On December 13, the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA) held its Annual Meeting at the Nine Zero Hotel in downtown Boston, honoring House Majority Leader Ronald Mariano and Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s Housing Advisor, Sheila Dillon.

With nearly 100 people in attendance, it was the largest Annual Meeting in the history of MHSA.

At the event, MHSA President and Executive Director Joe Finn presented Representative Mariano with the Canon Brian S. Kelley Public Servant Award for his career-long commitment to supporting innovative solutions to homelessness. Finn presented Dillon with the inaugural Housing Champion Award for her work in preserving vital resources for homeless individuals in Boston.

Housing Advisor Sheila Dillon, MHSA President & Executive Director Joe Finn, and House Majority Leader Ronald Mariano pose for a photo after the award ceremony.

According to Finn, Mariano and Dillon’s efforts are more important now than ever.

“It’s a scandal that we’re starting to see—at our shelters—younger, more mentally ill homeless individuals,” Finn said. “We know that permanent supportive housing makes an incredible difference…and we know there is a great cost associated with doing nothing.”

A brief PowerPoint presentation shown at the Annual Meeting emphasized that permanent supportive housing has yielded positive results in Boston and statewide: Boston alone has seen a 25 percent decrease in the number of chronically homeless individuals between 2005 and 2010, despite a struggling economy, thanks to Mayor Menino and our honorees’ focus on permanent supportive housing.

(To view the presentation, click here: Presentation Reviewing MHSA’s Efforts and Accomplishments from 2011.)

“It’s easy to make the case based on the numbers we see…that there’s a role for government in ending homelessness,” Mariano said.

Echoing Mariano, Dillon said, “It’s a great time to be working on homeless issues in Massachusetts…we’re all aligned—the government, service providers…to really make a reduction in homelessness.”

After the award presentations, attendees—ranging from government officials to service providers to members of the private sector—continued to mingle and discuss their intersecting efforts to end homelessness in Massachusetts.

Bob Pulster of the Department of Housing and Community Development, Charles Gagnon of South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC), John O'Brien of Father Bill's & MainSpring, and Jerry Desilets of SMOC.

MHSA has been chosen by The Shops at Prudential Center as a Lighting Partner for this year’s “31 Nights of Light” program. 31 Nights of Light was created to help community organizations gain key visibility during the holiday season. At 5 p.m. on December 28, the Prudential Tower will be lit up in blue to raise awareness for MHSA’s mission to end homelessness.

We are inviting all MHSA donors, member agencies, public officials and others who support ending homelessness to join us for the ceremonial lighting of the Tower and an hors d’oeuvres reception, catered by MHSA member agency Pine Street Inn’s iCater.

Please join us at 4:30 p.m. sharp in Center Court for this complimentary event so we can thank you for your support!

Click here to RSVP.

For more information, contact Erin Donohue at edonohue@mhsa.net or (617)367-6447 ext. 25.

We hope to see you there!

Special thanks to Eastern Bank for sponsoring “Flip the Switch to End Homelessness.”

Attendees listen to a presentation by Cheryl Kennedy-Perez from the Department of Public Health/Bureau of Substance Abuse Services.

The day opened with a welcome from MHSA President and Executive Director Joe Finn, who thanked attendees for their commitment to ending homelessness and shared his vision for a new response to homelessness – one that relies less on emergency shelter and more on low-threshold, permanent supportive housing.

Finn’s opening was followed  up by MHSA’s Housing First Coordinator Tom Brigham, who presented detailed data on the outcomes of Home & Healthy for Good – including the fact that in five years, 8,142 tenant interviews have been collected, and that MHSA’s HHG cost-benefit  analyses result in more than $9,600 in cost savings per tenant annually.  There has also been a significant increase in the Quality of Life for the HHG tenants and a dramatic reduction in their need to access emergency systems of care.

Cheryl Kennedy-Perez of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services then presented on tenets of and lessons learned from recovery-based permanent supportive housing and the DPH’s ongoing commitment to program development and improvement.  Kennedy-Perez was followed by Randy Dupell and Doug Klier of the Henry Lee Willis Center in Worcester, who gave an inspiring, tag-team presentation about Motivational Interviewing and the Social Model of Change. According to motivationalinterviewing.org, Motivational Interviewing is a counseling style that “focuses on exploring and resolving ambivalence and centers on motivational processes within the individual that facilitate change.”

After small group discussions at lunch, attendees listened to Heidi Gold of South Middlesex Opportunity Council explain how to maximize the income of permanent supportive housing tenants through an integrated model of benefits and employment.  The day closed with a large group discussion exploring observations, challenges and group problem solving.

