Abstract
With family homelessness on the rise in Massachusetts, shelters have been filled to capacity and the state is spending millions to house families in budget motels. In response to this crisis, service providers, advocates and policymakers are looking for new solutions to help families facing homelessness to enter and maintain stable housing, and move toward self-sufficiency.
In 2012, the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Foundation, in partnership with the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), spearheaded a new service model for homeless families that integrates employment and housing services to provide holistic support to families in crisis. This model, called Secure Jobs, piloted in five cities in Massachusetts in the spring of 2013. Met with widespread support since its inception, Secure Jobs has expanded to two more cities in Massachusetts, is launching in Connecticut, and has been showcased nationally.
This brief describes the Secure Jobs model and documents changes to the model in the second phase of the initiative. Subsequent briefs will focus in on specific program elements, offering information on their impacts and recommendations for best practices.