Danbury to Establish 20 Apartments to Accommodate the Homeless

Because of my son's mental illness, he spent an entire year homeless.

At the age of 18, he walked the streets of Danbury trying to find a place to sleep and sometimes the only option was a shelter and other times he would sleep on someone's couch.

The City of Danbury is in the process of creating up to 20 apartments for homeless individuals in the Danbury Housing Authority's building at 98A Elm St. according to an article on the website, ctinsider.com. Mayor Mark Boughton had this to say,

We want to do something that gets people off the street. We're not interested in enabling people to stay on the street, which we do now.

The top reasons for homelessness in 2020 according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development are:

1. Lack of Affordable Housing
2. Domestic Violence (mostly against women)
3. Unemployment
4. Mental Illness and Lack of Services
5. Substance Abuse

Currently, Danbury runs a 20-bed shelter on New Street. The Dorothy Day Hospitality House offers 16 beds and there is a 20-bed overflow shelter out of First Congregational Church of Danbury. Jericho Partnership also provides a 14-bed men's overflow, overnight shelter on Maple Ave. If you're in need of a warm place to sleep in Danbury for whatever reason, click on the website, homelessshelterdirectory.org.