Outreach Program

Three of the Outreach Case Managers: Stephanie Mcgill, Director of Outreach Jane Erickson, and Christine Winkler.

Fresh Start Program Funded in part by the Lawrence Model Lodging Housing Trust, this program provides a small individual grant to elders who are placed in permanent housing.  Many clients have few, if any, belongings such as furniture or household items, and rely on donations to furnish their new home.  These funds are used by clients to purchase new basic household items such as bedding, towels or kitchen ware which helps to make their new residence feel truly like home.

Since it's inception in 1995 the Outreach Department, formerly known as the Elder Shelter to Home Program, has grown and evolved in response to the changing needs of both Hearth and the community at large.  Originally conceived to reach out to homeless elders and bring them to Hearth  housing, the department has grown to serve over 250 homeless elders annually, assisting them in securing not just Hearth housing, but affordable housing in Boston and the surrounding community.  Case managers maintain large caseloads of approximately 30-50 clients in all stages of the housing search continuum.

Who We Serve

The program is unique in that case managers will work with individuals who fall anywhere on the continuum of "housing readiness."  This means we often start working with individuals who have no income, or no support or health services in place (mental health or medical treatment) and may have a multitude of other housing barriers such as poor credit histories, criminal histories, and poor or no housing histories.  The program provides comprehensive case management with a holistic approach, focusing on all the issues that contribute to make an individual "housing ready."

Case Management

Case managers develop creative solutions to these barriers to obtaining permanent housing, collaborating with numerous systems and providers, including legal aid, the Department of Mental Health, medical providers, the courts, elder service providers, landlords, management companies, shelter staff, and client's families.  Strong advocacy and stabilization services help to ensure successful placements; in fact Outreach boasts a housing retention rate of 97% for those elders placed in permanent housing.

The work of the Outreach team is funded primarily by a federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is supplemented with foundation grants and private donations.