Veterans in Massachusetts and across the country are in need of housing and access to supportive services. MassHousing is partnering with a number of organizations to help increase the availability of quality affordable housing for Veterans.
The funding comes through the Center for Community Recovery Innovations (CCRI), a nonprofit subsidiary of MassHousing that works to increase the availability of affordable, sober housing and supportive programming.
“The need for affordable sober housing reaches across all populations, men and women, young and old,” said Ed Chase, Director of CCRI. “Veterans are among those whose recovery from alcohol and drug abuse can be bolstered by a substance free and supportive environment in the community. CCRI is proud to collaborate with dedicated local partners to provides this quality housing.”
MassHousing has provided more than $1.8 million in funding to support 520 units of affordable sober housing at 24 developments for Veterans and formerly homeless Veterans in Massachusetts.
CCRI Projects Serving Veterans
| Project Name | CCRI Award |
Location | Units |
| Veterans, Inc (Cambridge Street) | $50,000 | Worcester | 9 |
| Montachusett Vets Outreach Ctr. | $75,000 | Gardner | 19 |
| Soldier On | $50,000 | Leeds | 70 |
| NeighborWorks (Fr McCarthy’s) | $70,000 | Quincy | 19 |
| Veterans, Inc. (Grove St) | $75,000 | Worcester | 20 |
| Caritas (North Street) | $75,000 | New Bedford | 19 |
| Bedford Veterans Quarters | $75,000 | Bedford | 54 |
| NeighborWorks (Sansatini House) | $75,000 | Quincy | 10 |
| Fr Bills & Mainspring (Work Express) | $75,000 | Brockton | 32 |
| Mass Sober Housing (Hooper Street) | $29,610 | Chelsea | 5 |
| Veterans, Inc (Sheridan Street) | $75,000 | Worcester | 10 |
| Soldier On | $70,000 | Pittsfield | 39 |
| Fr Bills & Mainspring (Fort Hill) | $75,000 | Hingham | 6 |
| Bi-Lingual Veterans Outreach Ctrs. (Cass St) | $75,000 | Springfield | 19 |
| Volunteers of America (Mass Bay Vets Center) | $75,000 | Somerville | 26 |
| CHOICE (Home for Our Veterans) | $150,000 | Chelmsford/Westford | 13 |
| Veterans, Inc (Sheridan Street) | $25,000 | Worcester | 9 |
| New England Center and Home for Veterans | $75,000 | Boston | 35 |
| Partners in Housing (O’Connor Sisson House) | $75,000 | Dartmouth | 9 |
| NeighborWorks (E Howard Street) | $125,000 | Quincy | 12 |
| Fr Bills & Mainspring (Jack’s Pl & Patti’s House) | $125,000 | Brockton | 21 |
| Veterans Inc (Independence Hall) | $75,000 | Shrewsbury | 35 |
| NeighborWorks (Main St) | $75,000 | Weymouth | 6 |
| Fr Bills & Mainspring (Montello WH II) | $75,000 | Brockton | 23 |
| TOTAL | $1,819,610 | 520 |
Putting CCRI Dollars to Work
One of those developments is Weymouth Veterans House, a six-unit facility developed by Neighborworks of Southern Massachusetts (NWSOMA) in partnership with the Town of Weymouth and Father Bill’s & MainSpring, which received a $75,000 award from CCRI. The two-story property includes six single room occupancy (SRO) units (each with a kitchenette), a community room with a full kitchen, a laundry closet, common restrooms and an office for the case manager from Father Bill’s & MainSpring, a longtime partner of NWSOMA. This home is thriving in the community and is a model for other towns to replicate in the future.
NWSOMA Executive Director Robert Corley attributes the ongoing success of projects such as the Weymouth Veterans Home to the strong partnerships the organization maintains with community members, local cities and towns, and partners such as MassHousing.
“Support from MassHousing through programs such as the Center for Community Recovery Innovations helps ensure that we are able to continue our work year after year to create stable homes with supportive services through creative and comprehensive approaches to ending homelessness, particularly for US Military Veterans, in our community,” he said.
Since 1996, NWSOMA has developed and assisted in the development of 50 homes on the South Shore with a preference for Veterans and their families. Eight more Veterans’ homes under development now. Father Bill’s & MainSpring partners with NWSOMA on these projects, providing emergency and permanent housing, job skills training and other services in southern Massachusetts. Along with transforming vacant, blighted neighborhood eyesores into new, energy-efficient homes and green spaces to support formerly homeless Veterans, NWSOMA also works to raise public awareness of Veterans’ dire predicament and break down the stereotypes that act as barriers.
About CCRI
CCRI issues an annual Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit projects for funding. The proposals that are selected need to meet CCRI’s current priorities, which include Veterans and women with children. The grants are typically used as one-time gap funding for capital projects that increase or improve the stock of affordable sober housing. Programs that provide services to address alcohol and/or drug abuse or addiction. CCRI grant recipients must be nonprofit organizations and matching funds must be provided.
To date, CCRI has awarded more than $10 million in grants for the creation or preservation of more than 2,100 units of substance-free housing, in 50 communities, serving recovery populations that include men, women, families, Veterans, the homeless and ex-offenders.
http://masshousing.typepad.com/my_weblog/2017/11/ccri-supports-more-than-500-housing-units-for-veterans.html