BOSTON – January 3, 2024 – MassHousing in 2023 awarded a total of $679,837 in grant funding to help preserve or create 98 affordable sober housing units and provide supportive services to men, women and families impacted by substance use disorder.
The grants come from the Center for Community Recovery Innovations, Inc. (CCRI), a nonprofit subsidiary corporation of MassHousing that helps nonprofits create or preserve affordable sober housing in Massachusetts for individuals in recovery.
To date, CCRI has awarded more than $15.5 million in grants for the creation or preservation of nearly 3,000 units of substance-free housing, in 54 communities, serving recovery populations that include men, women, families, veterans, and the LGBTQ+ community.
"CCRI helps serve some of our state’s most vulnerable residents who are working to overcome substance misuse and MassHousing commends the many non-profit organizations who work every day to help people overcome addiction," said MassHousing CEO Chrystal Kornegay. "The nine sober homes and other recovery focused programming CCRI helped finance in 2023 also assisted family members – particularly children - who have been impacted by a relative in recovery."
The CCRI grants include:
Housing Support, Inc., Newburyport, $75,000
MassHousing grant funds will help create eight new, fully accessible housing units for men and women, on an existing sober housing campus in Amesbury.
Dismas House of Massachusetts, Inc., Worcester, $25,000
Grant funds will help support the creation of three fellowship positions for live-in, supportive staff at Dismas Family Farm, a sober housing campus and working farm in Oakham.
Mental Health Association, Springfield, $11,500
Grant funding will support renovations to preserve 10 units of existing sober housing for women in Springfield.
GAAMHA, Gardner, $100,000
Grant funding will support renovations to preserve 12 units of sober housing for women in Gardner.
Steppingstone, Inc., New Bedford, $37,000
Grant funding will support renovations for seven sober housing units for women and children in New Bedford.
Ethel Rose House of Refuge, New Bedford, $75,000
Grant funds will support an expansion to create four new sober housing units for women in New Bedford.
SEMCOA, Inc., and High Point, New Bedford, $200,000
Grant funds will be used help acquire property to create four new units of sober housing for women and children in New Bedford.
Mental Health Association, Holyoke, $28,837
Grant funds will support renovations to preserve 16 units of sober housing for LGBTQ+ individuals in Holyoke.
Gandara Mental Health Center, Inc., Northampton, $27,000
Grand funds will support renovations to preserve eight units of sober housing for men in Northampton.
Adult & Teen Challenge, Worcester, $30,000
Grant funds will support an expansion to create 33 new units of sober housing for men in Worcester.
Self Esteem Boston Educational Institute, Boston/Lynn/Springfield, $30,500
Grant funds will support delivery of Statewide Women’s Self Esteem Life Skill Development Programs with expanded online aftercare support for women and families.
NamaStay Sober Yoga, Boston, $40.000
Grand funds will support the expansion of yoga and wellness classes to additional recovery centers and sober living homes.
About CCRI
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.
About 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 $30 billion for affordable housing. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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