- Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
Media Contact for Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $9.9 Million to Expand Individual Homelessness Winter Capacity
Kevin Connor, EOHLC
Boston — In anticipation of increased wintertime shelter needs for individuals experiencing homelessness, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities has awarded $9.9 million in supplemental grants for shelter providers, municipalities, and community-based organizations to open or expand seasonal shelter bed capacity.
Annually, EOHLC supports 2,514 year-round beds and 363 winter beds for individuals experiencing homelessness. The funding announced today will support 595 additional winter beds and will expand daytime warming centers to prevent unsheltered homelessness during the cold winter months. Shelters are run by nonprofit organizations that receive funding from the state.
“Our nonprofit community partners provide a lifeline to individuals who are struggling with the very basic need of a safe place to lay their head at night,” said Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. “In addition, these organizations are well-equipped to connect individuals with other important services ranging from behavioral health to the search for permanent housing, which helps lift people out of homelessness.”
Applicants for the grants were required to demonstrate how the proposed projects would support HLC’s overall vision of making homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring. Applicants were also encouraged to think strategically about how the funding may be leveraged and paired with other funding sources to deliver care.
Priority was given to applicants serving regions with the highest need for shelter beds. Programs must serve individuals or families without children. These grants are separate from funding available to the state’s Emergency Assistance Family Shelter system.
Grants have been awarded to:
Awardee | Total Award | Communities Served | Total Additional Beds |
---|---|---|---|
Stepping Stone | $426,443.53 | Dartmouth, Fall River, New Bedford | +50 winter beds |
Craigs Doors | $213,500.00 | Hadley | +20 winter beds |
Lifebridge / Salem Mission | $213,500.00 | Salem, Gloucester | +12 winter beds and expanded daytime warming capacity |
Bay Cove | $819,588.52 | Weymouth | +50 winter beds |
Center for Human Development | $81,737.00 | Holyoke | +10 winter beds |
Clinical Support Options | $1,053,449 | Springfield, Greenfield and Northampton | +22 winter beds and expanded daytime warming capacity for up to 100 individuals |
Louison House | $102,714.00 | North Adams | +12 winter beds |
Pine Street Inn | $2,921,708.54 | Boston | +163 winter beds |
Father Bills and Mainspring | $1,457,585.00 | Quincy, Brockton, Plymouth | +93 winter beds |
City of Revere and Housing Families | $142,800.00 | Revere | +24 winter beds |
Women’s Lunch Place | $669,844.00 | Boston | +50 winter beds |
Duffy Health Center | $167,750.00 | Cape Cod | +10 winter beds |
SMOC - Worcester | $1,408,415.47 | Worcester | +60 winter beds |
SMOC - Lowell | $255,326.00 | Lowell | +20 winter beds |
Lynn Shelter Association | $63,100.00 | Lynn | +9 beds |
Statements of Support:
“This award increases our capacity to provide safe and warm shelter for women this winter. We greatly value our partnership with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and appreciate its support in meeting the needs of this vulnerable population,” said Sarah Coombs, Vice President of Addiction Services, Bay Cove Human Services.
“We are grateful to state leaders and the team at EOHLC for making this critical investment in the safety net for our most vulnerable neighbors experiencing homelessness. With this grant, the administration is stepping up to recognize the historic demand on our individual shelter system, ensuring we have the overflow capacity this winter to keep people warm, fed, and cared for. Importantly, this allows us to meet the immediate needs at our door while also pursuing sustainable solutions like housing,” said John Yazwinski, President & CEO, Father Bills and Mainspring.
“The City of Revere is grateful for the Division of Housing and Stabilization’s One Time Grant to sustain and expand the Chris Alba Emergency Warming Center that has operated the last two winter seasons. This funding will allow us to increase both our nightly capacity limit and our scope of services, helping those most vulnerable during the coldest months,” said Lauren Buck, Chief of Health and Human Services, City of Revere.
“These additional dollars will make a huge difference on Cape Cod. We regularly turn away 25 to 30 people from our winter weather sheltering program because the rapid growth of the unsheltered population here outpaces the growth in our funding. As we enter the winter months, we are grateful to the Commonwealth and EOHLC for this award of supplemental funds,” said Heidi Nelson, CEO, Duffy Health Center.
“Lifebridge North Shore is grateful to EOHLC for this crucial funding, along with its ongoing support of our mission to end homelessness. With the recent increase in demand for assistance, these funds are critical in the expansion of services to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable members in our communities,” said Jason Etheridge, President, Lifebridge North Shore.
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