Cash for Violence Reduction

Geographic Scope: New Haven, Hartford, Connecticut

Overview:
4-CT partners with hospital-based violence intervention programs and community-based organizations to provide direct cash assistance to individuals and families impacted by or at risk of violence.

Background

• Providing direct cash assistance helps strengthen economic and household security, reduce stress, and enhance positive outcomes, reducing risk of violence and suicide
• In CT (2013-2022): gun suicide rate increased 40%, gun homicide increased 73% (disproportionately impacting Black and Latine individuals)
• Gun deaths and injuries cost CT $2.6B annually ($57.1M paid by taxpayers)
• Violence injuries are the leading cause of disability and death among ages 15-34
• Up to 41% of violence injury patients in urban settings are reinjured within 5 years

Program Components

Hospital-based Violence Intervention Pilot:

• Partners: Yale New Haven Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP), Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI)
• Provides flexible cash assistance to victims of violence (gun violence, human trafficking, etc.) during post-injury recovery
• One-time assistance of $500 available to next of kin of homicide victims enrolled in Yale's HVIP

Hospital-based Violence Intervention Pilot Expansion:

• Partners: Connecticut Children's and HVIP partners in Hartford
• Provides no-strings-attached cash assistance to violence victims
• Supported by City of Hartford
• Coordinated by Kevin Borrup, DrPH of Connecticut Injury Prevention Center

Community Violence Intervention:

• Funded by Connecticut Department of Public Health Community Violence Intervention Grant
• Focus on prevention by partnering with community-based organizations and HVIPs
• Provides cash assistance to individuals at risk of violence

Violence Reduction in New Haven:

• Partnership with City of New Haven and Department of Community Resilience
• Ongoing funding through 2026
• Rapid disbursement (within 1 hour to prepaid card)