Photo: Courtesy of Mass.gov
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Massachusetts has been selected by the federal government to participate in the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator to address homelessness.
In a press release from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities on Thursday, the Commonwealth was named one of eight states along with the District of Columbia who are a part of the initiative to help access and implement resources for people seeking stable housing.
The Accelerator program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Massachusetts will receive “in-depth technical assistance” from HUD and HHS throughout the initiative.
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Specifically, Massachusetts will explore how Medicaid and other federal funding can be used to bring about a “permanent supportive housing pool” and what the costs of building a permanent supportive housing program would be.
The state will use the Accelerator to create a map of housing-related services for people who are homeless, and multiple state agencies will contribute to these efforts, such as the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, MassHealth, substance addiction services, and elder services.
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Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Edward Augustus pointed out that the high cost of living in Massachusetts has a direct impact on housing insecurity and homelessness.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to be selected to participate in HHS and HUD’s Housing Services and Partnership Accelerator which will help to guide EOHLC and MassHealth by advancing innovative solutions to ensure older adults and peoples with disabilities have access to both safe housing and supportive services,” he said.
The assistant secretary for MassHealth, Mike Levine, highlighted the relationship between stable housing and health outcomes, which “is why MassHealth is committed to supporting housing-related services for our members.”
The Accelerator initiative will last for 12 months.
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