More than a handful of cities and towns north of Boston are teaming up in an initiative that will address the rising rate of homelessness plaguing the region amid the housing and migrant crisis.
Malden Mayor Gary Christenson has announced that his city will be spearheading a joint program that will provide support and outreach to individuals who are or at risk of becoming homeless and those fleeing domestic violence.
The effort, which Christenson brought to light in a State of the City address on Monday, will last four years in Malden, Arlington, Chelsea, Everett, Medford, Melrose, Revere and Winthrop.
Basic necessities, like food and water, will be provided in the participating cities and towns. Officials will also respond to incidents of homelessness and work to transition the homeless to “stable housing,” according to a release highlighting the initiative.
“None of our cities would be able to provide these services on our own,” Christenson said in a release. “Only together can we respond with the care, compassion, and capacity that these most vulnerable residents need.”
Malden’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development will manage the program, with a pair of nonprofits, Housing Families and Neighborhood Developers, delivering the services.
The program, getting underway in April, is being funded with $1.8 million in federal pandemic relief funds aimed specifically at helping communities create affordable housing and services for the homeless or at risk of losing their homes.
Housing Families CEO Laura Rosi, in a release, said the services will complement work already being done by the organization’s homeless prevention and individual homelessness teams.
Rosi’s organization, which usually operates 91 shelter units for homeless families across Greater Boston, has opened emergency hotel shelter sites since Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency amid the migrant influx last August.
“We are confident that this program will mesh well into each community’s existing infrastructure and fill in the gaps we know are still occurring,” Revere Mayor Patrick Keefe said in a release. “Homelessness and domestic violence don’t recognize traditional city borders, and with this regional approach, we can tackle these issues more collaboratively.”
