Friends of Boston's Homeless awarded $100,000 Gift from Cummings Foundation for its Housing First Initiative

JAMAICA PLAIN, MA, June 14, 2016 | Jamaica Plain based Friends of Boston’s Homeless is one of only 100 local non-profits to be awarded a $100,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation, through its “$100k for 100” program. The grant will support Friends of Boston’s Homeless work to end long-term homelessness in Boston through its Housing First initiative.

The $100k for 100 program supports nonprofits that serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. This year, the program is benefiting 41 different cities and towns within the Commonwealth.

Since 1987 Friends of Boston’s Homeless has supported vital programs and services in the City of Boston that help people move beyond homelessness to live peaceful, independent lives in homes of their own. Friends operates three permanent affordable housing programs for formerly homeless women and men in Jamaica Plain and Roxbury.

In the last six years, Friends’ Housing First Start-up Fund has helped over 700 people experiencing long-term homelessness move off the streets and out of shelters into dignified homes of their own. Today, over 90% remain housed and have not returned to the streets or shelters – providing a dignified and effective solution to homelessness.

“We believe long-term homelessness in Boston can be solved,” says Mariann Bucina Roca, executive director of Friends of Boston’s Homeless. “The Cummings Foundation grant will support our Housing First Start-up Fund which helps people experiencing long-term homelessness move directly from the streets and shelters into safe, stable housing and get connected with the supportive services they need to remain housed and rebuild their lives. We are honored to receive this grant and excited about how it will further our work to end long-term homelessness in Boston.”

Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the area where it owns commercial buildings, all of which are managed, at no cost to the Foundation, by its affiliate Cummings Properties. Founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings of Winchester, the Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages more than 10 million square feet of space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.

"We admire and very much appreciate the important work organizations like Friends of Boston’s Homeless are doing in the local communities where our colleagues and clients live and work," said Joel Swets, Cummings Foundation's executive director. "We are delighted to support their efforts."

The complete list of 100 grant winners is available at CummingsFoundation.org. For more information about Friends of Boston’s Homeless visit fobh.org.

About Cummings Foundation: Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester. With assets exceeding $1 billion, it is one of the largest foundations in New England. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidies, including two New Horizons retirement communities in Marlborough and Woburn. Its largest single commitment to date was $50 million to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Additional information is available at CummingsFoundation.org.

About Friends of Boston’s Homeless: Founded in 1987, Friends of Boston’s Homeless supports innovative, solutions-oriented programs that help people transition from the streets and shelters to lead stable independent lives. We focus on removing the final barriers of transition that often city and state programs don’t have the means to cover. The final transition steps out of homelessness are often the most crucial, and we help make them happen.

Friends supports a number of vital programs in Boston that end homelessness including Housing First, vocational training, workforce development, adult education, and transitional and permanent affordable housing, and the emergency shelters, Woods Mullen Women’s Shelter and Southampton Men’s Shelter (formerly Long Island Shelter), run by Boston Public Health Commission.

Friends also owns and operates three permanent affordable housing programs for formerly homeless women and men in Jamaica Plain and Roxbury: 12-14 Wise Street, One Wise Street Men’s Supportive Housing Program and Valentine Street Women’s Supportive Housing Program.

These programs help hundreds of people each year move beyond shelter to lead independent lives.

Like a Parent/Teachers Organization or “Friends of the Public Library” group, Friends bridges the gap between public sector funding and homeless people’s needs by providing a vehicle for individuals, businesses, foundations and charitable organizations to be a part of the solution to homelessness. For more information about Friends of Boston’s Homeless visit fobh.org.