Affordable Permanent Housing
Boston has a severe affordable housing crisis. According to a recent report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, statistics show vacancy in Boston's rental housing market at about 1.64 percent. The Department of Neighborhood Development study puts the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment at $1,047. Additionally, a recent UMASS study states that no more than 1/3 of household income should go towards rent in order to be able to pay bills, buy groceries, and cover other everyday living expenses. In other words, you must earn a minimum of nearly $38,000/year to maintain housing in Greater Boston. And, if there is more than one of you or you have children, you must all be able to share the same bedroom.
The Friends of Boston's Homeless' goal is to help homeless individuals move beyond homelessness to independence. Our job training, adult education, life skills development and transitional housing programs serve as national models on how to accomplish this. However, our community's housing crisis is making it more and more difficult to achieve this - making it virtually impossible for our working, educated and highly motivated program graduates to obtain a safe affordable place to live and thus achieve their final step to independence.
In order to begin providing solutions to this serious issue, the Friends embarked on a new venture to create Permanent Affordable Housing for formerly homeless, working men, women, and their children. The Friends views the creation of this housing as a crucial link for graduates of our transitional programs to regain and maintain their independence in the community and in their own home.
12–14 Wise Street Opens
12-14 Wise Street the newest addition to our Permanent Affordable Housing Program is helping overcome our community's affordable housing crisis and helping ensure homeless individuals make a permanent move beyond homelessness to independence.
A beautifully renovated townhouse in the heart of Jamaica Plain (just across the street from our One Wise Street Men's Transitional House), 12-14 Wise Street provides 6 units of safe, affordable, permanent housing for formerly homeless, working men and women.
12-14 Wise Street is targeted to individuals who are capable of living independently, but are in need of affordable housing where they can maintain their independence in our community. The program the services of a Part-Time Case Manager and is designed to foster a sense of community and encourage a peer-support model that provides long-term stability and helps residents reintegrate into the community, crucial elements to a successful move beyond homelessness.
The on-going development of independent living skills is also an important emphasis at 12-14 Wise Street. The Case Manager assists residents in areas such as smart shopping, meal planning, budgeting and bill paying, making business calls and filling out applications, time management, goal setting, problem solving and conflict resolution, in order to ensure their success as independent citizens.
The Friends would like to especially thank the Department of Housing and Community Development, Department of Neighborhood Development, Wainwright Bank, Goodwin Procter LLP, Mellon New England, First Mortgage Trust, and CORT Furniture and the hundreds of individuals who support our mission and help make this program a reality. Your support and dedication is helping solve our community's affordable housing crisis.