Local Initiative to Help Regional Crisis

Last year, Governor Charlie Baker declared a housing crisis in Massachusetts, and the issue of affordability largely stems from what many people count as positives – rising home prices and a booming economy.

Forgotten, however, are the individuals and families who can’t keep up. And homelessness is growing in Massachusetts. Last year, an estimated 20,068 people were experiencing homelessness, representing a 20.6 percent increase compared to 2010, according to an annual report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The numbers, advocates say, are woefully undercounted.

Lincoln’s Council on Aging (COA), in partnership with The Commons in Lincoln, a senior living community, is undertaking a new initiative to prevent homelessness in this area. Through the Staying at Home in Lincoln project, the council and The Commons in Lincoln will help people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless locate temporary emergency housing. The town’s social service staff also will assist the individuals in finding permanent housing and services to ensure they successfully remain in their new homes. The temporary emergency housing would be in places such as area hotels or motels, assisted living facilities, or other supportive housing.

The Commons in Lincoln is invested in the community and this partnership with the COA is an example of that commitment. We want to help Lincoln and its residents work to stem homelessness, and start a ripple effect throughout the entire area where similar projects will emerge.

In Massachusetts, 6 out of 10 older adults living alone can’t afford the basic necessities of life such as food, housing in a safe community and health care. This data hits close to home and is the driving force in what became of the Staying at Home in Lincoln project.

People of all ages are homeless or are at risk of being homeless. Some have lived in Lincoln for decades, while others are new to our area. Some have been highly paid professionals, while others have never had the advantages that have allowed them to earn a living wage. Some are single and alone, while others are the heads of families with small children. But for all those people, homelessness or the risk of homelessness is their main concern.

Reynaldo LeBlanc is executive director at The Commons in Lincoln, a senior living community in Lincoln.