Massachusetts Homeless Shelters

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:

MIHN is a coalition of congregations, providing temporary shelter and transitional housing to families in crisis. Our congregations are local to Fitchburg, Leominster, Lunenburg, and surrounding areas of north-central Massachusetts.

The Interfaith Hospitality Network is an organization that unites the religious community in an effort to serve and nurture homeless families regardless of income and family structure. Twenty-six congregations, many with assistance from additional congregations, provide meals, shelter and hospitality. Families receive case management, assistance with housing and employment search, accessing support services and advocacy at the IHN day center

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.

Bethel Transitional Apartments provide transitional housing and case management to formerly homeless women and their children. Families live in their own apartments for up to 2 years while they participate in job training and learn to be self sufficient. Many residents participate in the Bethel Business Center described above. The Case Manager assists each family in finding permanent housing once employed and stabilized in a job.

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.

Somerville’s first and only shelter for homeless adult men and women opened in 1986 in a church in West Somerville. Sixteen homeless people are able to stay on a transitional basis (12 male and 4 Female) while we assist them with rebuilding their lives and moving them into permanent housing. We offer services that include meals, medical care, case management, and referrals and coordination with community services.

Opened in 1987 in East Somerville, our shelter serves five families at a time. Case management, housing search, referrals to community resources, and child-care activities are among the many services we offer.

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.

Columbia Park Apartments consists of 32 affordable apartment units in a historic setting along a quiet, tree-lined boulevard in Haverhill. The apartments are rented to community members at market value. With Emmaus as owner, developer, and property manager, the Columbia Park Apartments have been restored to their original splendor.

Emerson Street Apartments offers 12 units of permanent independent housing for homeless disabled individuals. Eligible men and women live separately in their own apartments and receive rental subsidies through the Haverhill Housing Authority. Emmaus Inc. is the project sponsor and property manager

Gilead House is a supportive transitional residence for mentally ill adults who are recovering from substance abuse. Residents have their own rooms and share a kitchen and common room Gilead House reserves four rooms for homeless community members who would benefit from group living. The 24-hour staff helps residents set goals, access needed services, and work towards more independent living.

Jericho House provides six units of Safe Haven supportive housing program for chronically homeless men and women. The program targets individuals living with severe mental illness and/or addictions.

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

This is a program in which SHC collaborates with the Somerville Housing Authority, Somerville Community Corporation and Winn Management. SHC provides supportive services for these formerly homeless men and women. There are a total of 14 individuals with whom SHC works in this congregate housing setting-individual bedrooms with some shared facilities and common areas. Many of the current occupants have transitioned out of our shelter and into this housing program.

In operation since 2001, this is a collaboration with the Somerville Housing Authority which makes it possible for homeless people with disabilities to move from emergency shelters and the streets to their own apartments while continuing to receive support and wrap-around services from SHC. This program offers housing to approximately eight household units.

This collaboration with the Department of Public Health and HUD, is a model program that provides permanent housing and supportive services to homeless young adults (18 to 24) who are recovering from addiction and who have a strong desire and commitment to continue their sobriety. The program currently leases-up five apartments along with a one-bedroom unit. S&S serves a total of eleven male and female young adults. SHC is currently engaged in negotiations with regards to the possibility of doubling the capacity of this successful housing model.

This is our most recently implemented permanent housing programs that currently consists of 27 leased apartments. Similar to the Shelter-Plus-Care model, SHC provides supportive stabilization services to newly housed families and individuals with a goal of having participants live independently and become - as much as possible - self-sufficient members of our community. SHC is hoping to expand this innovative program; however, this largely depends on SHC's ability to secure private funding to ensure the programs' long-term sustainability.

This is a collaborative program with the Somerville Community Corporation and is designed to house homeless families within the community and offer them supportive services to help with the transition from homelessness to independent living situations.