CT Realtors’ ‘be homeful for the holidays’ campaign gears up

The CT Realtors Foundation has announced its 9th annual “be homeful for the holidays” campaign, in partnership with the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. Funds raised through the campaign are used throughout the year to help keep families in their homes across the state.

Statistics from the coalition show that the state saw a 13% rise in homelessness in 2024. The most current figures show 5,000 individuals are experiencing homelessness in the state, including 500 children.

“Every child deserves the safety and security of a place to call home. Together, we have the opportunity to provide that,” says CT Realtors Foundation Chair Dan Keune. “Funds are needed to help keep families in their homes and out of the shelter system. The need is currently more pressing because once they enter the shelter, it takes longer to get them back into housing due to limited availability of housing options.

In many cases, it takes less than $1,000 to keep a family in their home, he said. The coalition provides flexible emergency funding to help cover the unexpected costs that can be the tipping point for a family’s stability.

Every dollar of the tax-deductible donation goes directly towards helping to prevent family homelessness. For every $25 donation, the foundation gifts a plush Paddington bear or backpack to a child living in a shelter over the holidays. CT Realtors will deliver hundreds of Paddington bears and backpacks to as many as 40 shelters across the state.

Since its inception in 2016, “be homeful for the holidays” has prevented more than 3,000 children and families from ever having to experience the trauma of homelessness. For more information on the “be homeful for the holidays” campaign, go to ctrealtors-care.org/behomeful.