Below are 23 shelters for homeless in Suffolk, MA County.

St. Francis House is nonprofit and nonsectarian. Our mission and approach are simple: We believe in the worth of every human being, and we know from experience that when people have the right tools, change can happen. Big change. That’s why we provide our guests with everything they need to reclaim their dignity and rebuild their lives: nutritious meals, clothing, access to medical care, counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and housing. In the past year, St. Francis House has:

Rosie’s Place, a sanctuary for poor and homeless women, offers emergency and long-term assistance to women who have nowhere else to turn. Founded in 1974, Rosie’s Place welcomes each guest with respect and unconditional love. Rosie’s Place accepts no government funds, and relies instead on committed volunteers and private supporters to accomplish its effective and innovative work.

The Women's Lunch Place (WLP) was the brainchild of Jane Alexander and Eileen Reilly, two visionaries with an interminable sense of resolve. They met in the 1980s while volunteering at the Pine Street Inn, an overnight shelter for men and women in Boston. Distraught by the overwhelming needs of the women they encountered, they dreamed of creating a place to offer these and other women with nutritious, home-cooked meals and a place to call home during the day. At the time, few resources existed specifically for this population. Homelessness was on the rise due to changes in the state's mental healthcare system.

Casa Myrna’s TLP provides longer-term housing for 6 women and up to 9 children. Most have already been through one (or more) emergency shelter placements, and are now working to secure permanent housing, improve their professional skills and solidify the gains they have made that will sustain futures free of violence and abuse. A typical length of stay is 12 – 14 months, though women can stay for 18 months and occasionally longer if they are close to finding permanent housing.

TPP is a residential program for pregnant and parenting teen girls who have been victims of abuse. It can accommodate 8 women and up to 13 children. While at TTP, young mothers receive intensive education in parenting their young children, attend high school or GED classes, vocational or job-skills training programs, and participate in nightly group meetings on topics ranging from building meaningful self-esteem to the dynamics of abusive relationships. As with the TLP, they tend to stay for 12 – 14 months.

: YWCA Boston is increasing social, racial, and gender equity by working to increase access to better health, make neighborhoods safer for everyone, and close the educational achievement gap.

ReVision Family Home in Dorchester is directly connected to ReVision Urban Farm and provides life-stabilization services, intensive housing placement services and vocational case management services to 22 homeless women with their young families and to pregnant women. Our program operates a daycare center for the children that enables our residents to participate in programs that help them increase self-sufficiency, gain healthy nutritional knowledge, search for more permanent housing and build job-readiness skills

Joelyn’s Family Home:Located on Long Island in Boston’s Harbor, Joelyn’s Family Home serves homeless women who are addressing substance use disorders and welcomes women living with HIV/AIDS, pregnant women and women with children, women in methadone maintenance and those on medication management programs. Our program provides 4 to 6 months of residential treatment services and can serve up to 42 residents. Joelyn’s Family Home enables women to receive the residential care they need while remaining with their children

Portis Family Home:Located in Jamaica Plain, Portis Family Home is a residential shelter for homeless and very low-income women and their children. The program can accommodate up to eight families who are addressing substance use disorders. Many of our residents have also experienced domestic violence and are living with other chronic health conditions such as HIV/AIDS. The program provides intensive housing and vocational case management and recovery support services as the resident families transition to more independent and permanent housing settings.

Victory Transitional House, located in Dorchester, is a supportive residential program designed to accommodate six single men who are living with HIV/AIDS and in recovery from substance use disorders. Our residents can remain in the program for up to two years with case management and addiction recovery support as they prepare for independent living in more permanent housing settings.

Women’s Hope Transitional Home:Located in Dorchester, Women’s Hope Transitional Home provides transitional housing for up to seven women who are living with HIV/AIDS and are in recovery from substance use disorders. Our residents can remain in the program for up to two years and receive recovery support services and assistance in locating permanent housing.

For men who are currently sober and progressing in their recovery from addiction, the Men’s Transitional Housing Program (MTHP) offers support for a successful transition to permanent housing. MTHP is a two-year, residential program for men over the age of 18. The program is located at Pine Street’s satellite location on Long Island in the Boston Harbor. Participants are required to pay a portion of their income as room and board and are also required to save at least 20 percent of their income to prepare for their transition into housing.

There are 59 project-based single room occupancy (SRO) permanent units housed within the John Joseph Moakley Veterans Quarters located at the shelter. At any given time, we have a 98 percent occupancy rate within these quarters for veterans who have successfully completed our Transitional Housing program.

Over the past 10 years, Pine Street has focused significant efforts toward creating more permanent, supportive and affordable housing options for homeless men and women. It now houses more than 700 people at 36 sites in Boston and Brookline. 

Since 1974 poor and homeless women have found an oasis of hope and nourishment at Rosie’s Place. The mission of Rosie’s Place is to help women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives.Since 1974, Rosie's Place has evolved from providing meals and shelter to creating permanent solutions through advocacy, education and affordable housing.

Men and women seeking emergency shelter may come to the Shattuck Shelter, located 170 Morton Street in Jamaica Plain.  Beds for new guests are assigned daily using a lottery system. To enter the drawing, please arrive by 3:30 pm and speak to the staff at the front desk. Names are drawn for the lottery at 6 pm  in the winter and 7 pm in the summer. For new guests, a bed is not guaranteed, though staff will work to find options for you. Men and women who receive bed assignments may secure the same bed for the following day if they arrive at the shelter during intake hours