HomeStart News

HomeStart Responds to the Rapidly Growing, City of Boston funded Vacancy Clearinghouse program

A decade ago, HomeStart, the City of Boston and other homeless providers responded to the lack of affordable housing opportunities for low-income, homeless families and adults by creating the Homeless Housing Set-Aside program. The program attaches requirements to all monies loaned by the City of Boston to new housing developments or rehabilitation projects. Each development must set-aside 10% of its units to homeless residents of Boston.

In order to manage the program and facilitate its success, the City of Boston contracted with HomeStart to monitor the program and create the Vacancy Clearinghouse. HomeStart then teamed up with Homes For Families to reach homeless families in need of housing. Together, we work with properties from all over the city to make sure that these housing opportunities are directed to the intended homeless population. HomeStart refers homeless individuals to developments and spreads the word about vacancies. We verify that each unit is filled with a homeless family or individual and that the units are affordable to the lowest income households.

The program started out with a handful of developments with a modest inventory of units. Today, HomeStart works with almost 100 new and remodeled developments.  Because of this recent, rapid expansion a new position has been created to meet this growing need.  As of August 5th, Saba Tekle has joined the HomeStart team as the Vacancy Clearinghouse Coordinator.  She will ensure that units are filled with homeless families and individuals in a timely manner by working with property managers and staff at local social service agencies.  So far this program has provided over 700 formerly homeless families and individuals with homes of their own.

HomeStart Joins the New Statewide Home & Healthy for Good Housing First Project

Building upon the Housing First work that HomeStart initiated with Boston 's Health Care for the Homeless Program over three years ago, HomeStart recently received a $50,000 grant from the Massachusetts Shelter and Housing Alliance (MHSA) to join 12 other leading homeless service providers in the new state-funded Housing First program – Home & Healthy for Good .

What is the Home & Healthy for Good program?

Like HomeStart's original Housing First program, Home & Healthy for Good helps homeless disabled individuals who are living on the streets – under bridges and by-passes, in alleys and parks – to obtain permanent housing first and then support them in obtaining the living skills, financial benefits and health and mental health treatment they need to successfully stay in housing and prevent recurrent homelessness.

Initial studies show that the Housing First approach is not only effective at keeping chronically homeless people housed, but it is cost-effective as well. What Home & Healthy for Good has proven is that costs associated with living on the streets – such as hospital emergency room visits, incarcerations and trips to detox centers – plummet once clients move into homes of their own and receive the support services needed to stay in housing:

According to MHSA's December 2007 Updated Report on Home & Healthy for Good , the average, chronically, disabled homeless person might incur $32,644 annually in costs for other services. However, once a client moves into housing and receives stabilization services at a cost of $13,248 annually, the average cost of other services expended fell dramatically to $10,017 per person. According to MHSA, “the projected annual cost-savings to the Commonwealth through Home & Healthy for Good per tenant is $9,379.”

As of November 26, 2007, 229 people have been housed in the Home & Healthy for Good program. Historically dedicated to data-driven results such as these, HomeStart is excited to build upon the reputation of its own Housing First work as a new partner in Massachusetts ' Home and Healthy for Good program.