FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about Housing Families Inc. and homelessness in Massachusetts

Q. How do I get my family into a shelter?
A. The answer to this and many other questions is located on our Get Help page.

Q. How many families does Housing Families serve?
A. Housing Families serves roughly 100 families each day. We do this through a range of services:

• 49 families living in shelters and participating in case management and housing assistance
• 19 families living in transitional housing with supportive services
• 25 families living in permanent, affordable housing with supportive services
• 80 families participating in stabilization services
• 8-15 children participating in children and family services

Q. How many homeless families are in Massachusetts?
A. The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless reports that in January 2008, the MA Department of Transitional Assistance provided shelter to over 1,700 families each night. These families included over 3,500 children, newborn through high school.

Q. How long do families stay in Housing Families' shelters?
A. Last year families stayed an average of 9 months in Housing Families shelter units; the average stay for families who left shelter to move into subsidized housing was 10 months.

Q. How do these stays compare with others?
A. The statewide average for the same operating year was seven months; the average for Boston shelters was nine months.

Q. Why do families become homeless?
A. Family homelessness is always a result of the gap between income and the costs of living. Other causes can include:

• family break-up
• loss of employment and/or limited job skills
• fleeing domestic violence
• substance abuse / mental health problems
• fire / condemnation / housing conditions

Q. How big is the gap between housing costs and income?
A. As of November 2005, a minimum-wage worker would have to work 130 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Greater Boston; or a household would need to have 3.2 minimum wage workers each working full-time. (Source: National Low-Income Housing Coalition, based on HUD guidelines of paying 30% of income for rent)