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Somerville council hears case for more permanent supportive housing
Summary
A statewide housing advocate told the Somerville City Council that permanent supportive housing is a proven way to reduce homelessness and health care costs, and urged the city to plan and form partnerships now so it can move quickly when funding becomes available.
The Somerville City Council on Feb. 25 heard a presentation on expanding permanent supportive housing from Joyce Tabon, CEO of the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance and a Somerville resident.
Tabon told the council supportive housing combines permanent, deeply affordable housing with voluntary, on-site or closely coordinated services and follows a “housing first” model. She said evidence across Massachusetts shows supportive housing reduces emergency health care use and results in high housing retention rates — typically about 85% at one to two years — while lowering public costs for repeated hospital and emergency services.
Tabon said supportive housing targets a subset of people experiencing homelessness who have disabling conditions or repeated high-acuity need, and that capital, operating and services funding must be assembled for projects to succeed. She described several delivery models including master leasing of existing buildings by nonprofit providers and small-scale modular construction and cited examples in Chelsea, Worcester and Lynn where those approaches were used to move people out of encampments or convert motels.
Councilors asked about program management, the use of Medicaid to fund tenancy support services, siting near areas with visible homelessness and how the model addresses older residents with dementia or other high-care needs. Tabon said management models vary — some large providers do development and services; other projects separate development, property management and service provision — and that Massachusetts has been a national leader in using Medicaid to support tenancy services for people in supportive housing.
Tabon urged the city to do planning work now — siting, zoning, interagency engagement and funding strategies — so Somerville is ready to apply for funding when state or federal pools become available. Councilors directed the item to the Housing and Community Development committee for follow-up.
Tabon offered to provide additional technical assistance and training for municipal staff and councilors as Somerville explores potential projects.
The council sent the order to the Housing and Community Development committee for further work; no formal funding commitment or council vote was taken on projects or programs during the presentation.
