Housing

Right now in Waltham there are two hotels where families that have no other place to live reside.  This practice was slated to end in June 2014 but it is still going strong.

“Specifically, families placed in Waltham stay at the Home Suites Inn on Totten Pond Road and Homestead Studio Suites on Fourth Avenue. In December 2011, Waltham Patch reported 94 families, including 73 children, were staying in the two hotels.”  

This is not good for either the local community or the families.  Trauma is re-introduced to these families by uprooting them and moving them to these hotels with minimal or no access to their social networks, to recreation areas, to basic resources.  The  Waltham schools are tasked with educating children housed in cramped insufficient quarters away from those they know and love.  While the program gives needy families shelter, it leaves them without places  to cook a meal or for their children to play, and burdens taxpayers with a hefty bill.  According to the Patch, the program which also places families in hotels in Framingham, Chelmsford, Burlington, Bedford, Danvers, Malden, Marlborough, Natick, Northborough, Tewksbury, Woburn and Framingham, costs state taxpayers $45 million annually.   http://waltham.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/state-to-end-homeless-shelter-program-placing-familie7c7b235438

In western Mass they have been emptying the hotels and finding homes for families, resulting in huge savings.  The families are able to live in apartments with a kitchen and bedrooms, they live in their own community and the cost to the state drops from approximately $36,000/year per family to $8400.  http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/04/housing_department_reduces_hom.html

For the chronically homeless, many communities, including Boston have implemented a program called ‘Housing First’ with the premise that before people can accept help, they need to have a place to call home.  This program is being used in several communities across the country with great results.  Once people are stabilized in a home the program has a wrap around program to help them with any co-occurring issues they may have be it substance abuse, mental health issues or any other issues that are interfering with their ability to be productive citizens.  http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/07/15/pine-street-inn-goes-from-emergency-shelter-provider-landlord/4qmo0p7L3HGxQFB3zyHkrN/story.html

A couple months ago while collecting signatures in Waltham I met a woman named Dorothy.  Dorothy and I have struck up a bit of a friendship as I frequently see her around the city.  Dorothy is a self described street person and she has a lot to say.  She is getting on in years and in getting to know her, she has not had an easy life.  Dorothy struggles with understanding why the Commonwealth cannot provide her with housing and I do too.  From talking with her I understand that 'something' happened in her last home that resulted in her being on the street.  That said, whether it was something she did or didn't do, 'we' have an obligation to take care of those that cannot adequately care for themselves.  How can we consign elderly and/or infirm people to the street?

There are alternatives available.  As a just and humane society, we need to continue to develop innovative programs that help individuals and families live in homes, with dignity.