LEOMINSTER ― Federal, state, health and housing officials gathered at a health and housing fair at Community Health Connections in Leominster on Tuesday to announce an initiative in Massachusetts that will aim to reduce homelessness by tackling health-related social needs.
The goal of the fair was to help connect residents of northern Worcester County to services from local, state and federal agencies. It also provided flu and COVID-19 vaccines.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the initiative, known as the Housing and Services Accelerator, in November, opening the application process for states to take part.
The initiative aims to connect community partnerships across housing, disability, aging and health sectors. States meeting certain qualifications covering housing-related support services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness were eligible to apply.
"Housing is a social determinant of health. If you don't have housing, then everything else is for nothing," Kimberly McClain, HUD's assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental relations, said Tuesday. "You have to fight harder each and every day to make sure that you're safe."
The City of Worcester opened an emergency shelter last December at the former Registry of Motor Vehicles service center at 611 Main St. City leaders recently discussed whether to keep it open beyond the initial closing date set for the end of April.
"There are so many factors that determine if [unhoused people] have access to services and people who truly care to help them out," McClain added. "In collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, we will expand community support programs to bridge the gap to our most vulnerable. Two of our agencies are working together, with the state of Massachusetts, to provide better services, more access to people who are experiencing homelessness or even people who are housing insecure."
As part of the application process, states formed teams made up of community partners from their health, housing and aging, as well as disability sectors. Applicants had to outline the status of their execution of Medicaid-covered housing-related services and supports, their goals under the Accelerator initiative and the areas where assistance is needed. The Accelerator program will focus on helping states improve collaboration and coordination between organizations and systems that provide services and resources that help people find stable housing. The goal is to help connect more people with housing-related services and supports.
Massachusetts is one of seven states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that were chosen to participate. The other states that will receive additional tolls and support are Arizona, California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota and North Carolina.
"We all know how deeply housing and health care are connected," Juana Matias, HUD's regional administrator for New England, said. "I am positive today's partnership will translate into tangible results for the people we serve. This initiative goes beyond resources. It provides technical support to develop long-term strategies for preventing homelessness and keeping people healthy."
According to a press release from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the federal technical assistance will allow states to improve coordination and delivery of services needed for the health of unhoused people. In Massachusetts, the state plans to create a map of housing-related services available to the unhoused.
"This is a groundbreaking federal initiative, fostering collaboration across housing, disability, aging and our public health sectors," Matias said. "It allows us to streamline resources and address the root causes of homelessness, especially health-related needs that make it difficult to secure stable housing. We all know the feeling of security that comes with a safe and healthy place to call home. It's the foundation for everything else in our lives."
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