On July 26, 2015 a two-alarm fire caused 18 low income families to be displaced from their apartment on Vine Street in Hartford.
When residents are displaced from their homes through no fault of their own, a Connecticut law requires municipalities to provide temporary housing, relocation assistance, and other supports to help families. Still, the City of Hartford attempted to provide only two weeks of shelter to these 18 Vine Street families before putting them out on the street to fend for themselves.
To address this wrong, the residents turned to CAC to learn how to organize. For several nights, CAC provided training and guidance on legal research, culminating in a public meeting with top City officials to demand the supports promised under the law.
With help from CAC, residents won motel stays until they were permanently rehoused, housing relocation assistance, and cash benefits. Not satisfied with securing benefits just for themselves, residents worked with Greater Hartford Legal Aid and won initial court-ordered improvements to Hartford’s relocation program with more rulings still to come. Now, the hundreds of families displaced yearly receive the assistance they deserve to keep them in safe and stable housing in the wake of displacements.
