If you are experiencing homelessness or are at imminent risk of homelessness, please click on the links below to find more information about potential resources for you and your household.  

*Please note that these lists are not comprehensive. If you are a shelter or service provider and would like to add or update your listing, please email us or call 781-595-7570.

Families with Children Under the Age of 21

• Shelters for Families with Children: If you are experiencing homelessness and have a child under the age of 21 or you are pregnant, you and your family may be eligible for placement in a family shelter.
• HomeBASE Diversion and Rehousing Assistance for Families with Children: If you are experiencing homelessness and have a child under the age of 21 or you are pregnant, your family may be eligible for assistance through the Department of Housing and Community Development’s HomeBASE program.
• Residential Assistance for Families in Transition Homelessness Prevention Program: If you and your household are at imminent risk of homelessness, you may be eligible for RAFT benefits to help with such needs as back rent, back utility bills, start-up costs for a new apartment, moving expenses, basic furniture, etc.
• Educational Rights for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness: Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, the educational rights of students experiencing homelessness are protected. Learn more about students’ rights to enrollment, transportation, and services here. Thank you to web designer Joanna Roux and Professor Monica Texeira de Sousa of New England Law | Boston for sharing this with us!

Unaccompanied Adults and Households Without Children

• Shelters for Unaccompanied Adults: If you are experiencing homelessness and are an individual over 18 or household without a child under the age of 21 in your care, you may be eligible for placement in an individual shelter. 
• Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Homelessness Prevention Program:  If you are an elder, person with a disability, an unaccompanied youth, and other household without minor children, you may be eligible for up to $4,000 to help pay for expenses to avoid or exit homelessness thorugh the RAFT program under the expanded definition of family. At least $3 million will be made available for fiscal year 2020 (which ends on June 30, 2020) for households under this expanded definition of family. Additional funds are available under two special RAFT subprograms: Upstream RAFT and the COVID-19 RAFT Response. RAFT funds can be used to help with such needs as back rent, back utility bills, start-up costs for a new apartment, moving expenses, basic furniture, etc.

Unaccompanied Youth and Young Adults

• The fiscal year 2020 state budget includes $5 million for housing and wraparound services for youth and young adults age 24 and younger who are experiencing homelessness.The funds are administered regionally by ten organizations across the state. See a map of these service providers to find the provider closest to you. Learn more on our Unaccompanied Youth Homelessness page.
• There are a limited number of shelters targeted to youth and young adults. One of those shelters is Y2Y in Cambridge. 
• Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Homelessness Prevention Program: If you are an unaccompanied youth or young adult, you may be eligible for up to $4,000 to help pay for expenses to avoid or exit homelessness through the RAFT program. At least $3 million will be made available for fiscal year 2020 (which ends on June 30, 2020) for households under the expanded definition of family, which includes youth and young adults without dependent children. Additional funds are available under two special RAFT subprograms: Upstream RAFT and the COVID-19 RAFT Response. RAFT funds can be used to help with such needs as back rent, back utility bills, start-up costs for a new apartment, moving expenses, basic furniture, etc.

Immigrants

• The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) has compiled important know your rights information and information on accessing services and resources.
• If you are an immigrant seeking access to benefits and plan to apply for/are applying for a green card (to become a Legal Permanent Resident), please see these resources and information about negative changes to federal public charge laws that were implemented on February 24, 2020.
  • Protecting Immigrant Families’ know your rights page and “Public Charge: Does This Apply to Me?” flyer (PDF)
  • MIRA’s public charge information page
  • United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ public charge fact sheet
• Please see this flyer (PDF) from Attorney General Maura Healey’s office on equal access to health care for undocumented immigrants impacted by COVID-19. Immigrants who are not eligible for other government programs can access MassHealth Limited to pay for COVID-19 testing and treatment. Accessing COVID-19 testing and treatment or use of MassHealth Limited will not impact public charge determinations or negatively impact green card applications.
• Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Homelessness Prevention Program: If you and your household are at imminent risk of homelessness, you may be eligible for up to $4,000 to help pay for expenses to avoid or exit homelessness through the RAFT program under the Traditional RAFT program or under one of two special RAFT subprograms: Upstream RAFT and the COVID-19 RAFT Response. RAFT benefits are available to otherwise eligible households regardless of immigration status. RAFT funds can be used to help with such needs as back rent, back utility bills, start-up costs for a new apartment, moving expenses, basic furniture, etc.

Survivors of Domestic Violence

• Shelters for Adults and Children Fleeing Domestic Violence Situations: If you are fleeing domestic violence, you (and your children, if applicable) may be eligible for placement in a domestic violence shelter. 

Survivors of Natural Disasters

• If you and your household are experiencing homelessness due to a natural disaster, you may be eligible for resources and support from the state and federal governments. Click here to learn more.

Key Terms

• Key terms to better understand the resources.