shelters. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires the count; the results are used to help assess the extent of homelessness and to decide how much money to send to communities to address the problem.
Brian Roccapriore spoke about that Tuesday during an appearance on WNHH radio’s “Dateline New Haven” program.
Roccapriore serves as the “data guy” — more formally known as “director of homeless management information systems and strategic analysis” — for the Connecticut Coalition to End Homeless. That’s the group conducting the Point in Time canvas.
Click here and here to read about the 2015 and 2014 canvasses.
Roccapriore worked on the canvas in New Haven last January. Working from 4 to 7 a.m., he found people out in the cold sleeping in spots like the I‑91 underpass on State Street. He urged anyone interested in volunteering next week to visit this website to get more information and sign up.
Paul Bass Photo
Roccapriore spoke of walking away from a career as an engineer to pursue not-for-profit work. He spent 12 years at the reentry group STRIVE in New Haven before moving over the the homeless coalition two years ago. He’s not earning the same money he made as a process control engineer at Pratt & Whitney; he also sleeps better at night, he said.
He also spoke in the interview about ongoing efforts to end chronic homelessness in Connecticut, which he and others predict could happen this year.
To listen to the full episode, click on or download the audio above, or subscribe to WNHH’s new podcast “Dateline New Haven,” where episodes of the show will be delivered directly to your phone or smart device.
I am in the process of recruiting a few influential people in town to go to the mayor and insist on homeless housing (first) without all the BS homeless people have to go through to get warm (paperwork, background checks, counseling, etc.). It is way easier to get a gun in CT than a place to sleep. I want members of the press to go with us (sometime soon---I can be contacted at 203 498 7759)
Good luck finding all the guys and gals freezing at night outside. Many nights I have imagined myself out there, vulnerable, and wondered where I would hide to sleep...or stay awake until light.
The definition of "haven" is a place of refuge, a port, a sanctuary....New Haven...
So far the city is all talk, no action, no money, just propaganda. The public has to push.