Please see this announcement below from the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA) and United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley (UWMB)
Last week, MHSA and UWMB released a report and executive summary detailing the importance and impact of funding received for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) COVID-19 Relief. Western Massachusetts has received a portion these funds and is part of their demonstrated success in creating permanent and lasting homes for our most vulnerable residents.
During the pandemic, tenants in PSH settings were at greater risk of becoming infected due to their complex health conditions and faced instability in their supportive services. This put them at risk of relapsing or dealing with exacerbated mental health issues. The PSH providers faced many challenges to continue helping this vulnerable population, including significant costs associated with PSH units.
MHSA stepped forward to raise these issues with the state legislature and successfully secured $5.8 million in the state budget for the PSH providers’ costs associated with COVID-19. MHSA then partnered with UWMB to process applications and quickly distribute these resources.
The PSH COVID-19 Relief Funds supported:
- 38 PSH provider agencies across Massachusetts
- 2,250 tenants in existing PSH units
- 338 new PSH units in development
Read the COVID-19 Relief Funds Executive Summary here.
Read the COVID-19 Relief Funds Final Report here.
For more information, please contact:
Joyce Tavon, MHSA Senior Director of Policy & Programs at jtavon@mhsa.net
