News & Views

There is a famous saying that systems do exactly what they are designed to do. The housing system is no exception. It does what it was built to do – preference some populations at the expense of others and keep safe, stable housing out of reach for too many of our neighbors. Targeted, systematic, and […]

We tend to tell children heartening stories that have happy endings, and tales that boost their ambitious dreams. Celebrating potential and positivity are cornerstones of storytelling aimed at kids, yet the stories we tell each other about pressing social challenges tend to focus on problems, rather than possibilities. When our children ask why people sleep […]

Dear friends, In April, as the COVID-19 virus was radically transforming our lives and world, we shared details about the Trust’s response, which included immediately redirecting funds toward emergency COVID-19 relief in Connecticut, streamlining our grant processes and offering flexible support to our grantee partners. At that point the impact of COVID-19 was just beginning […]

The Trust is thrilled to announce that Alyia Gaskins has joined our team as Senior Program Officer. Alyia’s work will primarily focus on housing affordability and housing stability as key components of preventing and ending homelessness for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). A public health strategist and urban planner, Alyia has over 10 […]

There is something fundamentally wrong with this country’s priorities. In addition to the gravity of losing thousands of lives a day, millions of Americans have been waiting since May for Congress to provide the adequate financial relief needed to blunt the crushing economic impact of the pandemic. Yet, amid this crisis, lawmakers have identified, “vetted” […]

The US Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) recently released a new strategic plan to end homelessness called Expanding the Toolbox: The Whole-of-Government Response to Homelessness. Unfortunately, it is not a plan. Instead, it is an expansive list of recommendations that ignores the root causes of homelessness and disregards 30 years of evidence about what works. […]

Published in Viewpoints section / CT Mirror As our country continues to reel from the COVID-19 virus and the economic fallout it has created, some of our elected leaders are relying on old models of thinking to try and bring our country through a series of crises that require new ways of doing business. For […]

Dear friends, In 2007 the Melville Charitable Trust launched Firebox, a farm-to-table restaurant in the Frog Hollow neighborhood of Hartford. Our vision was to serve extraordinary food and to bring jobs, investment, and opportunity to the community. It is no exaggeration to say that Firebox succeeded far beyond our expectations. A leader in the farm-to-table […]

The Trust has always invested in addressing the underlying systems that cause homelessness, and in times of unprecedented challenge we believe it’s important for us to stay the course and remain focused.

As I approach my retirement at the end of this month, I feel such a deep sense of gratitude to all those individuals and organizations who, over the course of my career, have taken me under their wings, allowed me to learn on the job with great mentors, and given me invaluable experience in a […]

Dear Friends, The Board of Directors of the Melville Charitable Trust is pleased to announce that after an extensive search it has selected Susan Thomas to be the foundation’s next President, effective January 6, 2020.  As many of you know, Susan is the Trust’s Program Director, leading the foundation’s housing and racial equity efforts for […]

At the Melville Trust, we are committed to incorporating a racial equity lens into all aspects of our work to end homelessness. We pledge to be intentional about calling out, and acting on, racial inequities in our field. We’ve been working to deepen our understanding of racial exclusion and what equitable grant practices look like. […]

What happens when rapid re-housing and workforce development programs join forces?  New jobs, better income, and greater housing stability for families experiencing homelessness. These are just some of the findings from a three-year study of the Secure Jobs (SJ) Connecticut pilot initiative.  SJ was designed to increase the income of homeless families by connecting them […]

Dear Friends, I am writing today to share the news that I will be retiring as Executive Director of the Melville Charitable Trust at the end of 2019, and to let you know that we are launching a search process for our new leader.  I invite you to review the job announcement. We’d appreciate your help […]

As the leader of a private foundation, I don’t often opine on the operations of federal agencies.  But as the federal government shutdown begins its fifth week, I, like many Americans, feel like screaming out a window à la Peter Finch in the movie “Network.” This shutdown is not just the longest. This one seems squarely aimed […]

A comprehensive assessment of Connecticut’s homeless response system performanceA comprehensive assessment of Connecticut’s homeless response system performance

Two and half million children are homeless in America. In Boise, Idaho, 14-year-old Caydden Zimmerman struggles with the anxieties of middle school while living in a homeless shelter.

Jeff Bezos is investing $2 billion to help families experiencing homelessness. But will it actually help in the long run?