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Center for Social Policy
McCormack Graduate School
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125-3393
Phone: (617) 287 5550
Fax: (617) 287 5544
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Study Details Financial, Health, Cost of Living Issues Facing Homeless
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Author(s):
Michael P. Norton
Source(s):
State House News Service
Date: November 8, 2004
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Families and individuals in homelessness prevention programs earned or received just a fraction
of the monthly income necessary to afford market-based rents in Massachusetts, according to
an evaluation of homelessness prevention service participants.
The evaluation, which will be discussed at the State House Tuesday morning, found that 726
homeless families and individuals examined by researchers over the first half of 2004
possessed monthly incomes that would cover about one quarter of their likely rental costs.
For instance, a single person with $947 in monthly income - either from work or housing
subsidies - faced average market-based housing costs of $3,882. And a family of four with
$1,137 in monthly income would need $5,694 per month to afford average market rents.
"There's a huge gap there," said Michelle Kakan, senior research associate at the UMass-Boston
Center for Social Policy. "Despite the fact that some of these people are working and some
have housing subsidies, they still have incredibly low income and they still can't afford the
cost of living."
The Boston Foundation, Tufts Health Plan, Massachusetts Medical Society and the Alliance
Charitable Foundation funded the project in December 2003. Eighteen non-profit organizations
shared $1 million in grant money as part of the project. The center then evaluated the
recipients of services.
Other findings include:
- Two thirds of those reporting barriers to finding housing cited Criminal Offender Record
Information issues as the primary obstacle;
- More than one fourth of participants were residing in a shelter. Of those living in a
shelter, 92 percent were in a program that was ending.
- One third of participants reported experiencing domestic violence;
- Nearly four of five heads of households reported a medical condition, with 39 percent
reporting substance abuse, 35 percent mental illness and 14 percent a physical disability
or disease;
- White households represented just under half of those served, with black households
representing just under one third and Latino households representing one in five;
- Employment income was reported by 28 percent of participants;
House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi plans to attend the Homelessness Prevention Forum Tuesday
morning in Great Hall. Panelists who will discuss homelessness prevention strategies include
Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, Susan Marsh of Rosie's Place, Julia Kehoe of Metro Boston Housing
Partnership, Cindy Rizzo of Boston Foundation, and Diane Phillips of Homes for Families.
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