Joseph Finn,, president of the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance, talks too the Homelessness Advisory Committee on Wednesday.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield is looking into the concept of micro-housing units as a solution to its homelessness problem.
The Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance outlined the pilot project, called "A Place to Live," to the Homelessness Advisory Committee on Wednesday. The nonprofit's President Joseph Finn said the organization is working with Mayor Linda Tyer's office to create housing that he says is a cost-effective model of permanent supportive housing that can be replicated across the state.
"Right now, do we really need people living one, two, three, or four years within a shelter?" Finn said. "We can do better than this."
MHSA is receiving about $150,000 per year for the next five years to help fund this project.
In this housing complex, a case manager will help tenants access behavioral health services, primary care, job training programs, and addiction treatment. The building also will offer easy access to transportation and other amenities and is expected to be ready for tenants at the end of 2021.
The four Massachusetts communities targeted for this project are Lowell, Worcester, Brockton, and Pittsfield.
MHSA was recently funded with the grant through the Massachusetts Community Health Fund. This fund provides an opportunity to address the root causes of health inequities in communities across Massachusetts with Health Resources in Action (HRiA) acting as the fiscal agent and is responsible for facilitating the planning and implementation of both funds.
These are dollars that come from larger hospitals and are re-invested into the community to address issues around health equity across the commonwealth. This funding is intended for communities that often don't get access to critical and important resources.
MHSA's grant for "Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change" targets social determinations of health, addressing specific things that stand in the way of health equity for impoverished and disabled people of the commonwealth.
Finn, who has been working on the issue of homelessness for about 30 years, said the key social determinants of health are housing for people experiencing homelessness.
"How are we supposed to achieve so-called integrated care of health when somebody doesn't even know where they are going to be staying that night," he said.
The focus of the project is to achieve a state of "function zero," which indicates that homelessness in a given community is rare overall and brief when it occurs.
By building micro-units specifically designed for permanent supportive housing, Finn said that a wealth of money would be saved as compared to renovating pre-existing housing for that purpose.
According to Margulies Perruzzi Design firm, which came up with the design concept for the housing units, the real problem in addressing housing for people experiencing homelessness is that organizations are always retrofitting and revamping old housing, which is incredibly costly, and have never stopped to think about ways that one could design and build housing that meets the needs of what people are experiencing.
Finn said there would always be a shelter component that is needed in communities, but permanent supportive housing is the first step that needs to be taken toward achieving health equity in the Pittsfield community.
"I have to say, Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority enjoys a wonderful partnership with MHSA with our rapid rehousing program," Chairwoman Kim Borden said to Finn. "I feel like you could probably talk to us for another hour just to expand on all of your thoughts and ideas and the programs that we're looking at moving forward, so thank you for that."
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Weekend Outlook: First Fridays, Art, and More
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
There are a variety of events this weekend, including First Friday festivities, art, and more.
The Parish Family of Saint John Paul II is holding it Polka Picnic tradition at the Polanka Grounds.
The event features performances by the Eddie Foreman Orchestra, traditional Polish foods, and adult beverages. The Adams Lions Club will sell cookout fare, and Crumb Bakery will sell homemade treats.
The Polka Picnic features performances by the Eddie Foreman Orchestra, traditional Polish foods, and adult beverages. The Adams Lions Club will sell cookout fare, and Crumb Bakery will sell homemade treats. click for more
The committee will propose amendments to Article 2 Section 9C, Charter Objection, to allow for discussion, require three supporters, and be prohibited when it pertains to the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
click for more
The panel continued a show cause hearing last week for the bar for the second time, hoping to review security and body camera footage at the next meeting.
click for more