Ensuring Access to Non-Congregate Shelter for People Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Posted July 28, 2020 Since the start of the pandemic, the Coalition has been working with a broad range of stakeholders to ensure that families, individuals, and youth experiencing homelessness have access to housing and safe shelter spaces in which to practice social distancing. Given that most shelters in the state operate under a congregate model […]
COVID-19 Homelessness and Housing Funds Signed into Law
Last updated July 31, 2020 Good news! Earlier today, Governor Baker signed into law most of the COVID-19 supplemental budget, House Bill 4808. All of the homelessness and housing funds were retained. This means at least $20 million for additional RAFT homelessness prevention resources for families and individuals impacted by COVID-19 (with those households eligible for […]
Family Homelessness During and After COVID-19: July 9th Legislative Briefing
Posted July 21, 2020 Thank you to everyone who joined the Coalition, Representative Jim O’Day, Representative Kay Khan, Representative Kevin Honan, families experiencing homelessness, advocates, and providers on Thursday, July 9th from 12:30-2 p.m. for an important online legislative briefing and discussion on family homelessness during and after COVID-19. Handouts and a summary of the […]
Join Us in Asking Governor Baker to Take Swift Action to Protect Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Background: Please ask Governor Charlie Baker to take action now for children and parents experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families in the Commonwealth’s Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter system are at risk of a rapid and potentially devastating spread of COVID-19 as they continue to share communal bathrooms, kitchens, and other living spaces in congregate […]
Ask Congress to Prioritize Housing in the Next Coronavirus Package
Please join with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and the National Low Income Housing Coalition in letting your members of Congress (U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators) know today that more federal resources are needed to ensure that the most vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity, stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now […]
RESPONDING TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: HELP PUSH FOR AN EMERGENCY EXPANSION OF THE RAFT HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION PROGRAM
Last updated June 15, 2020**Please sign and share our one-minute online RAFT action here.** The Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT, budget line item 7004-9316) program is a key tool to help families with children, unaccompanied youth, elders, people with disabilities, and other households avoid or exit homelessness. RAFT provides funds for needs such […]
CORONAVIRUS: Protecting People Experiencing Homelessness and Poverty
Updated May 12, 2020 As Massachusetts responds to the novel coronavirus and the resulting respiratory disease known as COVID-19, the Coalition is sharing key resources on the impact of the coronavirus on the community at large, and in particular, people experiencing homelessness and/or deep poverty. We also are advocating with elected officials to promote the […]
Legislative Action Day 2020: Sharing Our Gratitude and Next Steps
Our hearts are filled with gratitude for all of your support for last week’s Legislative Action Day at the State House! We had more than 200 people with us: families, youth, and adults with lived experience of homelessness, providers, advocates, legislators, and other people of conscience, all speaking up for solutions to homelessness, housing instability, and poverty, and […]
Massachusetts Youth Count 2020
Last updated March 16, 2020 ** This year’s Youth Count, which had been scheduled forMonday, April 13th – Sunday, May 17th, is postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. *** The results of last year’s Massachusetts Youth Count are now available. Read the 2019 Youth Count report (PDF) and Executive Summary (PDF) from the Massachusetts Commission on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth here. Regional data will be posted on our […]
Everyone Counts: Make Sure People Experiencing Homelessness Are Part of the 2020 U.S.Census
Last updated August 6, 2020 Our voices matter, especially during a pandemic. Replying to the 2020 U.S. Census is safe and easy to do remotely and doesn’t require in-person interaction. Households should have received a mailing with a unique identifying ID code that they can input at 2020census.gov. If taking the census online isn’t an […]
