AFFORDABLE HOUSING and HOUSING PROGRAMS
Citizen’s Housing & Planning Association (CHAPA): CHAPA’s mission is to encourage the production and preservation of housing that is affordable to low and moderate income families and individuals and to foster diverse and sustainable communities through planning and community development. Every person in Massachusetts should have a safe, healthy, and affordable place to call home.
Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Public-Housing (CHAMP): Online application to apply for state-aided public housing and find any existing housing applications.
The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD): The Department of Housing and Community Development, through its community and business partners, provides affordable housing options, financial assistance, and other support to Massachusetts communities. Housing Resource Locator finds local housing resources, including local housing authorities, regional housing agencies, and emergency shelter providers.
MassAccess Housing Registry: Find affordable rental and homeownership opportunities in Massachusetts; highlight homes for people with disabilities who need accessible or barrier-free housing.
Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance: The Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance’s (MHSA) mission is to end homelessness through advocacy, collaboration, education, housing, and the implementation of outcome-based programs. MHSA is dedicated to innovative solutions that reduce public reliance on emergency resources. Resources for Older Homeless and Low-Income Adults.
Massachusetts Local Housing Authorities (LHA): Contact your local housing authority if applying for vouchers or federal public housing, of if have a disability to request a reasonable accommodation with the online application process. For a list of the number of units in the housing authorities that serve seniors, families or those with special needs: LHA Unit Counts by Program Listing.
Stepping Stones Inc.: Housing for Homeless program located in New Bedford and Fall River; includes emergency shelter, transitional, graduate, and single room occupancy (SROs) housing.
Mobile voucher: you need to find a housing unit on the private market.
Project-based voucher: it is tied to one housing unit and can only be used at that address.
Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP): these state-funded rental assistance vouchers for non-elderly persons with disabilities and of low-income who have been determined eligible and qualified for c. 667 elderly/handicapped housing are administered by participating housing authorities.
Mass Rental Voucher Program (MRVP): apply at the local housing authority in the town you live in. Locate your Local Housing Authority
Section 8 Voucher (Mobile HCVP): this is the federal government’s major program for assisting low-income families, elderly and the disabled to afford housing in the private housing market. Voucher program participants find their own housing within an affordable range based on bedroom size. The Massachusetts Section 8 Centralized Waiting List streamlines the application process for a Section 8 Voucher.
Veterans: HUD-VASH is a federal voucher program for eligible Veterans. Apply at your local Veteran’s Administration Hospital. Find more information by calling 1-877-4AID-VET.
ELDER, AGING, AND DISABLED
Mass Senior Home Care: The Massachusetts Senior Care Association represents a diverse set of organizations that deliver a broad spectrum of services to meet the needs of older adults and people with disabilities. Our members include nearly 400 nursing and rehabilitation facilities, assisted living residences, residential care facilities and continuing care retirement communities.
Massachusetts Association of Residential Care Homes (MARCH): Our goal is to provide you with the valuable residential care or rest home information you are looking for. MARCH (Massachusetts Association of Residential Care Homes) represents more than 90 facilities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Care Planning Council: List of Nursing Homes in Massachusetts by city/town.
Nursing Home Search Tool: Massachusetts Health and Human Services.
SHELTERS
Emergency Family Homeless Shelters (DHCD): Families with children seeking Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter must call 1-866-584-0653, and visit one of the ten locations in Massachusetts.
Emergency Shelter Assistance for Individuals (DHCD): List of individual homeless shelters in Massachusetts.
Emergency Housing Assistance Resource Contact Address: 100 Cambridge St, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 573-1106
Homeless Shelter Directory: A list of Massachusetts Shelters, Many are emergency shelters along with general homeless shelters and some transitional housing opportunities. As a note, many of these shelters now have waiting lists. Please call before going to them. Many waiting lists are very long.
Homeless Shelter Listings and Supportive Housing: Housing resources: Homeless Shelters, Supportive Housing, Halfway Housing, Transitional Housing, Day Shelters, Residential Alcohol and Drug Treatment Centers.
MA Coalition for the Homeless: Resources for those experiencing homelessness or are at imminent risk of homelessness. Adult Shelters in Greater Boston; Adult Shelters in Western MA; Adult Shelters Metro West; Adult Shelters Central MA; Adult Shelters North of Boston; Adult Shelters Southeast.
Shelters List: We list out as many of the local homeless resources in the USA. To search in Massachusetts.
SOBER HOMES
Mass Association for Sober Housing (MASH): Search our directory to find a list of all MASH-certified sober homes. All MASH-certified sober homes follow the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) standards and have been independently inspected.
YOUTH HOUSING PROGRAMS AND SHELTERS
DIAL/SELF: a community-based non-profit agency that has been serving the youth and communities of Western MA in Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden Counties and the North Quabbin region. Youth housing and shelter services include: Transitional Housing, LGBTQ Housing First, Teen Housing (Greenfield, Northampton, Orange).
LUK, Inc. Young Adult Services: Transitional Living Program is available for young people between the ages of 16 and 21 throughout Worcester County who are homelessness or at risk of homelessness, Maternity Group Home is available for pregnant and parenting young people between the ages of 16 and 21 throughout Worcester County who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, Basic Center Program provides 24/7 access to emergency shelter for youth under 18 years old throughout Worcester County who are runaway, homeless or at risk of homelessness
National Runaway Safeline (NRS) Youth and Teens: NRS has a database of resources, including shelters, across the country that we continually update. When you contact us, either by hotline, chat, or email, we can work toward locating an open bed in a shelter in your area. When contacting shelters via telephone, a frontline staff member will be happy to stay on the phone and serve as an advocate for you if you want him/her to. CALL: 1-800-RUNAWAY; TEXT: 66008.
Please note that the information provided on resources, services and programs is not an endorsement nor is it a substitute for due diligence. It is not meant to be complete list of all available resources but a guide. While every effort is made to keep the information updated, there is no guarantee of its accuracy.
To report an update, changes, or broken links on the resource pages, please email.
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