About

History

Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation

Responding to Those in Need for over Thirty Years

Thirty years ago, the Sisters of Mercy of Connecticut saw a need to help homeless individuals and addressed it.  St. Elizabeth House on Main Street in Hartford, a shelter and rooming house, would be sold and more than sixty people would become homeless.  The Friendship Center that provided meals to people who could not provide for themselves would close. The loss would have had a significant impact on a large number of men, women and children as well as the larger community.

Since 1983, Mercy has grown tremendously. From its beginning at St. Elizabeth House, Mercy has expanded its services to nine distinct programs at six sites. Our programs help people move out of homelessness into permanent housing, but we do much more than that. We help people cope with the challenges of mental illness and homelessness.  Individuals and families confronted with a diagnosis of HIV+ or AIDS need support with learning to live with this disease.  Abuse of substances often is an issue for our clients.  Addressing all of these challenges is what our staff does. They walk with our residents on their journey of recovery and hope.  Our goal for each person who comes to Mercy is to move them into their own housing with a sense of dignity – like everyone else. We are proud of all we have accomplished with your help.

In 1983, the Sisters of Mercy made an investment in a building and some otherwise homeless and hungry people.  That investment has paid so much in dividends for so many people, and saved thousands of lives.  

Our goal has not changed in the thirty years since Mercy Housing and Shelter was founded:  to make homelessness history.