All Souls Church Hosts Diverse Panel of Experts on Homelessness and Housing

On Sunday, March 11, hosted a forum to examine issues surrounding homelessness and housing. Below are summaries of what the experts discussed during the event.

Braintree's Veteran's Agent Dick Walsh: He reported that his office is charged with helping and assisting veterans and their families. He helps his clients access the supports that exist for veterans with a variety of needs, including housing assistance.   

Ruth Porter of School on Wheels: Ruth spoke about the needs of homeless youth between the ages of 16 and 22. There are an estimated 6,000 unaccompanied youth in Massachusetts, meaning that these young people have no caring adult and no home. School on Wheels provides a consistent caring adult that provides academic tutoring and also helps their client deal with their emotional needs.   

Cheryl Opper, Founder and Executive Director of School on Wheels: Cheryl founded this organization in 2004. Now in its eighth year, it has supported approximately 1,000 young people in six south shore communities:  Stoughton, Middleboro, New Bedford, Norwell, Quincy and Brockton.

Nicole Fitzgerald, Chief Operating Officer, Father Bill's & Mainspring:  Nicole explained that not only does her organization provide temporary shelter for more than 200 people every night, it also provides 312 permanent housing units on the South Shore. It also works to prevent homelessness by stopping evictions through the provision of short-term supports and works in conjunction with municipal Planning Departments. Workforce Development is the fourth focus area of Father Bill's & Mainspring.   

Caitlin Golden, Outreach Coordinator, Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance: The alliance is a non-profit, public policy advocacy organization with the singular mission of ending homelessness in Massachusetts. They have collected data demonstrating that it is less expensive for the Commonwealth to provide permanent housing for homeless people than to house them in temporary shelters. This is because health care costs decrease dramatically when people are in permanent living situations.   

The event was attended by many who are working in this field in a variety of capacities. Event organizers from All Souls' Social Action/Environmental Committee hope to facilitate communication between the providers of services to people who are homeless and those who are at risk of becoming homeless.

–All Souls Church