The Challenge
In 2012, Massachusetts was home to 1,500 chronically homeless individuals. The chronically homeless are among the highest users of emergency health services and spend an average of 50 percent of their evenings in emergency shelters. Reorienting spending from temporary shelters towards supportive housing has long been a commitment of the state but was difficult to achieve.
The Innovation
The Government Performance Lab (GPL) provided pro bono technical assistance to help Massachusetts launch a supportive housing initiative to reduce chronic homelessness by creating a new model of sustainable funding support and reforming Medicaid billing processes to close a critical funding gap that incentivized holistic wrap-around services.
The Results
This project provided permanent supportive housing for up to 800 individuals over six years and demonstrates an innovative model of sustainable state support for chronically homeless individuals. As of April 2018, the project has housed 678 individuals.
More Research & Insights
Strengthening Vendor Engagement to Better Support Women and Minority-Owned Businesses in Buffalo, NY
