Bridgeport City Councilwoman Eneida Martinez is calling for expanded state funding and stronger protections for people without housing following cold-related deaths in Connecticut this year, including the death of an unhoused man in Bridgeport.
Martinez joined housing advocates in urging state officials to extend the governor’s cold weather protocol beyond its original end date.
“People think it’s just substance abuse or criminal issues,” Martinez said. “Increasingly, people are becoming homeless because of job loss, age, disability or the inability to qualify for benefits.”
The protocol provides round-the-clock access to warming centers, transportation and emergency shelters during extreme cold. Information is available by calling 2-1-1 or visiting 211ct.org.
The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness is asking lawmakers for roughly $124 million in new annual funding to address homelessness. The coalition’s 2026 legislative agenda includes $10 million for a housing crisis response fund, $50 million to expand the state’s Rental Assistance Program, and $31.6 million for shelter and outreach capacity.
According to the state’s annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count, 3,735 people in Connecticut were experiencing homelessness in January 2025, including those living in shelters, cars or tents, a 9.5% increase from 3,410 in 2024.
In Bridgeport, the 2025 PIT count identified 310 people experiencing homelessness, including 232 single adults and 46 families with at least one child under 18. The total also included 27 seniors over age 64, according to Jessica Kubicki, the initiative’s chief officer. The Department of Children and Families becomes involved when children are affected.
The PIT count is conducted on a single night each January and includes people staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing and designated safe havens, as well as those unsheltered.
Bridgeport operates two primary shelters: Prospect House Emergency Shelter, operated by Recovery Network of Programs, for men and women, which has 60 beds, and the Alpha Community Services YMCA, a 12-room family shelter run by the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA.
During cold weather emergencies, the facility can house 60 to 70 people nightly, said Nicholas Hoffman, executive director of the Alpha Community Services YMCA. The organization also works to place clients in permanent supportive housing.
“Everyone is assigned a case manager, and we help them navigate the system,” Hoffman said.
Martinez said rising rents and a lack of accessible housing have pushed more people into homelessness, including elderly and disabled residents unable to manage walk-up apartments. She added that she has recently heard from 18-year-olds, including college students, who report having no place to live.
Martinez regularly joins police and outreach workers on late-night patrols to connect unhoused residents with services.
“It’s emotionally distressing,” she said. “Some people have no coats, holes in their shoes. You have to have tough skin.”
