Affordable housing has reached crisis stage in Massachusetts

Affordable housing opportunites have become a crisis in Massachusetts. News media reports document the exodus of families and college students from Massachusetts to other more affordable states as a result. I personally see the devastating impact of this crisis on a daily basis when I come to work at the Crittenton Women's Union.

Currently, I am coordinator of one of the housing programs that houses homeless families in scattered sites across the city. We provide families with shelter every night and with services to help them on their path to self-sufficiency. Our shelters are always full to capacity. When one family moves out, another moves in the very next day and sometimes the same day.

I have also worked up close and personal with families on a one-to-one basis for five out of the eight years I have worked in the organization in the capacity of senior case manager. I learned first hand how devastating it is for families to be homeless. Oftentimes these families are depressed and suffer from feelings of low self-esteem. They live in challenging conditions for up to two years while they wait for permanent subsidized housing. These challenges include trying to continue their education under these circumstances, obtaining affordable daycare or child care vouchers that include transporation for their children, coping with sleeping in one room with their children, and managing to comply with shelter rules and regulations as well as Department of Transitional Assistance (or other funder) rules and regulations. These families find it hard to raise their children in "public" not to mention feeling as though they have little control over their lives and are being told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it by service delivery personnel whom they encounter while navigating through the shelter system.

Every citizen of the Commonwealth is deserving of affordable housing but I believe it is, and should be, a priority for the homeless. Not only should there be subsidy programs in greater abundance, but also first time home buyer programs targeted for them as well.

I implore all who are reading this blog to unify to find creative ways to advocate with the legislature for these families to ensure they receive the assistance and support they need which are: grants (not loans) for post-secondary education, child care assistance for work as well as for education and training, more training programs for jobs that pay well, transportation, and add on lots of encouragement to them to be assertive and do not quit until they have achieved their stabilization goals.

What are your priorities? Click here to take the survey.

Comments

[Kirsten]

Thank you so much for your insight!

[Jackie]

There are many non-profit organizations operating in the Commonwealth that work with those who are homeless and others who struggle to secure affordable housing. It's not just housing, real economic independence is also about education; jobs that pay a sustainable wage; access to transportation and affordable child care; and support all along the way. Everyone who lives in Massachusetts should care about the growing gap between the haves and have nots.

I suggest better networking of complimentary non-profit efforts; larger; multi-year grants from the philanthropic community tageted to organizations that are showing results; changes in government funding restrictions; and a big investment of financial support from local businesses and individuals who have "made it" in Massachusetts. Combined, these actions will go a long way to affect change and create a well-balanced city and state with more educated citizens, happier childrem, well trained workers and a thriving economy.

We need to try new things, innovate, what we've been doing isn't working, poverty is on the rise. We need to act up.

I applaud and support the call for unification. Everyone has a role to play. I really look forward to enjoying a new Massachusetts where everyone has a chance to live well, work hard and thrive as a result of their success.

Boston is becoming a place where only those who can afford a million dollar condo and $200 dollar dinners and $1,000 suits can live. This is not the kind of city we need or want.

[Ruthie Liberman]

Thank you so much for taking a holistic view of the housing crisis. Even those families who are fortunate enough to obtain subsized housing struggle to maintain their housing because they lack the education and training to be employed in jobs that family self-sustaining wages. In order for women to obtain the necessary education and training they will need access to financial aide (not loans), child care and transportation assistance and long-term support and encouragement.