U‑ACT Confronts Mayor With ​“People’s Budget”

Unhoused activists took their proposed ​“People’s Budget” directly to Mayor Justin Elicker Wednesday evening — bringing signs, printed copies of their proposal, tents, and calls for more money for homelessness services to the latest city budget town hall meeting.

Nearly 20 members of the Unhoused Activist Community Team (U‑ACT) gathered at Beecher School at 100 Jewell St. alongside other New Haveners and representatives of city government to discuss the mayor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2025 – 26 (FY26) budget. The $703.7 million general fund budget, if approved by the alders, would take effect July 1.

Wednesday’s town hall marked the second time this budget season Elicker has met up with New Haveners outside of the confines of City Hall to talk about his fiscal proposal. It also marked the second time in as many weeks that U‑ACT members have publicly rallied for the city to take seriously their alternative ​“People’s Budget.”

Before Elicker spoke, members of U‑ACT gathered outside the school with a pitched tent and signs reading: ​“Stop Criminalizing Homelessness,” ​“Where Then Shall We Go?” and ​“People or Property?” 

U‑ACT members then filed into the meeting, which Elicker began by reviewing budget goals, proposed cost increases, and challenges. Shortly after he opened the floor to questions, organizer Jorell Alford spoke.

“We need bathrooms,” Alford, a U‑ACT activist who has been homeless for three and a half years, told Elicker. She described the available porta potties on the New Haven Green as filthy and often lacking toilet paper. ​“I’m sorry; I’m passionate because I’m her. I’m unhoused, and I have to ask to pee… It’s degrading; it’s dehumanizing.”

The ​“People’s Budget” proposes reallocating $500,000 from the New Haven Police Department budget toward building and maintaining public restrooms on the Green.

“You don’t need to apologize for being passionate,” Elicker said, ​“and I appreciate you sharing that passion.”

Elicker noted that city library bathrooms are free to use. He added that a company services the porta potties on the Green daily. The company has reported to city officials ​“challenges with people using them for a variety of activities that are not productive for a porta potty” — including complaints of prostitution, discarded needles, and materials that make the porta potties unusable.

Another U‑ACT activist, Mell Savage, asked Elicker when he was going to tax Yale and mitigate the mill rate. Savage wore a toilet seat strapped around his neck with the words ​“Where Then Shall We Go?” emblazoned on it — a reference to both bodily functions and a place to live, Alford later explained.

“I’d love to tax Yale,” Elicker said. ​“We are legally not allowed to… I don’t legally have that authority.” 

As the town hall progressed, tensions intensified.

At one point, Mark Coville, who runs Amistad Catholic Worker in the Hill, asked Elicker: ​“Is there some kind of mayoral playbook on how to disappear poor people in your community?” He later added: ​“On July 1, are public bathrooms — permanent public bathrooms, 24/7 — going to be funded in this city, or are we going to have to go to the Green and build them ourselves?”

“Big picture, we’re really trying to do the right thing,” Elicker said.

Coville disagreed. ​“You’re not telling the truth,” he eventually said.

“Accusing me of lying is not okay,” Elicker replied. ​“We’re all trying to do the right thing here. But it sounds like you’re not up for a respectful conversation.”

Another New Haven resident, Joe Fekieta, took issue with unhoused populations existing in New Haven at all: ​“We are the dumping ground for the homeless for the entire state,” he said at Wednesday’s meeting. He wanted to send unhoused populations, who he called ​“beyond redemption,” to a nearby psychiatric facility. When U‑ACT activists voiced their disapproval, he began to shout: ​“Hey, I’m talking! Shut up, and sit down!”

Another point of contention throughout the night was Elicker’s continued refusal to visit Rosette Village, the series of six ​“tiny home” shelters constructed in the backyard of the Amistad Catholic Worker house in the Hill. U‑ACT’s budget proposes that $3 million be allocated toward 150 more such shelters.

“This was a community that was built by the community,” Savage said of the Village. ​“Come look at the community with your own eyes.”

“I just don’t think it’s productive,” Elicker later said. ​“We can’t allow for the construction of units that don’t abide by the laws the state has to keep people safe.” (The tiny shelters currently do not comply with the state building codes, though they did receive retroactive zoning approval.)

A U‑ACT organizer named Carl asked Elicker about the fate of the city’s warming centers, which are set to close within the next month. The ​“People’s Budget” would allocate $500,000 toward keeping warming centers open year-round.

“In an ideal world, we keep the warming centers open, right?” Elicker said. ​“But unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. The state funds a lot of the warming centers; we’ve opened up a lot of new shelters. And we will do our best to make sure that we help people find options.”

Elicker eventually adjourned the meeting at its scheduled 8 p.m. end time, but he stayed for another 30 minutes to speak with U‑ACT members and other residents.

“I know a lot of people that were here tonight,” Elicker said. ​“Many of them I’ve actually sat down with over the last few years, and we all care about the same issues. It’s unfortunate that it’s so contentious, because we could work together.”

Throughout the meeting, Elicker emphasized the necessity of statewide solutions to homelessness in addition to local ones.

“There’s so much focus, frankly by a lot of the folks in U‑ACT, on the City of New Haven,” Elicker said. ​“You can push us, and we appreciate you pushing us, but the reality is that the state of Connecticut and so many other cities out there are not building even close to what we’re building here.” He referenced New Haven’s eight homeless shelters—eight more than surrounding towns have.

“The reality is that this a statewide problem,” Elicker said, ​“and we need a statewide solution.” He cited state legislation under consideration for a housing growth fund and looser zoning around transit hubs. 

When asked what was to come after this meeting, U‑ACT’s Alford answered with a laugh: ​“Another one.” She said U‑ACT plans to attend the next Board of Alders budget meeting and continue to make their voices heard.