Waltham Program to Assist Families Living in Motel Shelters Receives $600,000

WALTHAM, MA - An initiative to help families living in motel shelters find stable housing and better health care programs has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding from The Boston Foundation.

The $600,000 award will go to "Building Bridges to Better Health," a collaboration between the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program and Urban Edge. The group will launch a pilot program in Waltham, home of the state's largest motel shelter, to address the correlation between secure, affordable housing and children's health.

“When your kids are sick, it’s very hard to focus on a housing search, and it’s almost impossible to hold down steady hours at a job,” Maura Pensak, director of housing supports for MBHP, said in a press release. “By addressing the health of the children, the parents are able to focus on getting back on their feet and getting into a stable home they can afford.”

Since 2009, MBHP has worked with those placed in motel shelters to relocate families into steady homes; it began its partnership with BHCHP and Urban Edge in 2014 to incorporate positive health outcomes into the process. The initiative's primary focus is on children under 11 years old.

BHCHP will conduct health screenings and coordinate transition plans to ensure children continue to be provided with proper health care after a family moves to their new home. Urban Edge will provide an online tool for families to use to determine the health care programs for which they are eligible.

"Building Bridges to Better Health" has already been tested with three families. Once the pilot program is launched in Waltham, the group plans to expand it to other major motel shelters.

"'Building Bridges to Better Health' is an initiative focused on the nexus between housing and health," Frank Shea, chief executive officer at Urban Edge, said in the release. "We look forward to connecting families to all possible resources which lead to permanent, affordable housing and positive health outcomes."

"Building Bridges to Better Health" is funded by The Boston Foundation, alongside the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA Foundation, and Partners HealthCare. It is part of the second phase of "Health Starts at Home," an initiative designed to unite housing and health organizations to address the need for stable housing in ensuring children remain healthy.