Connecticut has made great strides in addressing chronic homelessness using a community impact model. Alpha Community Services YMCA (ACS Y) partnered with other community agencies to create a Coordinated Access Network, the CAN. Individuals and families dial 211 to initiate service and are quickly scheduled for an assessment with a CAN Navigator. ACS Y ‘s Family Navigators meets with hundreds of individuals and families each year, learning about them, referring them to appropriate community resources, and assessing their housing needs. In some cases, with the right assistance, perhaps a security deposit, clients can obtain their own housing. In other cases, they may be referred to temporary shelters, like the YMCA family emergency shelter in Bridgeport. Our shelter isn’t just a place to sleep! It is a safe, clean place where families can live and eat together, do laundry and homework, and get the tools they need to get back on their own, stronger than before.
Family Shelter
The two-story, Brooks Street Emergency Shelter is located on the East Side of Bridgeport and is the home to the Alpha Community Services YMCA Families-In-Transition program. Clients live in this facility for sixty to ninety days. YMCA Case Managers provide on-site social services and House Managers provide 24-hour supervision.