New Britain's annual Hoops for Homeless tournament is swapping the blacktop for the hardwood this year. Organizers have moved the three-on-three basketball event indoors to New Britain High School and pushed the date from Oct. 17 to Oct. 31 because of weather, marking the 11th year the city has run the fundraiser for students and families facing housing instability.
The rescheduling and venue change were confirmed by the New Britain Herald, which reported that the tournament is organized by New Britain education, recreation and city services volunteers. Attendance remains free to the public, according to the same report.
Most of the money raised goes toward college scholarships for New Britain High School graduates who experienced housing problems during their time in school, the Herald reports, with the broader fund also supporting local students and families facing homelessness or unstable housing. New Britain Mayor Bobby Sanchez called the tournament an important way for the community to support local students, and said every young person in New Britain deserves the opportunity to succeed, regardless of the challenges they may face at home. Sanchez also thanked the organizers and volunteers who have sustained the event for more than a decade, per the Herald's report.
A Decade of Three-on-Three for a Cause
Hoops for Homeless got its start in New Britain in 2013 to benefit homeless youth, according to Central Connecticut State University, which helps produce the event alongside the City of New Britain, the Downtown District, the Consolidated School District of New Britain, city recreation and public safety departments, and community organizations. CCSU's program page notes the tournament typically draws an average of 50 teams from across the state and thousands of spectators each year, though that average has not been confirmed for this year's event.
The university's background materials describe a tournament that has historically welcomed players in grades four and up, with teams of three or four players and three on the court at a time, divided into elementary, middle school, high school and adult brackets with games running 10 or 15 minutes depending on division. This year's tournament invites teams with players from fifth grade through high school from across Connecticut, the Herald reports.
A Conflicting Fundraising Tally
How much the tournament has raised over its history depends on which account you read. The Herald's report states Hoops for Homeless has raised more than $80,000, while CCSU's about-us page puts the figure at more than $70,000 raised over the program's past 10 years for scholarships and services supporting homeless children and families. Neither source reconciles the difference, and it's unclear whether the two totals cover different time periods or accounting methods.
A Fundraiser Before the Final Buzzer
Ahead of tournament day, organizers are holding a fundraising event for the program on Oct. 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Back Nine Tavern at Stanley Golf Course in New Britain, with the Mayor's Office helping organize the gathering, according to the Herald. Organizers have said the tournament highlights the challenges faced by children and families without stable housing. Matt Scofield can be contacted at 860-826-3360 for more information.
Why the Fundraiser Matters Now
The tournament's mission lands against a backdrop of rising need statewide. Connecticut's homeless population rose 13% from January 2023 to January 2024, the third consecutive year of increases, according to Connecticut Public, which reported a statewide point-in-time count of 3,410 people experiencing homelessness that January, up from 3,015 the year before. About 700 of those counted were children, per the same report.
More recent figures show the trend continuing among the state's youngest residents. More than 970 Connecticut children accessed emergency shelter services in 2026, up from 928 in 2025 and 844 in 2024, according to the Hartford Courant. The Courant also reported that about 4,800 Connecticut students experienced homelessness during the 2025-26 school year, roughly 1% of the statewide student population, and that the state was left with only two youth shelters, both in Fairfield County, after Youth Continuum closed in late 2025.
