PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT:
HOMESTART, OPENING DOORS TO HOUSING
HomeStart (formerly known as the Greater Boston Housing Initiative) provides housing services
for Boston's homeless adults. Realizing that there are great obstacles in overcoming homelessness, including
skyrocketing rents, scarce subsidized housing, and confusing regulations and paperwork, HomeStart helps currently
homeless men and women find and keep affordable housing. They are not able to provide services to those who
are at risk of becoming homeless.
HomeStart offers comprehensive housing services including, Housing Searches, Rental Assistance, Housing
Subsidies, and Stabilization Services.
HOUSING SEARCHES
RENTAL ASSISTANCE
HOUSING SUBSIDIES
STABILIZATION SERVICES
ADVOCACY TRAINING
For more information, please contact HomeStart at (617) 542-0338. Tip: HomeStart is listed in IRis alphabetically
under Program/Name begins with… or under keywords including Homeless Services, Housing Advocacy & Housing/Affordable.
Staff members with experience in housing search assist clients by providing them with access to local housing
listings, subsidy listings, and voice mailboxes where programs can then reach clients. To receive assistance
from this program, a person must be staying at a shelter, transitional program, recovery home, or other site
that is served by HomeStart, must have a stable source of income, and must be referred to the program by a
case manager who will be available to assist with related concerns.
HomeStart can provide a person with start-up funds and short-term rental supplements to help with the initial
costs of renting and maintaining housing. To be eligible for these funds, one must be a HomeStart client,
that is, one must be referred to HomeStart by a HomeStart-affiliated Boston shelter.
Homeless people with disabilities can be assisted in obtaining affordable housing with the help of special
subsidies combined with supportive services. HomeStart helps their clients assess for which subsidies they
are best qualified, and educates them about the application process.
Stabilization services are follow-up, after a person has been placed in housing. Services include home visits,
help with budgeting, support groups, substance abuse relapse prevention, and referrals to other useful services
in their neighborhood. To receive these services, a person must be referred either by the HomeStart housing
advocate who assisted them with their housing placement, or by a housing development that has a special
partnership with HomeStart.
HomeStart also provides advocacy training services to agencies interested in promoting housing advocacy in the
Greater Boston area including authoring publications. The CRC has ordered and will
soon receive their Greater Boston SRO Directory. Please contact Joscelyn at 6-8182 for information from this book.
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