Helen Lavin, MSW
Director of Homeless Outreach and Development
The Connection Inc.
3885 Main Street
Bridgeport, CT 06606
(860)343-5500
Helen is currently overseeing Milestone Housing Program, Women’s Recovery Support Program and Supportive Housing Fairfield County in the Bridgeport region as well as some responsibilities within the Supportive Housing for Families® (SHF®) Program Statewide. Helen has demonstrated true leadership in advocating for supportive housing and has made ending homelessness her life’s work. Helen is relentless in her pursuit of her passions and is a big advocate and supporter of the efforts made with the work around veteran, individual and family homelessness.
As part of her work with the Coordinated Access Networks in Bridgeport and Middletown, Helen sits on the Families with Children Workgroup and is dedicated to ensuing legislation is encouraged around End Homelessness amongst Families with Children by the end of 2020. Helen is currently a member of Opening Doors Fairfield County’s Coordinating Council and Executive Committee. Currently Helen Co-chairs the SOAR Steering Committee for Opening Doors Fairfield County. She has chaired the Point in Time Count and Project Homeless Connect in Bridgeport, She has provided testimony before the State Legislature and has presented at local and national conferences to advocate for the needs of the homeless. She chairs the Supportive Housing for Families Annual Award Ceremony and is Co-chair of District 1 Constituency Building Committee for The Connection. Helen was the Director of the Connection’s Eddy Shelter for many years and has worked in most areas of the state in a variety of housing programs. Over the years Helen assisted with writing and implementing many programs within the agency and continues this work with implementing and managing housing programs with passion today.
Helen was selected as the 2014 recipient of The Partnership for Strong Communities’ Reverend Richard Schuster Advocacy Award. This award is given to an individual who shows a strong commitment to preventing and ending homelessness and working to raise awareness about the needs of individuals and families in danger of becoming homeless
Helen holds a BS from Manhattan College in Leadership Managment and a Masters in Social Work with a concentration on Substance Abuse from Fordham University. Helen also holds many certifications and trainings and has over 30 years of experience working with individuals and families impacted by trauma and Homelessness.