Family Shelters in Greater Boston

*Indicates that community rooms are available

Bridge House
24 Baker Street
Lynn, MA 01902
781-593-3898
Total Capacity: 11 families.
Services: Advocacy; counseling by referral; medical care; day programs; transportation.
Restrictions: Participation in chores is required.  Curfew: Weekdays: 10pm; Weekend: 12 am.
Admissions Process:   Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance 

Cambridge YWCA
7 Temple
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-491-6050
Total Capacity: 103 single rooms for transitional housing program; 10 families of women and children for family shelter program. 
Services: Advocacy; referral; some clothing; counseling. 
Languages:  Spanish; Haitian; Bengali. 
Restrictions: Women only, boys up to the age of 12 allowed.
Admissions Process: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance. 

Children’s Services of Roxbury
504 Dudley St
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-989-1093
Total Capacity: 105 beds (among families) in the Scattered Sites and 21 beds (among families) in the congregate location.
Services: Advocacy; case management; housing search; education programs. 
Languages:  Spanish; Haitian Creole. 
Restrictions: No history of violent behavior; no head of household over the age of 21.
Admissions process:  Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance. 

Casa Nueva Vida
53 Glen Road
PO Box 2115
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-524-6332
Total Capacity: 17 families.
Services: Advocacy; counseling; some clothing; education & English classes. 
Language: Spanish. 
Restrictions: Curfew: Sun- Thurs. 9pm; Fri-Sat 10pm. 
Referral: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance.

Crittenton Women’s Union
10 Perthshire Road
Brighton, MA 02135
617-782-7600
Total Capacity: 58 beds (among families) in the congregate shelter; 59 beds (among families) in the community based shelter.
Services: Advocacy; counseling; 3 meals/day; clothing if available; handicap accessibility; van transportation (to jobs). 
Languages: Spanish; Haitian Creole. 
Restrictions: Curfews vary depending on location.
Admissions Process:  Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance. 

Crossroads Family Shelter
56 Havre Street
East Boston, MA 02128
617-567-5926
Total Capacity: 15 beds for families.
Services: Case management; housing search; meals; clothing; weekly visiting nurse; play space; workshops. 
Languages:  Spanish. 
Restrictions: No drug or alcoholic use.
Curfew: Sun-Thurs 9 pm; Fri-Sat 11:30 pm. 
Admissions Process: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance. 

Cross Street Family Shelter
59 Cross Street
P.O. Box 440436
Somerville, MA 02144
617-776-6661
Total Capacity: 5 families. 
Services: Advocacy; 3 communal meals (families cook their own meals); clothing if available; access to medical care at a nearby clinic.
Languages:  Spanish; Creole.
Curfew: Sun- Thurs 9 pm; Fri-Sat 10 pm.
Admissions Process:: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance. 

Families in Transition
316 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
617-927-8290
Total Capacity: 22 beds among families.  
Services: Advocacy; handicap accessibility; medical care through Health Care for the Homeless; public transportation.
Curfew: Sun-Thurs 9 pm; Fri-Sat 11 pm.
Admissions Process: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance. 

Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center, Inc. 
614 Massachusetts Avenue, 3rd Floor 
Cambridge, MA 02139 
617-491-5752 
Total capacity: 113 families in Congregate and Scattered Sites shelter units in Boston and Cambridge 
Services: Information and Referral, Case Management, Housing Search and Stabilization; Life Skills workshops and Children’s Programs depending on availability of resources. 
Restrictions: Families with children only. 
Languages: Spanish; French; Haitian Creole; Cape Verdean Creole. 
Admission: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance.

Mary’s House / Bristol Lodge Family Shelter
62 Church Street
Waltham, MA 02154
781-647-9957
Total Capacity: 8 families.
Services: Advocacy; referral; food; clothing; handicap accessibility; medical care by referral; day program; open 24 hours; transportation access; cook own meals.
Languages: French. 
Restrictions: Sobriety. 
Curfew: Sun-Thurs. 9pm; Fri-Sat 11pm. 
Admissions Process: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance.

Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership
125 Lincoln Street, 5th floor
Boston, MA 02111
617-859-0400
Total Capacity: N/A
Services: Rental vouchers, financial assistance, emergency assistance, eviction prevention, advocacy; counseling; housing search, workshops and trainings, inspectional services and property owner resources. Languages: Vietnamese; Haitian Creole; Cape Verdean Creole; Portuguese; Cantonese; Mandarin; Toisanese; Spanish. 
Admissions Process: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance. For rental vouchers and some homelessness prevention programs; for all other services, contact their Housing Consumer Education Center at (617) 425-6700 or ResourceLine@mbhp.org.

