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Area lawmaker wants more help for families on the brink of homelessness

A local lawmaker is pledging to fight for legislation that will make housing, education and health care more affordable as he hears about more residents living paycheck to paycheck, and literally a step from being forced onto the street.   Danbury State Representative Dan Carter says this happened to a friend and her 10 year old daughter a few weeks ago.  While he was working to help her, Carter said he was shocked to learn how few resources are available to keep people in their homes when faced with difficult times.

 

Carter says there are many people who become homeless because they made just enough money to keep them from qualifying for help.

 

Carter wants to eliminate the possibility of falling into homelessness in the first place.  He doesn't want anyone on the verge of losing their home to be told that there is no help for them until they are in a homeless shelter.

 

He says the state does not have sufficient temporary and transitional homes, shelters or services available to meet the high demands and needs of communities.

 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Connecticut has the 25th largest homeless population in its emergency and transitional shelters than any other state in the country.  According to the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, as of February 2015, more than 4,000 people in Connecticut were homeless.  Of that number, more than 200 of which were veterans, and about 3,000 under the age of 25.  This is only a nine percent decrease in homelessness from last year, and a ten percent decrease since 2007.

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Brian Kilmeade

Local Headlines