POST SURVEY INFO

Why now?

South Park Inn is a homeless shelter that has evolved over forty years to meet this community's needs.

South Park Inn is dedicated to being a good neighbor in our community. As such, we are actively learning about what improvements we can make to the shelter’s physical property, inside and out.

Why conduct surveys now? Exterior renovations to improve our building at 75 Main Street began this year (2026). These changes, including a new sidewalk and exterior ramp, are part of our Accessibility Initiative.

We are not meeting the community’s needs in a silo.

This is our city, and we all care. Therefore, we are seeking your feedback.

And, we acknowledge that homelessness is a deep, complicated topic associated with concerns and frustration. As we improve how we serve, we are also here to educate about what is already being done and what barriers that shelters face. While there is no single solution to this chronic societal problem, in Hartford, we hope this topic of homelessness becomes one of hope, real impact, and responsibility in the face of apathy.

(November 2026)

To best serve…

To best serve the shelter's guests, here are concepts already under consideration for an improved guest experience:

Enhanced green space outside / courtyard

Community room/lounge

Computer Learning Lab

Privacy from the street (when outside)

A quiet, dim room for decompressing

Improved showers for older and disabled individuals

A larger cafeteria

Single beds instead of bunk beds

Space for pets

Storage areas

Mailroom

Handrails in the hallways

Did you know…

As a nod to our shelter’s name and to dignity, staff refer to people experiencing homelessness as guests while they stay at ‘the Inn,’ rather than clients.

Serves up to 105 guests at a time. In 2025, SPI served about 520 individuals in need of shelter.

SPI has an on-site health clinic with rotating health services. Partners include UConn Med School, Charter Oak, Wheeler Clinic, and the Veterans Association.

SPI has two free health fairs for the neighborhood per year. These fairs are run by UConn Medical School students and are open to ALL who want health screenings, groceries, and goodies.

SPI partners with three area hospitals to care for people experiencing homelessness who are discharged from the ER and have nowhere else to heal. Hartford Health Care, St. Francis, and UConn Health's Dempsey Hospital.

SPI offers guests at the shelter game nights, art activities, movie nights, etc. Events are organized by staff, churches, engaged individual volunteers, and health partners.

SPI does litter pick-ups on its property and is improving its courtyard. A SPI volunteer picks up litter in Barnard Park one day every week for most of the year.

SPI is proud to be the City of Hartford’s operations partner for the seasonal Warming Center. Each winter, specialized SPI staff and volunteers keep our most vulnerable residents safe.