In 2015, the City released Boston’s Way Home: An Action Plan to End Veteran and Chronic Homelessness. Under this plan, we’ve made huge strides.
HIGHLIGHTS:- Chronic homelessness reduced by 19 percent
- Veteran homelessness reduced by 32 percent
- Boston’s Way Home Fund reached its goal of raising $10 million two years ahead of schedule
- $4.7 million committed to creating 157 new housing opportunities for unaccompanied youth and young adults experiencing homelessness as part of our Rising to the Challenge plan
- Transformed homeless services system into a coordinated network focused on helping the most vulnerable households across our City
The Start to Creating the plan:
It sounds like the initiative “Rising to the Challenge” spearheaded by former mayor Martin J. Walsh in Boston was a comprehensive effort to address youth homelessness and provide support for young people experiencing housing instability. The allocation of $165,000 in technical help in 2017 demonstrates a commitment to tackling this issue, and the subsequent collaboration with the Boston Youth Action Board and community members shows a multi-stakeholder approach.
The review of available services and exploration of ways to enhance support across various domains like housing, health, education, and employment indicates a holistic approach to addressing the needs of homeless youth. The significant boost came in July 2018 when the US Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the City $4.9 million through the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program. This substantial award would play a pivotal role in funding housing and services as part of the broader plan to combat youth homelessness in Boston.