Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness

Massachusetts’ Efforts to End Family Homelessness

Linda B. Fosburg, Ph.D., Executive Director

MA Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness National Alliance to End Homelessness Annual Conference Washington DC July 17, 2006 1

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness 

Executive Commission on Homeless Services Coordination, created in accordance with Governor’s Executive Order

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Executive Commission Participants Secretaries of:

Executive Office of Health and Human Services Executive Office of Administrative and Finance Executive Office of Elder Affairs

Commissioners of:

Department of Corrections Department of Education Department of Housing and Community Development Department of Mental Health Department of Mental Retardation Department of Public Health Department of Social Services Department of Transitional Assistance Department of Veterans Services Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission Office of Child Care Services 2

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness

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Executive Commission Consensus Reached on Five Major Themes

– Increase affordable housing for those with very low income; – Focus on more prevention; – Better coordinate services to the homeless population; – Improve data collection, coordination, and reporting; and – Establish a Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness

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Created MA ICHH to address:

– Primary goal of ending homelessness and no longer just managing it.

– Issues raised by the Executive Commission and track progress on leading indicators of resolving those issues.

– Issues raised by the federally sponsored Policy Academies on both the chronic homeless and family homeless issues.

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness

Current Initiatives

1. Department of Housing and Community Development

• Local Housing Authority Transitional Assistance Program • • Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Pilot Voucher Program

2. Department of Social Services

• Capacity of Domestic Violence Shelter Program • Temporary shelter availability

3. Department of Education

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness

Future Initiatives

1. Regional Policy Academies with Stakeholders throughout MA 2. Additional Initiatives with the Department of Housing and Community Development

• More voucher pilots • SAPHIRE

3. Additional Initiatives with the Department of Social Services

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