(The Center Square) – Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced yesterday that the city had received a $47 million grant, its largest ever, for non-profit organizations helping homeless people.
The grant was awarded under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care Program, which funds state and local governments and non-profit organizations in their efforts to fight homelessness.
The $47 million HUD grant tops the $42 million and $38 million grants Massachusetts received in April 2023 and March 2022, respectively.
“Boston residents and families in every neighborhood deserve the opportunity to reside in secure, stable, and affordable housing,” Wu said in a press release on Monday. “In our ongoing commitment to make Boston a city where everyone has a home, the Continuum of Care grants from HUD play a vital role in assisting organizations dedicated to providing essential services and support for our unhoused residents.”
Three non-profits will receive funds under the grant Hildebrand Family Self-Help, Inc., Justice 4 Housing and Victory Programs. These groups will use the money to assist people in searching for houses as well as building homes for people who have remained homeless for a long time, according to the press release. The homeless will also be provided with food and other supplies.
Some have noted that Massachusetts’s cost of living affects people who would otherwise purchase a house. “Given the high cost of housing in Boston and the region,” Boston Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon said, “this funding award, the largest in our Continuum’s history, is more important than ever.” According to a recent study, Boston’s cost of living is 50% higher than the U.S. average.
In February 2023, Wu’s office said that the Boston homeless population was 1,545, a decrease of 2.4% since 2021 and roughly 25% since 2020.
Massachusetts ranks forty-third in the homeless population, with over 15,000 homeless in 2023. But, when compared to the rest of the state population, it ranks sixth, with only 7.3% of the population experiencing homelessness. The same study found that over 50% of the population in nine other states do not have shelter.
