Central Park Homeless Have Nowhere to Go
By Robin Vinci at October 31, 2023 | 8:00 pm | Print
(Recently the New Britain City Journal took a walk with Independent candidate Alfred Mayo, running for Alderman on the Republican slate, around Central Park to talk to the homeless. This is what was found.)
Upon entering Central Park there are packs of people sitting together most wearing ripped and torn clothing. Many hold alcohol in bags behind them, others tightly grab backpacks and some sit aimlessly staring into space.
One man who sat on a bench with a few others said he was homeless for 33 years and would love a place to live. He said he tried to find a place to live but did not get any help.
“(Mayor) Tim O’Brien won’t give me an apartment and I asked him personally. I have money, but he would not help me,” the man said. “He promised me and it was broken.”
The man who appeared dazed and distraught continued, “I sleep under the bridge and spend the day at the park. That is all I do.”
Many said there is nowhere to go and nothing to do.
Another man said 80 people were taken away and brought to jail before Oktoberfest.
“They didn’t want them here for Oktoberfest and they put a lot in jail for three days,” said one man. “They locked them up for 3 days on the taxpayer dollar.”
The New Britain City Journal did not speak with anyone who said they were actually in jail during the event and Police Chief James Wardwell said this is not true.
“We did not arrest homeless. We did arrest people only if there was a crime such as pan handling. We warned them first,” said Wardwell. “A lot of them were there dancing and enjoying the music.”
“The homeless problem in New Britain is terrible,” said another man who was handicapped with a broken leg. “I stayed at the center in the past and they have had beds that were open and when people call late at night the staff says they don’t have open beds. They don’t want to do the process. This has been going on for years.”
The man said he sleeps in the parking garage or the emergency room at the hospital. He eats his meals in the soup kitchen. Others said they sleep under a bridge or near the railroad tracks.
When it gets really cold he said he did not know where he would stay. He said he comes from Hartford and found New Britain is safer so he stays in this City.
A woman, who said she is not homeless but spends her days at the park, said that the police pick on homeless people for no reason.
“They always say they are interfering with police officers and they don’t do that,” she said.
On a park bench laid a homeless man sleeping. Those around him said he was just released from jail after having been previously arrested for sleeping on a bench.
“They are police officer heavy and they pick on the homeless,” said one man.
“There are drugs up and down these streets and no one is busted,” said a woman who identified herself as Cindy. “But they arrest homeless. The cops need to stop harassing the homeless. You’ve go to help people and not bring them to court.”
“We have so many abandoned buildings and no one is doing anything with them,” said a man. “There are no jobs and the mayor isn’t helping us.”
Mayo told the homeless that he has a plan to help them get an apartment if he is elected.
Mayo wants the city to secure an apartment for some of the homeless and have the City pay half the rent.
“They must be clean and secure employment,” said Mayo. “They must sign an agreement to stay out of trouble and no alcohol for 1-2 years.”
“The biggest problem,” said one man who is not homeless, but visits the park each day, “is where do the homeless people go when they come out of Friendship Center and Salvation Army. They get out at 7 a.m. and they don’t want them drinking in the park. Just because some drink they want to harass everyone.”
New Britain is estimated to have about 500 homeless individuals which is more than New Haven which has about 325, according to estimates from Partnership for Strong Communities. New Britain is one of only 5 Cities or towns in Connecticut to have over 100 homeless people.
New Britain is in the process of re-doing Central Park and removing many of the benches. One of the goals is to keep homeless out of Central Park.
Most homeless say they don’t know where they will go; perhaps the library, hospital, garages or post office.
