News  Healey-Driscoll Administration awards $12.1 million to expand winter shelter and warming center capacity

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced $12.1 million in supplemental grant funding to expand shelter and warming center capacity for individuals experiencing homelessness across Massachusetts this winter.  

Annually, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC) supports 2,514 year-round beds and 363 winter beds for individuals experiencing homelessness. This supplemental grant funding will support an additional 1,298 winter shelter beds and 410 overnight warming center slots through partnerships with municipalities and community-based providers, marking a significant increase from last winter when $9.9 million supported 737 beds statewide. The additional capacity will ensure that more individuals have access to safe, warm spaces this winter.  

“This investment reflects the Healey-Driscoll Administration's commitment to keeping our most vulnerable residents safe and providing essential shelter services during the coldest months of the year,” said Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. “We are grateful to our partners across the state, whose work year after year helps ensure that no one is left outside in freezing conditions.” 

The grants were awarded to cost-effective, coordinated proposals aligned with HLC’s goal of making homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring and priority was given to applicants serving regions with the highest need for shelter beds. 26 programs were selected for funding, including 11 new awardees that expand regional coverage and add more dedicated capacity for women and unaccompanied homeless youth. 

These state investments come as the Trump Administration moves to sharply reduce Continuum of Care funding for permanent supportive housing — a change that could strip away up to tens of millions of dollars in federal support and jeopardize housing for thousands of the commonwealth’s most vulnerable residents. 

Fiscal 2026 Regional breakdown of winter capacity  

In addition to the funding support, HLC announced that members of the Interagency Housing and Homelessness (IHH) External Advisory Council (EAC) have been named and will meet for the first time this Friday, November 21. The membership for the new EAC includes state legislators, community-based providers, individuals with lived experience, and more. 

The EAC will hold quarterly convenings, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, providing a space to hear updates on key housing and homelessness issues and state priorities, share perspectives from the field, and help shape interagency strategies that cut across housing, health, and community safety. 

Members by name and association:  

• Jane Banks, Vice President of Housing & Homeless Services – Clinical Support Options
• Anne Marie Belrose, Executive Director – Regional Housing Network
• Delphia Bizzell, Consumer Engagement Coordinator – Lived Experience
• Kenzie Bok, Administrator – Boston Housing Authority
• Leah Bradley, CEO – Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance
• Chief Michael J. Bradley, Executive Director – Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association
• State Senator Julian Cyr, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing – Massachusetts Senate
• Sophia Douglas, Housing First Program Manager – Lived Experience
• Lyndia Downie, President & Executive Director – Pine Street Inn
• Keith Fairey, President & CEO – Wayfinders
• Danielle Ferrier, CEO – Heading Home
• State Representative Rich Haggerty, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing – Massachusetts House of Representatives
• Al Hanscom, CEO – Emmaus
• State Representative Jim Hawkins, 2nd Bristol District – Massachusetts House of Representatives
• Rachel Heller, CEO – Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association
• Colin Higgins, Executive Director – National Housing Crisis Task Force
• State Senator Robyn Kennedy, 1st Worcester District – Massachusetts Senate
• Mary McGuire, Senior Director of Policy & External Affairs – South Middlesex Opportunity Council
• State Representative Rita Mendes, 11th Plymouth District – Massachusetts House of Representatives
• State Representative Aaron Michlewitz, House Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means – Massachusetts House of Representatives
• Chief Lucas Miller, Chief of Police – Salem Police Department
• Lt. Christopher Ponte, Family and Social Justice Unit – Cambridge Police Department
• State Senator Michael Rodrigues, Senate Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means – Massachusetts Senate
• Megan Sandel, Pediatrician and Co-Director of Grow Clinic – Boston Medical Center
• Pamela Schwartz, Director – Western MA Network to End Homelessness
• Larry Seamans, President & CEO – FamilyAid
• Joyce Tavon, CEO – Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance
• Stephanie Wroten, CEO – Duffy Health Center
• John Yazwinski, President & CEO – Father Bill’s and MainSpring 

For more information on state homelessness prevention and stabilization initiatives, visit mass.gov/EOHLC. 

