United Way releases results from a three-year effort to reduce family homelessness

BOSTON – A report from the Donahue Institute released publicly today details the results of a three year effort by United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley (UWMBMV) to transform a network of 12 shelters and homeless serving programs into Housing First organizations. Housing First is a groundbreaking and proven model of preventing homelessness that is gaining strong momentum in Massachusetts and across the country. The ring of organizations, located in Lowell, Somerville, Boston, Quincy, and Lynn has collectively placed more than 1,000 Massachusetts families in permanent housing, saving the Commonwealth an estimated $3.6 million in shelter costs and associated expenses. The results were released today at a United Way leadership event with members of Real Estate and Building Industry, which has financially supported Housing First for the last three years.

Housing First responds to evidence that families who are free from worry about finding shelter are more receptive to services that will keep them stable in the long-run, and prioritizes placing families into permanent housing rather than temporary shelter as a first step. The Housing First has been highly successful with reducing chronic homlessness of individuals, but has only recently been applied to homeless families.  From 2007 to 2010, United Way targeted $2.3 million in capacity grants to enable Massachusetts organizations to  implement a Housing First approach specifically targeted for family homelessness.

“Family homelessness is often more difficult to address than individual homelessness due to the cost and complex nature of children’s development needs, school requirements and other associated factors,” said Michael Durkin, president of United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. “Because of the profound long-term effect homelessness has on children, however, it became a priority for United Way to work with others to prevent it.”  State Street Corporation, Bank of America, Beal Companies, Bain Capital, John Moriarty & Associates, McCall & Almy, and the larger United Way donor community were among the funders of this initiative.

Results detailed in the Donahue report include:

• 12 organizations adopted Housing First as their primary approach to family homelessness
• More than 1,000 families received housing placement services
• 77% of those successfully housed are confirmed as stable after a three year period
• Over 400 families received financial education/counseling
• Over 250 families were able to increase their income through entitlements and/or wage increases
• Over 80% of all families served established a working budget

“United Way’s commitment to this initiative was particularly timely in that it coincided with significant changes in the Commonwealth’s funding and delivery of services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness,” said Christina Sitino, research manager at the Donahue Institute. “The distinctiveness of this grant initiative was UWMBMV’s recognition of the need for funds to support the transition from traditional programming to Housing First. This turned out to be a much-needed support during a time of significant statewide organizational and funding changes.” 

Organizations involved in the three-year transition grants include: 

In Merrimack Valley: Community Teamwork Inc.
In Greater Boston: Crittenton Women’s Union,  Heading Home (formerly Shelter Inc), Homestart Inc, Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, Project Hope, Somerville Community Corporation, Traveler’s Aid Family Services.
On the South Shore: Quincy Community Action Programs, Father Bill’s & Mainspring
On the North Shore: Serving People in Need

In addition to housing families, the United Way investment equipped organizations and communities to establish collaborations, formalize early warning systems and expand financial services including education and support. Community Teamwork of Lowell leveraged United Way grants to partner with others to launch Lowell’s 10 year plan to end homelessness. In all, grantees developed new or formalized existing collaborations with 70 partners including, community and school services, landlords, veterans’ services, management companies, local housing authorities, and domestic violence organizations. 

Housing First is now fully integrated into United Way’s requirements for funding housing organizations. In September, the Patrick-Murray Administration announced a new public-private partnership with United Ways across the state around Housing First. United Way will be leading 10 regional networks across Massachusetts focused on ending homelessness. The regional networks better coordinate, and streamline services focused on securing permanent housing options for homeless individuals and families, and ultimately lessen the need for emergency assistance shelters. Massachusetts United Ways will provide $560,000 of the $1.56 million that will help sustain the state's 10 Regional Networks Programs.

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