Mayor Menino Highlights Decreases in 2010 Homeless Census Count, Progress on Goals of Ending Homelessness Through Access to Jobs, Services, Housing
Boston, MA – January 27, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Mayor Thomas M. Menino today announced that results of last month’s 31st Annual Homeless Census show a 4% decrease in the overall homeless census count from 2009, including a 7% decrease in the number of individual homeless adults. The December 6, 2010 Census brought together business, civic, state, and city leaders, and more than 330 volunteers to count homeless residents on city streets, in shelters, and domestic violence, transitional and treatment programs across Boston. Beyond the overall decrease, results show some promising signs and significant challenges, including:
- The number of usheltered homeless adults counted on the streets decreased by 29% (from 255 in 2009 to 182 in 2010 – the lowest figure for the unsheltered count since 1997)
- The number of homeless families sheltered in motels decreased by 45% (from 298 in 2009 to 163 in 2010)
- The number of homeless families decreased by 5% (from 1,417 in 2009 to 1,343 in 2010)
- The number of homeless adults in emergency shelters has increased by 4% (from 1,317 in 2009 to 1,365 in 2010)
Linking these and other results to the City’s comprehensive homelessness strategy of the last several years, Mayor Menino also said that 31 Boston homeless housing and service providers – representing 50 unique programs – would benefit from just over $20 million in Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding recently awarded to the City, made possible by the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
“At a time of year when temperatures make it dangerous to be out in the cold for any length of time, we are reminded just how critical these funds are to our collective work on the issue of homelessness,” Mayor Menino said. “This year, we’re seeing some important progress in some areas. But we have much work to do to bring more families and individuals home, and we can’t do it without additional federal and state resources. I want to thank Senator Kerry and the entire Massachusetts delegation for their continued leadership on this issue.”
The annually awarded funds, Mayor Menino noted, will target permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, and supportive services, helping the City move closer to its ambitious goals related to long-term individual homelessness and family homelessness. As detailed in his Leading the Way III housing plan, announced in 2009, Boston is working towards eliminating long-term individual homelessness – from 569 in 2009 to 0, and reducing family homelessness by 50% – from 1,369 in 2009 to 685, by the end of 2012.
The City’s approach to achieving these goals includes a substantial addition to the previous homelessness strategy that focused on minimizing street homelessness through the provision of a robust emergency shelter system. The current plan focuses on efforts to provide permanent housing and supportive services in addition to shelter. Since undertaking this expanded strategy, among other direct outcomes, 142 individuals who have been homeless for an extended period of time have now been moved into permanent supportive housing, and, through coordination on the city and state levels, more than 600 families who were at risk of losing their housing have been stabilized, and another 100 homeless families have been re-housed.
“There is a tremendous need on our streets and in our shelters among those experiencing both long-term homelessness as well as families confronting a sudden economic crisis,” said U.S. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “These grants are the life blood for thousands of local housing and service programs that are doing the heavy lifting to meet President Obama’s goal of ending homelessness.”
Boston’s 2010 homelessness funding award will benefit:
- Bay Cove Human Services
- Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program
- Boston Medical Center
- Boston Public Health Commission
- Boston Rescue Mission
- Brookview House Inc.
- Casa Myrna Vazquez
- Casa Nueva Vida, Inc.
- Children’s Services of Roxbury
- Crittenden Women’s Union
- Eliot Community Human Services
- Elizabeth Stone House
- Dennis McLaughlin House
- Dimock Center
- Greater Boston Legal Services
- Heading Home
- Hearth
- HomeStart
- HopeFound
- Justice Resource Institute
- Kit Clark
- Latino Health Institute
- Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance
- Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership
- New England Center for Homeless Veterans
- Pine Street Inn
- Project Hope
- Project Place
- St. Francis House
- Victory Programs
- Vinfen
More information about the awards can be found on HUD’s website.
Contact:
Mayor’s Press Office
Press.Office (at) cityofboston (dot) gov
