January 5, 2005
Boston and Waltham -- The Boston Foundation, Tufts Health Plan and the Massachusetts Medical Society and Alliance Charitable Foundation have jointly announced their second year of funding the Homelessness Prevention Initiative, an effort launched in December 2003 to prevent homelessness among families and individuals in Massachusetts.
A second grant of one million dollars, an amount equal to the first year’s allocation, will be distributed among 18 organizations selected for their focus on individuals and families at significant risk of becoming homeless. The organizations are located across Massachusetts, and their programs target those who need direct assistance and stabilization. The programs offer discharge planning and placement for those being released from care and custody, supportive housing services, mental health support, and substance abuse counseling.
Results from the first-year efforts showed great promise. Rosie’s Place, a Boston agency founded three decades ago to secure opportunity, security and dignity for women on the edge of survival, called year one of the Initiative a “tremendous success.”
Sue Marsh, executive director of Rosie’s Place, said “our greatest accomplishment is that as of December 8, 2004, 66 of 67 women who received initial visits through the program were still housed – a success rate of 96 percent.” Besides achieving that success rate, Rosie’s Place exceeded its first-year goal of providing homelessness prevention services for 60 women by 10 percent.
One of the Initiative’s goals is to bring together organizations that provide a range of programs to share best practices and recommendations, with the goal to advance knowledge of what works in the areas of prevention, providing outcome data, and providing proven models on how to prevent homelessness.
“We are delighted to provide a second year of support to the Homelessness Prevention Initiative, which has already made significant progress toward eliminating the holes in the safety net designed to protect our most vulnerable citizens,” said Paul S. Grogan, president and chief executive officer of The Boston Foundation. “Based on a thorough analysis of shared data and best practices, the participants in this Initiative have identified a spectrum of services that provide both short and long-term preventions for homelessness. Today, with the state’s housing costs nearly the highest in the nation, we must work together closely and leverage our resources to develop a comprehensive solution to this devastating problem."
Nancy Leaming, president and chief executive officer at Tufts Health Plan, said “The power of the Homelessness Prevention Initiative comes from collaboration. By working together, the funding agencies and grant recipients have created a comprehensive suite of programs to prevent and resolve homelessness. The dedication of the programs and the commitment of their staffs have resulted in a very accomplished first year. We look forward to working with them again as they continue to address this important issue. Addressing the health needs of the homeless is an extension of our not-for-profit mission to improve the well-being of the communities Tufts Health Plan serves.”
John M. Crowe, M.D., Chairman of the Massachusetts Medical Society and Alliance Charitable Foundation, said “We are encouraged by the first year’s results, and we continue to believe that these programs are ‘preventive medicine’ at its best in avoiding homelessness. But we also recognize that ‘prevention’ is a long-term process that requires constant attention, and we know there is much more to accomplish. We congratulate and thank these agencies and their staffs for their hard work and initial success, for these are the people who are providing critical services and succeeding at the grass roots level.”
The Homelessness Prevention Initiative was started in the spring of 2003, under the leadership of the Boston Foundation and Tufts Health Plan. A collaborative of local funders established the Initiative as an effort to focus attention and resources on this issue, drawing on the expertise of a diverse advisory committee of advocates, providers and public officials. The $700,000 core funding for the Initiative comes from a grant from the Starr Foundation of New York City to the Boston Foundation, and from the Munro Fund at the Boston Foundation. A grant from Tufts Health Plan of $250,000 and $50,000 from the Massachusetts Medical Society and Alliance Charitable Foundation put the Initiative at the $1 million level.
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About the Initiative Partners:
The Boston Foundation, one of the nation’s oldest and largest community foundations, has an endowment of almost $650 million, made grants of $48 million to nonprofit organizations, and received gifts of $38 million last year. The Boston Foundation is made up of 750 separate charitable funds, which have been established by donors either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes. The Boston Foundation also serves as a civic leader, convener, and sponsor of special initiatives designed to build community. For more information about the Boston Foundation and its grant making, visit www.tbf.org , or call 617-338-1700.
Tufts Health Plan’s Community Partnerships program was formed in 1997. The program supports health improvement at the community level through prevention and health promotion activities within target populations of underserved, at-risk women and infants, elders and teens. Through its Community Partnerships program, Tufts Health Plan seeks to support, advance and advocate for public health goals and community-based prevention. Last year, Tufts Health Plan began a three-year $1.5 million funding commitment to organizations providing teen mental health services. The grants presented today represent year two of a three-year $750,000 commitment to this initiative.
The Massachusetts Medical Society and Alliance Charitable Foundation is a supporting organization of the Massachusetts Medical Society, the statewide association of physicians. The Foundation's mission is to support the charitable and educational activities of the Society and Alliance and address issues affecting the health, benefit, and welfare of the community. The Massachusetts Medical Society, with more than 18,300 physicians and student members, is dedicated to educating and advocating for the patients and physicians of Massachusetts. The Society publishes The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the world’s leading medical journals; the Journal Watch family of professional newsletters covering 11 specialties; and AIDS Clinical Care. The Society is also a leader in continuing medical education for health care professionals throughout Massachusetts, conducting a variety of medical education programs for physicians and health care professionals. Founded in 1781, MMS is the oldest continuously operating medical society in the country. For more information on the Foundation and its activities visit http:/// www.mmsfoundation.org
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Agency Recipients