Statements of support:

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Somerville: 
“Everyone deserves a safe place to sleep at night. This funding will allow Somerville to continue our Winter Warming Center, now in its fourth season, to provide warmth, safety, and connection during the coldest months of the year. The Center not only meets immediate needs but also connects residents to case management services, housing resources, and other supports that promote long-term stability. We’re grateful to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for recognizing the importance of local partnerships and equitable, person-centered approaches to homelessness.”  

Rebecca Bialecki, Chair of the Athol Select Board: 
"This funding will bolster ongoing efforts here in Athol to assist our homeless and underserved population. With the support of the regional members of the team and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, we hope to assist those in need this coming winter."  

Lauren Buck, Director of Public Health, City of Revere and Tracy Nowicki, Director of HHS, City of Chelsea:  
“When communities come together with compassion and purpose, we build more than shelter, we build hope. This grant represents not just funding, but a shared promise between the City of Revere and the City of Chelsea to ensure that no one is left out in the cold this winter.”  

Virginia Desorgher, Mayor of Greenfield:  
"The City's first responsibility is to ensure the life safety of its residents. This funding, which will allow us to operate an emergency winter warming center, helps us fulfill that responsibility by providing a warm place for our most vulnerable residents on the coldest nights."  

State Senator Sal DiDomenico, Middlesex & Suffolk District:  
“This funding is critically needed for expanding homeless shelter space for our friends and neighbors in Cambridge, which is especially important the winter months. I am proud that my office worked alongside this organization and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to advocate for this essential investment which will benefit residents throughout our community.” 

“I am thrilled to see Chelsea is one of the cities selected to receive critical funding from the Healey Administration to provide warming center access to people struggling in our community. It is absolutely essential that we have warming capacity for our friends and neighbors during the winter months and this investment will go a long way towards expanding that service.”  

State Representative Mindy Domb, Third Hampshire District:  
“I so appreciate the state’s support in ensuring that people in our region have access to housing throughout the winter and their recognition in the role Amherst's Craig's Doors plays in the network of providers doing this critical work. Craig’s Doors has been instrumental in providing shelter and supportive services to so many in our community, from towns across the valley. Supporting their work to expand winter shelter capacity underscores the commonwealth’s commitment to saving lives by providing critical resources and support to those seeking emergency shelter and to the providers who are so dedicated to doing this work.” 

Lyndia Downie, Pine Street President and Executive Director: 
“Pine Street Inn is deeply grateful to the Commonwealth and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for funding that will enable us to add beds and a warming center for the winter. We appreciate the support of the administration to help ensure that people can come in out of the cold, especially during these challenging times.”        

State Senator Adam Gomez, State Senator for the Hampden District: 
"Grant funding of this magnitude could not come at a more important time for the city of Springfield as we begin to gear up for the winter season and all of the rising costs that go with it. I want to thank the Healy-Driscoll Administration and Jynai McDonald and the Urban Impact Initiative for their outstanding and consistent efforts to ensure that families in Springfield won't go without shelter during these difficult months."   

Yi-An Huang, Cambridge City Manager: 
“The City of Cambridge is deeply grateful to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for this vital funding, which will enable the Green Street Shelter to expand its emergency winter shelter capacity. As temperatures drop, our collective responsibility to protect and support our most vulnerable residents becomes even more urgent. This critical investment strengthens our ongoing efforts to provide community members access to a warm, safe place to stay throughout the harshest months of the year.” 

Abdulkadir Hussein, CEO of African Community and Economic Development of New England:  
“We are deeply honored by this award from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This funding will enable ACEDONE to expand our Green Street Shelter in Cambridge and provide 16 additional winter beds for individuals who would otherwise have no safe place to turn during the cold months. For us, this is about more than shelter — it’s about restoring dignity, stability, and hope. We are grateful to Secretary Augustus, EOHLC, and our partners for their trust and collaboration in ensuring that every person in our community has a warm place to call home.” 

