$1.9 Million Awarded to Combat Homelessness in Somerville and Arlington

SOMERVILLE – More than $1.9 million in federal grant funding has been awarded for homeless assistance programs in Somerville and Arlington through the federal Continuum of Care Program Competition, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced this week.

The Somerville-Arlington Continuum of Care (CoC) was awarded $1,921,026 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The grant will help provide permanent supportive housing and transitional housing for homeless individuals and families. People in Somerville and Arlington who are experiencing homelessness can access these housing programs through a Coordinated Entry system with a “no wrong door” approach that will address their particular needs and prioritize persons who are most vulnerable and have had the longest length of homelessness. This funding award from HUD will also expand the CoC’s capacity for data management through the homelessness management information system (HMIS) and planning funds to support ongoing CoC efforts.

The projects and programs awarded funding are:

The Somerville-Arlington CoC is the local organization that coordinates housing and service planning and funding for homeless individuals and families. The City of Somerville serves as the lead for the CoC, and Somerville Homeless Coalition serves as the HMIS lead.

Overnight on January 31, 2018, the Somerville-Arlington CoC participated in the annual federal point-in-time count that captures the number of individuals and families in emergency and transitional shelters and on the street and Somerville and Arlington for that night. Also, between April 23 and May 13, 2018, youth and young adults who are experiencing homelessness in Somerville and Arlington will be surveyed and counted as part of a statewide Unaccompanied Youth Count in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Agencies that provided oversight of Youth Ambassadors in 2017 included Wayside Youth and Family Services, Teen Empowerment, Justice Resource Center/Youth Harbors, Somerville Homeless Coalition, Welcome Project and Just-a-Start.

If you have questions or would like more information about the Somerville-Arlington Continuum of Care homeless assistance program awards, or about the Point-in-Time Count and the Unaccompanied Youth Count, please contact Heidi Burbidge, Housing Programs Coordinator for the City of Somerville’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development at hburbidge@somervillema.gov or 617-625-6600 ext. 2587.