Nazareth House*
91 Regent Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-541-0100
Community Rooms: 3.  
Total Capacity: 7 DTA families (10 total including community rooms). 
Services: Advocacy; counseling; transportation. 
Restrictions: At least one family member must be HIV positive; 2-year limit. 
Admissions Process: There is a waiting list specific to the community room. Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance.

Project Hope
550 Dudley Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-442-1880
Total Capacity: 8 families; generally only accept women and children. 
Services:  Counseling; cook own meals; referrals; clothing if available; Spanish; handicap accessible; visiting nurse; day program, job training, social supports, and workshops.
Restrictions:  Sobriety; no history of drug addiction or domestic violence; generally no males over 14 years old, but male children decided on case by case basis. 
Admissions Process: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance.

Queen of Peace*
401 Quincy Street
Boston, MA 02125
617-288-4182
Community Rooms:  11
Total Capacity:  11 beds among families of women and children. 
Services:  Dinner & breakfast; clothing if available.
Restrictions:  Only women and children, no males over the age of 3; must not be heavily reliant on medications, drugs, or alcohol; must be in at 4 pm & out by 9 am. 
Admissions Process:  Must have a referral from a social service agency. 

Re-Vision House
38 Fabyan Street
Dorcester, MA 02124
617-825-8642
Total Capacity: 22 beds among women and children. 
Services: Advocacy; counseling; community kitchen & pantry; medical care through Health Care for Homeless; transportation; storage facilities, stabilization services, day care. 
Languages:  French Creole. 
Restrictions: Sobriety (random drug testing); women & children only.
Admissions Process:  Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance. Client-based referral for women between the ages of 18-21. Pregnant women above this age are also eligible. 

St. Ambrose Family Inn
25 Leonard Street
Dorchester, MA 02122
617-288-7675
Total Capacity: 19 families.
Services: Advocacy; counseling by referral; food provided; clothing if available; access to medical care; after school program for children; transportation for housing only.
Language: Spanish; Haitian/Creole.
Admissions Process: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance. 

Margaret’s House
90 Cushing Ave.
Dorchester, MA 02125
617-436-3944 (hotline)
617-436-8600 (intake center)
Total Capacity: 32 beds among women and children. 
Services: Advocacy; counseling; referral; clothing; prenatal care; onsite nurse. 
Restrictions: Women & children only; must be pregnant or parenting; boys up to the age of 12. 
Admissions Process: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance.

Sojourner House
85 Rockland Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-442-0590
Total Capacity: 9 families.
Services: Advocacy; counseling; food pantry; clothing; handicap accessibility; medical care through Health Care for the Homeless; day program; transportation for housing appointments only.
Languages:  Spanish; Haitian Creole. 
Restrictions: Sobriety.
Referral: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance. 

Centerboard
16 City Hall Square
Lynn, MA 01905
781-598-9417
Total Capacity: 77 beds for families among the scattered services. 
Services: Advocacy; counseling by referral; food by referral; clothing if available; not handicapped accessible but will be soon; transportation for housing appointments and emergencies only. 
Language: Spanish. 
Restrictions: Sobriety; financial stability. 
Admissions Process: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance.

Temporary Home for Women and Children
41 New Chardon Street
Boston, MA 02114
617-720-3611
Total Capacity: 15 families.
Services: Advocacy, counseling; 3 meals/day; limited Spanish; handicap accessible; medical care day program; transportation; clothing if available.
Restrictions: Non-EA eligible; women & children only; no drugs or alcohol; income restriction. 
Admissions Process:  Referral needed from Department of Children & Families. 

Housing Families
254 Broadway
Malden, MA 02148
781-324-1303 (site)
350 Cross St.
Malden, MA 02148
781 322-9119 (main)
Total Capacity: 54 beds among families.
Services: Advocacy; referral for counseling; cook own food; clothing; access to medical care; workshops & support groups; transportation to housing appointments only.
Languages: Spanish; Creole; Portuguese. 
Restrictions: Sobriety; no active substance abuse. 
Admissions Process: Must have a referral from the Department of Housing and Community Development and be eligible for Emergency Assistance.