(UPDATE) Taborsak Erects Tents at City Hall to Raise Homelessness Awareness

Lynn Taborsak, who ran for mayor and lost in 2011, visited at about 5 p.m. Sunday and set up the first two tents of what she wants to be a small camp of homeless people for two weeks.

Taborsak said she wants to publicize what she considers to be the city's lack of effort to help homeless people. For the full story on that issue, visit this link.

On Sunday, what started out as a sunny afternoon turned into a downpour just after the second tent was erected.

"To the trucks," Taborsak said, and people ran for trucks and cars to get out of the rain. It only lasted a few minutes, but everyone was soaked.

By 7 a.m. Monday, five tents sat on the grass between the City Hall parking lot and Deer Hill Avenue.

"Something's got to be done," said Anthonk Kalakay of Fairfield, who said he didn't spend the night at the encampment, but he wanted to show his support. "You see many peope sleeping outside in Danbury. You see people who are obviously not mentally stable walking around and no one is helping them."

Kalakay lived in Danbury more than 10 years ago, and he has family in Danbury and in Newtown.

"This is a good way to get the public to know what's going on," Kalakay said.

Taborsak has said the city made a 10-year plan to end homelessness, and it isn't following that plan.

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton has said the city is only six years into that plan, and the city is doing plenty on the issue. Boughton was at first skeptical about allowing the tents, but he checked with corporation counsel, which concluded the tents are allowed.

"I'm glad he checked with corporation counsel," Taborsak said Sunday.