Attendee feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with the majority of respondents to a post-meeting survey indicating that the experience was valuable and that they are looking forward to future meetings.  MHSA was also able to use the survey to gauge the types of topics that would be useful for future meetings. MHSA is grateful to our attendees and presenters for making the day such a productive and invigorating one, and we look forward to continuing these partnerships throughout the state.

This year, The Shops at Prudential Center will light the Prudential Tower for MHSA on December 28. We are proud to partner with The Shops at Prudential Center to raise awareness of the need for permanent solutions to homelessness in Massachusetts.

Stay tuned for more details about your chance to celebrate the 31 Nights of Light with MHSA!

BOSTON — When we hear about business mergers we usually think of big corporations and phrases like “cost saving” and “bottom line.” But for two Boston organizations considering a merger, the word they use is “mission.”

The Pine Street Inn and hopeFound, two of the city’s most respected agencies tending to the city’s homeless, will announce their boards have given what they’re calling “a soft green light” to a plan to combine the organizations.

According to the agencies’ directors, Lyndia Downie of the Pine Street Inn and Mary Nee of hopeFound, they’re hoping a merger will make their organizations’ homelessness-fighting efforts more effective.

“We really want to look at ending homelessness, not just managing it,” Nee told Morning Edition’s Bob Oakes. “This is a real opportunity to streamline some of the services and to put complimentary services together.”

Listen to the full interview

“As someone who works on the ground level every week, it’s important to my work and on a personal level to take part in the larger conversation surrounding ending homelessness,” shared Caitlin Kelley, a Housing Specialist at MHSA member agency Father Bill’s & MainSpring. “MHSA YPG provides that outlet for people from all different backgrounds to gather around, share ideas and network together to advocate for housing solutions to end homelessness.”

To learn more about MHSA YPG, “like” our Facebook page or contact Caitlin Golden at cgolden@mhsa.net or 617-367-6447 ext. 28.  View more photos of the event here.

I had the opportunity to accompany Doug Tetrault, MHSA’s Program Manager, on a site visit to one of the organization’s many service providers. Betty’s Place is an all-women’s transitional housing program based in what was formerly the Boston YWCA and is now operated as a hotel, college dorm, and program housing facility.  The program provides women with their own rooms located on the upper floors of the building and they share common bathrooms. They also receive two meals per day provided by the management company of the building.  In addition to a home to call their own, these women work with case managers directly on-site to find a permanent housing and to achieve independence.

Funding for the program is provided by the State of Massachusetts and the U.S. Department Housing and Urban Development. MHSA receives funds from the state to give to several shelters and programs such as Betty’s place, so they can help the homeless.

I had the privilege to sit in on two interviews. One interview was with a resident currently residing at Betty’s Place. All I could do was smile when I heard the resident describe her story to Doug. She explained her life living on the street and the problems she faced in day to day life. Also, she described how Betty’s has helped her immensely in the long-run and her plans for the future. She could not help to mention how she’d be in the complete opposite direction if it wasn’t for the people at MHSA and Betty’s Place. The other interview was with two workers at the program, Carol Reid and Kim Nuttall. On the other hand, the interview with the staff at Betty’s Place was far more business like. Conversation evolved around finances, income, statistics, etc. Also, Doug asked questions about the program, how it worked, and the requirements someone needs to surpass to being admitted into the house. 

I was fortunate enough to get a tour of the facility. I saw the women’s room, the program’s central office, and the overall building where the women stay. Overall, I was impressed by the living facilities.

As an intern at MHSA, in addition to clerical work I also sit in on meetings and do small projects for the staff. I only witness the busy work being done. At first, I didn’t see how a dozen people sitting behind computers could actually affect the people outside the office. But after visiting Betty’s place, it put it all in to perspective. I realized what a difference the staff at MHSA makes in the lives of so many homeless and formerly homeless people.

Photo Credit Michael Rizzo

Donny is  a 5o-year-old bulldog of a man who sports a shaved head, goatee and a muscle tee. For decades he lived a rough lifestyle of getting high and drunk, robbing and stealing.  Starting at a young age, he has logged more than 6,000 days in jail. 

“I never knew any other life,” he said. “I never hung around anyone sober.  What can you do sober?  You can’t have fun being sober.” 

Donny was an alcoholic and an addict. His lifestyle led him to couch surfing, sleeping in cars or wherever he had to. His family ties deteriorated and he neglected his health. He never held a job or paid bills. He said he never considered living any other way. He was caught up in the chaos of addiction and homelessness. 

