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BOSTON
- Friday, January 15 2021 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today celebrated a
significant milestone in the City of Boston's housing work, as the Boston
Housing Authority (BHA) has provided housing choice vouchers to more than
1,000 Boston families experiencing homelessness with school aged children, since December 2019. The 1,000 families
represent more than 1,700 children who will now have much needed housing
stability, an effort made possible through partnerships with Boston Public
Schools (BPS) and the state's Department of Housing and Community
Development.
"Being
able to offer safe and stable housing for families is one of the most
important things we can do as a city government, and I am so glad that
these students and families all now have a place to call home," said
Mayor Walsh. "Homelessness creates barriers for our students to grow,
learn, and succeed, which is why these vouchers are critical to our efforts
of ending homelessness in Boston."
The
BHA partnership with BPS and its non-profit partner FamilyAid Boston
integrated established partnerships, including the Family Led Stability
Pilot, which worked with seven BPS schools to house homeless families in
public housing units, as well as Boston Children's Hospital and the Boston
Medical Center, which enabled a true continuum of wraparound services, such
as housing search assistance, case management, and access to health and
behavioral health services. Despite the challenges presented by the
pandemic, BHA was able to uphold its commitment to provide assistance to
homeless BPS families. As part of this process, BHA made operational
changes that allowed eligibility determination to be completed remotely
with smartphone applications and electronic signatures.
"This
is an investment in Boston's future. Stable housing is essential to any
effort to empower Boston's students to succeed in school and beyond,"
BHA Administrator Kate Bennett said. "We're proud that we were able to
step in and make a difference at a time when so many families are pushed to
their limit."
The
vouchers expanded the capacity for the BPS network of 175 school-based
homeless liaisons, with each school across the district having at least one
homeless liaison. Homeless liaisons were able to refer over 700 families
through an efficient and easy to access referral process. Also benefiting
was the Family Led Stability Pilot (FLSP), a collaborative of four
nonprofit organizations and five public sector partners launched in 2018 to
address the growing challenge of youth homelessness in Boston schools and
demonstrate the positive impact of stable housing on educational outcomes,
starting with families connected to seven key BPS schools. The goal is to
find homes for 100% of the students needing housing. With the help of BHA,
FLSP has housed 75% of students experiencing housing instability
at these seven schools.
Bolstering
the BHA housing vouchers, BPS and its partners have offered a range of
complementary services to families during the pandemic. This includes case
management and wraparound services provided through its partnership with
FamilyAid Boston, as well as distribution of laptops and wireless
technology to ensure internet access. BPS secured $150,000 in CARES Act
funding, which enabled BPS families to receive financial assistance and
enhanced housing search services provided by FamilyAid.
BPS
students and families experiencing homelessness receive meal delivery if
they reside more than one mile from a pick-up site. Hygiene items and
school supplies are also available at BPS meal sites through a partnership
with Boston Resiliency Fund
grantee Catie's Closet. FamilyAid supplements this service for BPS families
participating in the voucher program with their own food delivery program.
In addition, FamilyAid leveraged their partnerships with Boston Children's
Hospital and the Boston Medical Center to increase access to health care,
behavioral health services, and other case management services for
participating families. In spring 2020, 80 BPS families experiencing
homelessness received financial assistance through a $250 gift card, also made
possible by Catie's Closet, while more recently, 50 BPS families received a
$200 gift card from Wayfair to purchase a desk or workstation for their
children's learning as they move into their new home.
"As a child who grew up in public housing, I know firsthand the tremendous
importance of stable housing on a child's academic and life outcomes. In
the Boston Public Schools we are committed to supporting the health and
well-being of our students and families in every way we can, particularly
during this challenging time," said BPS Superintendent Brenda
Cassellius. "This incredible partnership ensures that more Boston
children have a safe, stable environment to learn, grow and thrive. I
applaud Mayor Walsh, the Boston Housing Authority, and all our city and
state colleagues for helping us confront youth homelessness to make
permanent, affordable housing accessible to our families."
The vouchers allowBoston families experiencing homelessness to
seek housing in the private market with a significant rental subsidy. Under
the Tenant-Based Housing Choice Voucher Program, families who receive a
housing voucher pay 30 percent of their adjusted income for rent, while BHA
provides federal funds to the landlord to cover the difference between the
tenant share and the Fair Market Rent (FMR). Property owners interested in making their units available to BHA voucher families can list them here.
"This program helped my family to find a good, stable home at a difficult
time," said Said Talaa, a parent of two Boston Public School students
in East Boston. "These vouchers are a huge lifeline for families like
mine."
Today's announcement builds on the goals of Housing a
Changing City: Boston 2030, the Walsh
administration's plan to stabilize the housing market, accommodate growth,
improve housing accessibility, and increase affordability. Since the
release of the original Housing a
Changing City: Boston 2030 plan in 2014, 26,124
new units of housing have been completed. With an additional 9,204 units
currently under construction, the City has secured housing for an estimated
52,300 residents, making significant progress in meeting Boston's rapid
population growth. Income-restricted housing stock has grown along with
overall new production, with nearly 5,500 income restricted units completed
and over 1,700 units under construction. Approximately 20 percent of all
newly-developed housing units and 25 percent of new rental units in the
City are designated as income-restricted. For more information on the City
of Boston's work to create more housing, please visit Housing A Changing City: Boston 2030.
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