Danbury {CT] gets $650,000 to aid homeless, renters (Connecticut Post)

Connecticut Post
(9/3/2014 8:38 PM, Rob Ryser)

DANBURY -- The effort to help homeless people get off the streets and into apartments is complicated because each case is individual. An economic crisis such as a job loss can be compounded by substance abuse or mental health problems that require intervention, treatment and support. "My phone is always ringing," says Amy Arruda, a social worker who is in charge of the city’s Dream Homes Community Center, a project that helps homeless people and assists low-income renters in becoming homeowners. "I just helped a woman get into her house who was living in the woods with her dog." In recognition of the work being done in Danbury to help the homeless find stable housing, the state Department of Health has awarded the city a $650,000 grant that can be used for security deposits, rent subsidies, utility deposits and related expenses. "This is a big help," Mayor Mark Boughton said. "Our Social Services Department will vet applicants who are a good fit for the program who are ready to move out of the shelter and into transitional housing with some kind of support."