Danbury's Renewal House Offers Lifeline To Seniors Facing Homelessness

DANBURY, CT — Last year in the U.S., over 138,000 adults over the age of 55 were experiencing homelessness on a single night. This is about 20 percent of the overall homelessness population, according to The National Alliance to End Homelessness.

The stats for 2024 will likely be worse. Across the country, COVID-era eviction moratoriums and rental assistance programs are winding down. Median rents continue to climb, amid an acute shortage of housing, and a newer, but older, generation of Americans find themselves without a roof over their heads. Homelessness among older adults is expected to nearly triple in 2030, according to the NAEH.

In Danbury, one organization is meeting the challenge, six beds at a time.

Renewal House has been providing traditional housing for adults age 58 and above experiencing homelessness for the first time, for over 25 years. Counselors help residents brush up on life skills they may have brushed over in their first act, such as meal prep, money management, and maintaining positive social connections. In addition to managing individual residents' cases, Renewal House staff also hold weekly group counseling sessions targeting a specific issue, such as depression, self-esteem, or anxiety.

Renewal House Executive Director Janice Wiggins contends that much homelessness is not only preventable, but stems from a simple ignorance about the safety nets which The System already has to offer.

"So many times, people will say to us,'If I just knew the resources that were available to me, I might not be in this situation'." Wiggins told Patch. So Renewal House caseworkers connect their clients with city health services, potential employers, transportation, and benefits they are entitled to but may be unaware of.

Prevention is key. Renewal House administrators are adept at identifying residents who are at risk, and interceding before the homelessness hammer drops.

The heads-up come from a variety of sources. City social services workers, churches, Catholic Charities, and local nursing homes have Renewal House on speed dial, sure, but even real estate agents pitch in regularly.

"'My client has just bought a house that was about to go into foreclosure, and there's someone living there who doesn't have anywhere to go'," Wiggins described a typical call from a realtor. "They can be great eyes and ears."

These referrals are not just nice to haves, they are crucial. Residents on the brink can't just walk in and fill out an application. Renewal House can accommodate six clients at a time, filling three bedrooms. Single rooms are not an option, by design.

"Because when someone is homeless, they often self-isolate for their own protection, and that's completely understandable," Wiggins said. "But part of the healing process that they go through, before they can go back out into their community comfortably, is to begin to take down those barriers and to relearn that you can have trusting relationships and engage with people "

The program works. The success rates for Renewal House graduates who regain and maintain their independent living status for 18 months or more is over 95 percent. Other, more traditional housing programs, average 40 percent, according to Wiggins.

Some of that triumph can be chalked up to Renewal House's tenacious alumni outreach program. Caseworkers touch base once a month to make sure the alum is food secure and engaged with the community. There's even an onsite food pantry for graduates' use.

In addition to out-and-out financial support, Renewal House is in need of household supplies, including paper goods, towels and pillows. More ways to help are listed on the group's website.

Renewal House does not publicize its address.