Improving Client Participation in Housing Solutions

A shelter is often the first stop for someone who is at risk of homelessness. Yet in Connecticut, homelessness has increased for five consecutive years, and shelter space can no longer keep up with demand. 

More and more often, frontline staff in the homeless response system need to identify alternatives to shelter so people who are at risk of becoming unhoused can achieve stability to improve their circumstances or rebuild their lives. 

Yet finding alternatives can be difficult. Frontline staff must be able to thoughtfully and collaboratively discuss the client’s unique situation, so together they can identify other housing solutions. This approach is known as “diversion” from shelter.

In greater Waterbury, CT, the Housing Collective’s Opening Doors Initiative hosted a Diversion and Housing Resolution Training in collaboration with The Listening Group LLC to help outreach workers, shelter providers, and navigators successfully divert clients from shelter in the greater Waterbury region. 

In this training, frontline service providers learned how to have more honest dialogue with residents about other potential housing options that may be available as alternatives to extended shelter stays.

The focus of the training was practical.

• Strengthen diversion practices
• Develop a trauma-informed approach
• Refine housing conversation skills

Improved interactions between clients and staff create a foundation of trust that leads to a better working relationship and a mutual interest in finding individualized housing solutions that work. 

As a regional backbone organization responsible for administering homeless response throughout western Connecticut, the Housing Collective strengthens systems to perform at a higher level — aligning frontline practice with shared goals, reinforcing accountability, and increasing measurable housing outcomes.

This Diversion and Housing Resolution Training in Waterbury was supported by the American Savings Bank Foundation. It demonstrates that our systems can effectively foster that foundation of trust and collaboration with vulnerable residents, leading to better outcomes.