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BROOKLINE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — With Boston as one of the medical capitals in the world, families are coming from all over seeking long-term medical care in the City. Though it may not be the first hurdle that comes to mind, housing in Boston can be sparse and difficult to budget, especially with its higher rents and skyrocketing housing prices.
But Brookline-based non-profit Hospitality Homes seeks to remedy that obstacle, and connect out-of-town families to the care they need in the capital of the Commonwealth. According to their website, HH serves people regardless of their income level or background, matching patients with volunteer host homes and donated apartments.
Chelsea and Brandon Huffman spoke to WBZ's Chris Fama about their experience with HH, and how they enabled their move to Boston from the Midwest when their baby Oliver needed care. They were paired with a retired couple, Pam and Harvey Lodish, who opened their home to the Huffmans while Oliver received multiple surgeries over multiple years in Boston.
"We have no family out here, so they just became our family, and Oliver now calls them grandma and grandpa." Brandon said.
"That bond we built initially in the first four years just expanded year after year and visit after visit," Chelsea said.
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HH says that they have hosts throughout the Greater Boston area, and most are located in places with access to public transportation or parking. The non-profit has been in Boston for more than 35 years, and says that donations make it possible for matches to be made, background check to be done on all guests and hosts, and fund housing logistics for both patients and their caregivers.
"We found peace with HH, we were in the hospital for four months with our son everyday since birth," Chelsea said.
Interested parties can find out more about donating to Hospitality Homes here.
WBZ's Chris Fama (@CFamaWBZ) reports.
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