Bill to provide prefab housing for homeless veterans draws support and agency caveat

The committee heard competing perspectives on HB 5410, a proposal to provide temporary (or potentially longer-term) prefabricated housing for homeless veterans.

Deputy Commissioner John Carriger told the committee the agency cannot support HB 5410 as introduced because the program was not included in the governor's budget. He described existing residential capacity at the Rocky Hill campus (current capacity 141 individuals with a census of 116; expansion will increase capacity to 155 individuals and 17 families) and said space is available for veterans in need but noted budget and staffing constraints for additional programs.

Representative Tom O'Day, testifying remotely, described the bill's aim to house Connecticut's homeless veterans (he cited a January 2024 count of approximately 174 homeless veterans statewide, 22 unsheltered) and advocated for small, energy-efficient prefab studios that could be delivered quickly and inexpensively. "If you could provide housing for our homeless vets for less than $4,000,000, as far as I'm concerned, it's a no-brainer," O'Day said, urging nonprofit partnerships to lower costs.

Lawmakers asked about temporary versus permanent use, energy efficiency and whether such units would duplicate existing stand-down services; witnesses and DVA staff said the Rocky Hill site could host job fairs and services while prefab units could provide supplementary capacity.

The committee did not vote and members signaled continued consideration of cost, site use and funding sources before advancing any bill.