Our Housing Start-up Fund provides support for critical initial housing costs people experiencing homelessness don’t have the means to cover.
Costs like security deposits, first month’s rent, initial rental gaps, and utility arrearages so people can move quickly from the streets or shelters right into safe, dignified housing — immediately ending their homelessness and improving their quality of life.
Our Fund also provides essential furniture and household items that must be new, like beds and linens, for people as they move into their own apartments – many for the first time in their lives – and gets them started on their journey to living peaceful, hopeful lives.
Our Fund is essential. People are fragile and moving right from the street or shelter into housing. In fact, 27% of the people helped by our Housing Start-Up Fund slept in places not meant for human habitation prior to housing and domestic violence is the cause of homelessness for over 60% of the women we help house.
Their savings are non existent and landlords won’t wait weeks for security deposits or first/last month’s rent. And people can’t move into an apartment without basic furniture like a bed.
Our Housing Start-up Fund overcomes these barriers for people by covering these costs.
Request Housing Start-Up Assistance
This form is to be completed only by a case manager on behalf of their client to request Housing Start-Up Assistance. Assistance is approved on a case by case basis and we ask that each individual’s support is a one time request. Friends of Boston’s Homeless will connect only with the case manager on behalf of the client and the landlord. Please provide accurate and complete information to help us process the request efficiently.
All information shared will remain confidential. However, Friends of Boston’s Homeless may use key statistics and anonymized data or depictions for the purpose of fundraising, reporting, or sharing the impact of our programs.
Please note: This form is password protected. To request access, please email info@fobh.org. Requests are reviewed and fulfilled on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, we cannot fulfill every request, and we ask that only one request be submitted per client.
Friends of Boston’s Homeless does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status in any of its programs, services, or operations.
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@fobh.org.
Housing Start-Up Assistance Request Form
Stories of Home and Hope – Housing First Successes
View some inspiring examples of our Housing Start-Up Fund in action.
You too can end homelessness and transform the lives of our neighbors who struggle on our streets and in shelters by making a donation to our Housing Start-up Fund.