Pacific House, a men’s shelter in Stamford, is addressing Connecticut’s affordable housing crisis by renovating older homes and making them habitable for residents who are homeless.
That’s according to Rob Lockhart, director of emergency services at Pacific House.
“Building it is sometimes the only way we can do it, or one of the ways we can do it, I should say," Lockhart said.
Lockhart and Development Director Michelle Fanwick say rising rents in Stamford, which often start at $3,000 a month for new rentals, are out of reach for many, especially for homeless residents.
Shelters and outreach groups like Pacific House help pay down security deposits for residents, among other forms of assistance. But rising rents are making it harder to move residents out of the shelter system.
Pacific House is currently renovating older homes, but it's not enough. According to Lockhart, the high rents end up delaying getting residents into private housing.
“Our turnover is not as quick as we would like it to be, because of the area and the rental rates that are here," Lockhart said.
Fanwick said at least 68 residents are staying at the shelter this month. And the ongoing housing crisis is leading to increased demand for a bed at the shelter, which has forced the shelter to regularly turn people away.
“There are currently 245 people waiting for shelter in Fairfield County,” Fanwick said.
And Fanwick said they helped more than 450 people, either through providing shelter, food assistance, and providing case managers during fiscal year 2024.
According to previous reporting by Connecticut Public, nonprofits and other groups that address homelessness in the state say they need more resources to address the growing problem.
Lockhart said the goal is to help people find housing and move out of the shelter within 90 days. But those 90 days can and do turn into a nearly year long battle for an affordable unit.
Daniel Williams, a former Pacific House resident, says he finally moved out to his own home in Stamford this month after staying at the shelter for around 9 months.
Pacific House has a custom where they have every resident who secures housing ring a bell on the first floor. Williams rang it for a few seconds to cheers.
He didn’t dwell much on his challenges, but focused on what he accomplished with the help of staffers.
“It was hard, but I made it,” Williams said. “He gave me a chance, George gave me a chance, Rob gave me a chance, now I’m here.”
