In Natick, A New Type Of Homeless Shelter Nears Completion

NATICK, MA — The coronavirus pandemic has meant change for Family Promise MetroWest, a shelter for homeless people and families based in Natick.

The shelter opened in 2008 offering space to families across a network of local religious institutions. The congregations in towns like Natick, Wayland and Wellesley transformed classrooms and other spaces into bedrooms, sheltering families for about a week at a time.

At its peak, the Family Promise system was serving up to four families at a time — offering not only safe shelter, but also community support to transition into permanent housing.

The system worked well until the pandemic brought the world to a standstill. In March 2020, Family Promise MetroWest moved the four families it was serving at the time into an extended stay hotel as a safety measure, Executive Director Sue Crossley said.

"At the time, we all thought it'll be a month or so and then blow over," Crossley said.

Two years later, Family Promise is still housing its clients at a local hotel at an expense of about $2,100 per family per month. The shift during the pandemic drove the nonprofit to renovate a portion of its Mulligan Street building to hold three bedrooms to create a "static" shelter.

It'll likely be a big improvement for clients, Crossley said, because the old model, where clients moved every week, was hard on families. Family Promise MetroWest is an affiliate of the national Family Promise nonprofit, which began in the 1980s with a group of congregations in New Jersey sheltering families.

The static model will be a step between emergency homeless shelters — the kind that open during harsh weather, typically for overnight stays only — and permanent housing. The nonprofit also provides wraparound coaching services like how to budget, apply for jobs and how to be a successful tenant.

There are headwinds facing families coming out of the shelter. Families typically stay up to four months in the shelter before moving into an apartment. But Crossley said they face challenges like previous evictions and no credit history, also just affording rent in communities like Natick and Framingham.

The median rent in Natick was about $2,265 as of January, according to Rent Café. Apartments better suited for families — like and 2 and 3 bedroom units — can run much higher, according to recent listings.

Family Promise clients typically stay with the program for up to two years, which includes the shelter stay, but also a period when the nonprofit helps pay rental costs while families get established, Crossley said. Sometimes the nonprofit acts as a cosigner on leases if landlords don't feel comfortable renting to someone with an eviction or poor credit.

The shelter serves families from about 14 communities across MetroWest. In some cases, Family Promise serves a wider range of people than typical shelters. Family Promise doesn't always adhere to income restrictions, and serves people who don't traditionally look homeless — couch-surfers, for example, who are effectively homeless, but living with friends or relatives. People with substance use disorder and mental health disabilities are also welcome, but must show they are following treatment plans, Crossley said.

Crossley said the new static shelter along Mulligan Street will likely open in late April. A second phase of the new shelter will involve exterior upgrades, including a playground area and landscaping.

"We're about to embark on this next chapter and I think it's going to be a wonderful opportunity for families," Crossley said. "We'll be able to provide an environment where they'll really feel like it's home."

Find out about Family Promise MetroWest on the nonprofit's website.