New London Homeless Hospitality Center

The New London Homeless Hospitality Center provides shelter and essential support to help adults experiencing homelessness transition to permanent housing. More than just a shelter, the center offers comprehensive services to equip guests with tools for sustainable living. 

The facility includes a 36-bed shelter and a respite area for individuals facing health crises like pneumonia, broken bones, or cancer. Guests receive personalized assistance in securing affordable housing, and the center manages four houses in New London with extremely low rents. It collaborates with public and private programs to address homelessness's root causes, offering support such as obtaining identification, addiction treatment, and job interview preparation. 

The center also conducts outreach for those living in cars, on the streets, or in unsafe conditions across southeastern Connecticut, including suburban areas around New London. Last year, its beds were used over 16,790 times by people from 38 Connecticut towns. 

Beyond emergency shelter, the center operates programs to combat homelessness, including the Housing Resource Center, which has helped hundreds at risk of losing housing. This initiative has facilitated approximately $4.8 million in eviction prevention and moving assistance. The Street Outreach program actively seeks out and assists unsheltered individuals. However, without additional funding, the center may struggle to sustain these critical services amid rising homelessness. 

As the region’s largest shelter and housing counseling provider, the center serves adults from across southeastern Connecticut. Due to high demand, there is often a waiting list. As a “wet” shelter, it accepts individuals regardless of sobriety, ensuring those facing addiction or mental health challenges receive needed support. 

The Housing Resource Center offers homelessness diversion, housing counseling, rapid rehousing, and employment support.

Government and private foundation grants do not cover our services in full. The support of individuals is essential to keeping the emergency shelter's doors open and helping our unhoused neighbors get home. These funds help cover day-to-day expenses such as shelter staffing, utilities, case management, transportation assistance, and outreach efforts. They also ensure the flexibility needed to respond to urgent needs, whether securing emergency housing, covering unexpected medical costs for guests, or expanding warming center capacity during extreme weather. Reliable operating support allows the center to continue providing critical assistance to those most vulnerable in our community.