Heading Home Advisory Council (HHAC) Educational Event with Bob Pulster and Dennis Culhane

On June 16, 2009 the Heading Home Advisory Council (HHAC) hosted an educational event at the Boston Harbor Hotel on Rowes Wharf.  The nearly eighty people in attendance were present for the roll out of a new program called "The Heading Home Partnership to End Family Homelessness."

The new program will use private donations in concert with public funding to develop a comprehensive suite of services for homeless families.  In line with the "Housing First" model, it provides homeless families with an unprecedented set of supports and opportunities including housing vouchers, job training, mentoring, and the chance to earn and accumulate assets.  The goal is to enable families to decrease dependence on public support over time, eventually becoming fully independent.

One innovative piece to the program is the Individual Development Account (IDA,) an interest earning savings account for families.  Through the IDA, Heading Home matches the family contributions and provides bonuses for reaching specified milestones, such as keeping a job for a designated period of time, or receiving a promotion.  By rewarding success with tangible funds, families can be in a position to purchase and asset in two years or more.  They may decide to invest in a home, a small business, higher education, an automobile, or debt reduction, for example.

"The program's private sector fundraising effort is spearheaded by Heading Home Advisory Council Chair Phill Gross.  "Combining public and private funding allows Heading Home to maximize the affect of donations," said Gross.  "It is an incredibly rewarding investment, knowing how these donations and the new programming will significantly impact homeless families in our area."

Dr. Dennis Culhane, a University of Pennsylvania professor and a nationally recognized expert on homelessness, will conduct a systematic study of the new program.  Culhane's study will follow the program through implementation and provide a comprehensive analysis of its effect on homelessness.  Culhane spoke at the meeting about the state of family homelessness in general, and Bob Pulster was present to discuss how the program fits with the Commonwealth's goals and the "Housing First" agenda.

"The Patrick/Murray administration is currently implementing a comprehensive plan to end homelessness in Massachusetts by employing the Housing First model of services," said ICHH Executive Director Robert Pulster.  "Recognizing that housing stability and self-sufficiency are the long term solutions, the state has committed significant resources to make this plan work.  But we know that we can't do it alone, and making partnerships with the federal government, the private sector and charitable organizations are critical."