Since January, our team has answered a record-breaking number of emergency requests. We answered an urgent call from Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program within 4 hours, sending winter coats, fleece layers, hats, and gloves to protect 150 patients from the arctic air blast in Boston’s cold emergency. Read more February 2023 news from Circle of Hope.
What Is Scattered Site Housing?
This summer, Circle of Hope (COH) began serving families in scattered site housing units operated by South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) in Framingham. This is our first partnership of its kind, so you may be wondering: what is scattered site housing?
Scattered site housing refers to individual housing units, such as apartments, in which families experiencing homelessness live alone. Scattered site housing in Massachusetts is funded by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and operated by 52 nonprofits throughout the state, including SMOC. (1) Families cannot choose the location of their scattered site housing unit, but DHCD must try to place families within 20 miles of their hometown when possible. (2) On average, families stay in emergency shelter settings, including scattered site housing, for over a year. (3)
Larger families and families in which one or more members has a disability or complex medical need are typically prioritized for scattered site housing. Like in congregate shelter settings, families have access to case management and other support services. (4) But unlike families in congregate shelter settings, families in scattered site housing must purchase most of their own essential household items, including toilet paper, soap, laundry detergent, and other supplies.
Circle of Hope now makes monthly deliveries of clothing, infant essentials, and hygiene supplies to 10-12 families in scattered site housing, meeting their most urgent health and hygiene needs while helping them stretch limited income further and prioritize other daily necessities. COH volunteers bring the donations to SMOC headquarters in Framingham, where case managers can select the specific items each family needs. We made our first delivery in July after our previous SMOC partner shelter, Clinton House Family Shelter, closed.
Circle of Hope first partnered with SMOC in 2017 when we began serving Clinton House Family Shelter and Pearl Street Family Shelter. Our partnership with Pearl Street Family Shelter has not changed and we will continue providing clothing and hygiene essentials to families in shelter every month. The vital supplies we provide to families in congregate shelters and scattered site shelters enable children and parents to get to and from school and work safely, help families stay comfortable, and support physical and mental health and personal dignity.
Resources:
(2) Mass Legal Help