Emily Lazzaro, Malden Warming Center Board President:  
"The Malden Warming Center is so honored to receive this $52,890 grant from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. These funds came at a critical moment for our Center's operations. This award will help us keep our doors open and continue to practice hospitality for the unhoused community in Malden and surrounding areas. This grant award will cover our utility and security costs, ensuring that our guests can stay warm and safe during a tight budget year for our program. We are grateful to the Commonwealth, and especially the EOHLC for this generous award." 

Kevin Martone, President and CEO of Bay Cove Human Services:  
“At a time when housing insecurity and economic pressures are affecting more people than ever, this funding is a lifeline - not just for our shelter, but for the communities we serve.  This investment strengthens our ability to offer critical services - from emergency shelter to long-term stability - and reflects a shared commitment to provide safety, dignity, and hope to our neighbors who need it most.” 

Jynai McDonald, Founding CEO, Urban Impact Initiative Massachusetts: 
"Urban Impact is deeply thankful for this critical funding to expand our emergency winter shelter capacity by 25 additional beds. Our mission is to uplift and protect our community, and this funding helps us do exactly that. This investment ensures that more individuals in Springfield have access to warmth, safety, and support during the harshest months of the year." 

State Representative Aaron Michlewitz, House Chair of the Ways and Means Committee and State Representative for the 3rd Suffolk District: 
“Protecting our most vulnerable populations like unaccompanied young adults is critically important, especially during the colder winter months. I am pleased that Bridge Over Troubled Water has received this crucial grant for emergency winter shelter capacity throughout the city and the Commonwealth. I want to thank the Healey-Driscoll for recognizing the key work that Bridge Over Troubled Water and other organizations do to help protect people all across our state."   

Polly Normand, Vice President of Community Programs for ServiceNet: 
“ServiceNet is grateful for the funding that will enable us to again provide this vital service to our community. Though a Warming Center has no beds, having a place to come inside from the cold and be safe overnight can make a life-saving difference in the Berkshires.”  

Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston:  
“This funding allows Boston Public Health Commission to better serve our shelter guests by expanding access to crucial support services. As the weather gets colder these additional resources will help us ensure everyone has a warm and safe place to stay. Access to shelter has significant short- and long-term impacts on an individual’s health and I am thankful to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for investing in services that are essential to the well-being and dignity of everyone in our community.”  

Lori M. Streeter, Franklin County Sheriff and Co-Chair of the Opioid Task Force for Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region:  
"We are honored to work alongside Community Action Pioneer Valley, the City of Greenfield, the Town of Athol, and other collaborative partners to address the needs of unsheltered individuals in our communities this coming winter. This coordinated response builds upon the dedicated efforts of many and remains integral to our mission of fostering a healthy and secure community. We extend our appreciation to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for recognizing the strong tradition of partnership in our rural region, which enables us to better serve this vulnerable population." 

Lesli Suggs, President & CEO, The Home for Little Wanderers:  
“For young adults facing homelessness, the cold of a Massachusetts winter is yet another obstacle in their search for safety and stability. We applaud the state for making this critical funding available to expand winter capacity and are deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve more young adults who need us most. Together, we can create safe surroundings — and a renewed sense of hope for tomorrow.”  

Jennifer Hanlon Wigon, CEO, Women's Lunch Place:  
"Funding from the Commonwealth will enable Women's Lunch Place to offer a safe refuge for 65 women who might otherwise be left in the cold. Shelter beds are scarce at this time of year, and this expansion of overnight shelter creates a stronger safety net—helping women in crisis find their feet and move in the direction of permanent stability.”  

John Yazwinski, President & CEO of Father Bill’s & MainSpring: 
“Demand for individual shelter has been historically high, so we are thankful to Secretary Augustus and the Healey-Driscoll administration for supporting frontline providers at this critical time. With a challenging winter ahead, we’re fortunate to work in a state that values the lifesaving work happening at individual shelters across Massachusetts.”