It wasn’t until a stint in detox when someone told him of Crossroads, a Post-Detox – Pre Recovery program in Framingham for homeless individuals with chronic relapse histories, that he found hope. MHSA, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (DPH-BSAS), administers this program through the South Middlesex Opportunity Council. It is funded in collaboration between DPH-BSAS, the Balance of State Continuum of Care and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development McKinney-Vento Supportive Housing Programs.

 “I was sick and tired of being sick and tired,” he said. “I realized I was either going to die or go back to jail.” 

At Crossroads, Donny was able to get his feet on the ground. Without the pressure of finding food, clothes or shelter, Donny was able to focus on remaining sober and starting his life over.

“I never knew about these programs,” he said. “Crossroads introduces you to sober living.  They show you there is another way to live.  And they make sure you are really ready before you move on.”

Donny thrived at Crossroads. There was suddenly a wealth of resources at his fingertips including two daily Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, a career center, food stamps, MassHealth and job placement. In addition to getting clean and sober, Donny became house manager and was responsible for overseeing the other tenants at night. He made sure they kept curfew and didn’t come home drunk or high. As house manager, Donny gained confidence and took pleasure in helping others. Donny seems very proud of the good he did at Crossroads and though he has been out of the program for a year, he still talks to and lends his advice to the current house manager or tenants as needed. 

Donny credits Crossroads and being house manager with getting him to where he is today. And from the looks and sounds of it, where he is isn’t too shabby.

Donny has been sober for three years. He has a supportive girlfriend and a great apartment on a tree-lined cul-de-sac. He owns his own contracting business and is starting to repair relationships with family members. And then there’s his bike.

Photo Credit Michael Rizzo

Donny and his motorcycle are inseparable and he refers to getting out and riding as wind therapy. The bike is a thing of beauty, and Donny’s eyes light up when he talks about riding, which he does on a daily basis. He’s also forged new relationships with sober, bike-riding friends. 

Just three years ago, before entering the Crossroads program, Donny would never have fathomed having such a life. He simply didn’t think it was possibly to get out of the downward spiral he was in. 

“Today, there is no chaos in my life.  It’s a beautiful thing.”

For the record, Donny said he tends to go to bed around 8 or 9:00 in the evening. And he now knows there isn’t anything wrong with that.

Led by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), 29 Senators signed a “Dear Colleague” letter to Senate Appropriators calling for robust funding for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants and HUD-VASH programs.  The number of Senators signing this letter is particularly remarkable given the 4-day turnaround time and a political environment encouraging cuts to spending.  We are proud to report that both Massachusetts Senators Kerry and Brown were among signatories.

 McKinney-Vento and VASH programs are highly effective in reducing homelessness by funding successful interventions such as permanent supportive housing.

“Over the past three years, HUD helped thousands of homeless veterans find a permanent place to call home while VA provided medical treatment, case management and other services to address their specific needs,” said HUD Secretary Donovan. “We have no greater mission than to prevent and end homelessness, especially for those brave men and women who risked their lives to protect our nation” 

Read the official HUD press release here.

Although the survey is not a comprehensive count of homeless young adults in Massachusetts, almost 400 individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 responded, providing MHSA and its partners with data that sheds light on the current state of young adult homelessness in the Commonwealth. The survey will also allow MHSA to examine trends in young adult homelessness through comparisons with a February 22, 2005 survey of the same target subpopulation.   

Among the results of the 2010 survey, PSE found that gay and bisexual respondents, when compared to those who do not identify as gay or bisexual, were more likely to use prescription drugs, more likely to use mental health services, and more likely to have spent nights over the last year in a shelter.  Gay and bisexual respondents were less likely to have gone through a post-detox program or spent a night in a program. These findings suggest that more detailed research is needed about the ways in which sexual orientation may affect the circumstances leading a young adult to homelessness as well as the challenges faced by these individuals while homeless.

MHSA will continue working with PSE to further analyze the data and to create a more refined questionnaire for future surveys.  In addition to survey findings, information gathered from MHSA member agencies’ work is making it markedly clear that homeless young adults are a unique subpopulation.  Young adults often have circumstances leading them to homelessness that are drastically different from those of their adult counterparts, and these circumstances must be addressed with solutions targeted to the specific needs of the young adult population.

“We could be committing a whole new generation to inadequate institutional living if we don’t find a solution that works,” said MHSA Executive Director Joe Finn.  “If we’re waiting for other people to solve the problem, we’ll be waiting for a very long time.”

To learn about national responses to the problem of homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young adults, click here to read a recent blog post from the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

For more information about the MHSA Young Adult Committee, please contact Caitlin Golden at cgolden@mhsa.net or 617-367-6447 ext. 28.