A Commitment To End Homelessness

The mission of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless (MCH) is to end homelessness. The Coalition’s recent policy work covers a broad range of activities addressing the causes of homelessness.. For example:

• Access to shelter - Ensuring access to emergency shelter for working families in need by advocating for raising the income limits for shelter eligibility;
• Health - Working to provide access to the MassHealth Basic plan for homeless individuals;
• Basic Needs - Advocating for cash assistance to those in need of income supports, including adequate funding for the Emergency Aid to Elders, Disabled, and Children program, and for continued assistance for families in need;
• Housing - Advocating for: the development of housing and housing subsidies for extremely low income people; programs to assist families and individuals to move out of shelter into permanent housing; and working with local housing authorities to ensure access for homeless and very low-income households.
• Grassroots Organizing - Providing homeless parents with the information to address short term needs and with that knowledge, skills and opportunity to take an active role in the public policy decisions which directly effect their lives;
• Outreach - Publishing Down and Out, a comprehensive manual on basic rights and benefits for homeless people in Massachusetts.
• Research - Conducting studies involving and related to homeless people;
• National leadership - Working with the National Coalition for the Homeless to raise awareness of homelessness as a national tragedy and to use federal resources to eradicate the roots of homelessness.

In addition, the Coalition operates the Donations Assistance Program (DAP). A unique furniture/household goods clearinghouse, DAP collects donations from private households, schools, hotels and corporations, and then distributes them free of charge to families and individuals moving from homeless situations to permanent housing. Last year, DAP collected and distributed $3 million worth of items to more than 3900 households and to numerous shelters throughout the state.

For more information or to get involved, call the Coalition at (781) 595-7570