FOCUS on Housing

Family-Led Stability Pilot

A collaborative of nine nonprofit organizations, city agencies, and leaders launched the Family-Led Stability Pilot program to address the growing challenge of youth homelessness in Boston schools and demonstrate the positive impact of stable housing on educational outcomes.

The initial collaboration included Boston Public Schools (BPS), Boston’s Education Cabinet, Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development (DND), Boston Housing Authority (BHA), City Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George, Project Hope, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), New Lease for Homeless Families and Boston’s Higher Ground. As the pilot continues, new partners are joining these efforts to house families with students in our four partner schools in BPS.

Objectives of Pilot

When we launched the pilot in January 2018, we proposed three objectives:

Improve the identification of vulnerable students and families in schools.
Prioritize families according to need and match them to housing opportunities in the community.
Provide two-generation support to both students and their caregivers.

Higher Ground Boston currently serves and is partnering with four schools in Roxbury and Dorchester: Higginson Elementary School, Higginson-Lewis K-8 School, David A. Ellis Elementary School, and the William Monroe Trotter K-8 School.

We have established strong partnerships with the principals, staff and various organizations to help identify and house families experiencing homelessness. We continue to work towards identifying students in the schools and connecting their families to housing resources.

GOAL:

House all homeless families and students in 7 target schools by end of 2019-2020 School Year

As of September 2019, 77 families housed with 120 students in 7 target schools

120 students housed are about 47% of homeless students in 7 target schools

Mossik Hacobian presenting on behalf of the Family-Led Stability Pilot at Boston Children's Community Health Showcase 11/14/19

If you have questions about the Family-Led Stability Pilot, please contact Brandon Lopez at brandon@higherground-boston.org or Javon Gray at javon.gray@metrohousingboston.org.