Saud Anwar

Senator Anwar Receives Homelessness Social Justice Award from CT Coalition to End Homelessness

Today, at the 19th Annual Training Institute for the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) received the organization’s Homelessness Social Justice Award, awarded to individuals who embrace or champion new practices while developing solutions to complex social issues. Sen. Anwar received this award for his passion to end homelessness and leadership in raising awareness about the need to establish a right to housing in Connecticut.

“I am grateful to receive this award, but I know the hard work is still ahead of us,” said Sen. Anwar. “Homelessness is a societal issue, and thousands in Connecticut still struggle with it – and many thousands more are dealing with unstable housing. This is not only cruel and challenging for them, but a symptom of a larger societal problem; studies around our country show that providing housing for individuals is less expensive than the burdens our systems take on in dealing with them. With housing costs continuing to steeply rise, we must refocus on solutions that aid not just those in need, but our entire communities.”

Most prominently, Sen. Anwar has introduced legislation to the General Assembly establishing the “Right to Housing,” implementing a state goal to develop policies respecting, protecting and fulfilling a right to housing for every resident in the state that is affordable, safe and stable. The legislation, which has been introduced several times and advanced past the Senate in 2021, seeks to provide considerations for vulnerable populations in affordable housing policies, establishes a committee to review housing policies and would create a housing advocate to aid individuals. As Vice Chair of the Housing Committee, he has additionally played a leadership role in the development of numerous housing bills aimed at improving housing access and availability in Connecticut.

In addition to his work in the legislature, Sen. Anwar has worked with local organizations like Hartford Bags of Love, a South Windsor-based charity created in 2016 by then-9-year-old Tiernan Cabot, who is now 14. Annually, Sen. Anwar participates in the early-November Sleep Out in Nevers Park, where individuals sleep in the park to promote awareness of homelessness and build empathy for those impacted.