MassHousing has awarded $185,000 in grant funding to four non-profit organizations supporting individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder, known as sober housing.
The grants come from the Center for Community Recovery Innovations, Inc. (CCRI), a nonprofit subsidiary corporation of MassHousing that helps non-profit organizations create or preserve affordable sober housing in Massachusetts for individuals in recovery.
To date, CCRI has awarded more than $16.3 million in grants for the creation or preservation of more than 3,000 units of substance-free housing, in 55+ communities, serving recovery populations that include men, women, families, veterans, and the LGBTQ+ community.
“MassHousing is pleased to support these mission-based organizations that work every day to help people recover from substance use disorder by providing quality housing in a sober setting and supportive services,” said MassHousing CEO Chrystal Kornegay. “CCRI serves some of our state’s most vulnerable residents and many times their family members, who are also impacted.”
The CCRI grants include:
- EMH Recovery, Brockton, $20,000
- MassHousing grant funds will help expand counseling and supportive services for women residing in EMH managed sober homes.
- Housing Support Inc., Amesbury, $35,000
- Grant funds will help provide enhanced supportive services at the organization’s Bartlett House.
- NeighborWorks Housing Solutions, Hanson, $100,000
- Grant funds will help finance critical repairs to preserve eight units of affordable sober housing in Hanson.
- Recovered Souls Foundation, Quincy, $30,000
- Grant funding will support access to the Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LADC) Assistant Counselor Licensing Requirement Program. This initiative is designed to guide individuals actively working on their recovery who are interested in pursuing careers in the recovery field. Recovered Souls will assist participants with enrollment in college-level academic courses and the fulfillment of mandatory requirements necessary to meet the licensing criteria established by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The program’s goal is to fully prepare participants to pass the LADC Assistant Counselor licensing exam and connect them with employment opportunities, thereby unlocking opportunities for meaningful employment in the substance misuse addiction field and the ability to sustain a life in recovery.
The Center for Community Recovery Innovations, Inc., issues an annual Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit projects for funding. The proposals that are selected need to meet CCRI’s current priorities and eligibility categories. The grants are typically used as one-time gap funding for capital projects that increase or improve the stock of affordable sober housing in Massachusetts. Other proposals that provide services for residents in MassHousing-financed rental housing, specifically those that address alcohol and/or drug abuse or addiction, are also considered for funding. CCRI grant recipients must be 501c3 non-profit organizations and matching funds must be provided. All proposals and applicant qualifications are stringently reviewed and vetted by MassHousing.
MassHousing (The Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency) is an independent, quasi-public agency created in 1966 and charged with providing financing for affordable housing in Massachusetts. The Agency raises capital by selling bonds and lends the proceeds to low- and moderate-income homebuyers and homeowners, and to developers who build or preserve affordable and/or mixed-income rental housing. MassHousing does not use taxpayer dollars to sustain its operations, although it administers some publicly funded programs on behalf of the Commonwealth. Since its inception, MassHousing has provided more than $29 billion for affordable housing.
