Bridgeport nonprofit: Fire at homeless encampment another sign of affordable housing crisis

Officials say nobody was hurt in that fire.

News 12 Staff

Dec 8, 2024, 2:40 AM

Updated 47 days ago

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The head of a Bridgeport nonprofit says a recent fire at a homeless encampment is just one more sign of "the growing affordable housing shortage."
Sabine Kuczo, of the Merton Family Center, said she was sad to hear about people living in giant concrete drainage pipes under I-95.
That's where a fire broke out Wednesday, caused by someone who had started a fire to stay warm.
"We have a lot of mental health, we have a lot of drug and alcohol addiction and sometimes a person may not feel comfortable going into an environment with other people, so it's a really, a very tough situation," Kuzco said.
"On top of all that, there's just not enough housing available, period, for people to get affordable housing, or to get into housing in a timely fashion," added Bill Colson, of the Merton Family Center.
Colson said the first step to getting housing is to call 211.
Officials say nobody was hurt in that fire.