• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • 5 DOUBLE-U’S
    • MASTHEAD
    • DISTRIBUTION
    • ADVERTISE
    • SUBMISSIONS
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

CURRENT STREET EDITION

DIG 23.02 – 1/28/21

DESPITE EFFECTIVE SHORT-TERM MEASURES, LONG-TERM HOMELESSNESS PERSISTS IN MASS

Written by CHRIS HUES Posted January 28, 2021 Filed Under: News, News to Us, NEWS+OPINIONS

In spite of efforts and advocacy, the homeless have been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite effective short-term measures, long-term homelessness persists in Mass


Joe Finn was beating a very different drum in November and December of 2020. At the time, the executive director of the Mass Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA) feared that Massachusetts would be short a few hundred beds this winter, causing many shelters to be in the difficult position of turning people away as the New England winter wore on.

“If you had been talking to me back in October, you would have been getting a much different song,” Finn said in mid-January.

Finn gave me the relative good news that, through hard advocacy work by anti-homelessness organizations, shelters are not turning people away this winter—even with the COVID pandemic raging, and with strict social distancing guidelines in place. Still, Finn cautioned, we are one bad storm away from a reality where that is not the case.

“I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” he said. “One bad stint of bad weather and we don’t know what might happen.”

People experiencing homelessness were impacted especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic starting last March. At times there has been a 30-50% COVID positivity rate in shelters, and with lockdown and social distancing measures in place, they had less survival money coming in through passersby on the streets.

Also, because of the high positivity rate at shelters, many people chose the streets over shelters as spring turned to summer. Now it is winter, and roughing it in New England at this time of year is not an option. This issue of space at shelters is also an issue of life and death; a person experiencing homelessness froze to death in Montreal this month after being turned away from a shelter.

So far, in Boston alone, 12 people who have been experiencing homelessness have died from COVID-19, according to Boston Health Care for the Homeless. That number is a low estimate due to many factors, including that there is a lag between when someone dies and when the death is reported.

In Boston, Pine Street Inn does universal testing every two weeks, and rates have been between 1 and 2% as of late December. Still, Vicki Ritterband of Boston Health Care for the Homeless warns that positivity rates are on the rise in populations of folks experiencing homelessness, citing shelters that had 8% positivity rates.

Anti-homelessness advocates have tried to use the COVID-19 pandemic to highlight the urgency of the homelessness issue in Mass. For many of them, that means turning away from congregate forms of shelters, which were overcrowded before the pandemic, and transitioning to non-congregate forms of housing.

“I’m hopeful, thinking … there will be a movement towards non-congregate types of settings,” said Finn of MHSA. “What is so exciting about the non-congregate concept is … oftentimes, non-congregate shelter settings can be transformed eventually into housing as well.”

CHRIS HUES

Chris Hues is a journalist and artist based out of Boston, Ma and Associate Editor of Bostonhassle.com

More from author
    This author does not have any more posts.

Filed Under: News, News to Us, NEWS+OPINIONS Tagged With: Boston, coronavirus, COVID, homelessness, Housing, Pandemic Democracy Project

WHAT’S NEW

TRUMP GUY WINS THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY TO FILL DELEO’S SEAT

TRUMP GUY WINS THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY TO FILL DELEO’S SEAT

CHECKING IN ON THE COMMONWEALTH’S COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE BILL

CHECKING IN ON THE COMMONWEALTH’S COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE BILL

YOUNG VOTERS, OLD GAME

YOUNG VOTERS, OLD GAME

CAMPBELL ORDERS INFORMATION ON OFFICER’S INVOLVEMENT IN CAPITOL ATTACK

CAMPBELL ORDERS INFORMATION ON OFFICER’S INVOLVEMENT IN CAPITOL ATTACK

Miami protestors support the “Fight for 15,” a campaign for a higher minimum wage. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

AS LABOR SECRETARY, WILL MARTY WALSH REPRESENT ALL WORKERS?

STATE WIRE: FAILURE TO INVESTIGATE CREDIT COMPLAINTS A TOP ISSUE FOR MA CONSUMERS

STATE WIRE: FAILURE TO INVESTIGATE CREDIT COMPLAINTS A TOP ISSUE FOR MA CONSUMERS

Primary Sidebar

HEMPIRE FREEDOM PACK 25% OFF

FEATURED EVENT

Most Popular

  • SPECIAL FEATURE ON THE MASS STATE POLICE: TROOPER WILSON’S WAR by CHRIS FARAONE
  • [UPDATE: WE GOT IT!] WHERE IS THE CONTRACT FOR MASSACHUSETTS’ VACCINE APPOINTMENT SOFTWARE? by POLINA WHITEHOUSE
  • BOSTON LATIN ACADEMY GRADS FIGHT FOR REPRESENTATION IN ALUMNI GROUP by CHRIS FARAONE
  • DOES THE FORMER BPD COMMISSIONER EVEN LIVE IN BOSTON? by ZACK HUFFMAN
  • MASS KEEPS TRYING TO BUILD A NEW WOMEN’S PRISON OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC VIEW by DAN ATKINSON

READ CURRENT MEMBER EDITION

DIG Member 1.9 – 11/26/20

READ CURRENT STREET ISSUE

DIG 23.02 – 1/28/21

Footer

digbos

digbos
It’s the second time in less than a year that pr It’s the second time in less than a year that progressives have been dealt a bitter defeat in a crowded primary race. https://digboston.com/trump-guy-wins-the-democratic-primary-to-fill-deleos-seat/ #politics #election #Democrats #primary #legislature #Winthrop #Revere  #Massachusetts #MAGA #herp #derp
As lawmakers consider Baker’s amendments to clim As lawmakers consider Baker’s amendments to climate bill, the fight for environmental justice continues. https://digboston.com/checking-in-on-the-commonwealths-comprehensive-climate-bill/ #politics #legislature #environment #activism #globalwarming #Massachusetts
AS LABOR SECRETARY, WILL MARTY WALSH REPRESENT ALL AS LABOR SECRETARY, WILL MARTY WALSH REPRESENT ALL WORKERS? Or just unionized construction workers… and the corporations that fund the Democrats. The latest from DigBoston's @jasonpramas. https://digboston.com/as-labor-secretary-will-marty-walsh-represent-all-workers/ #politics #labor #union #work #national #analysis #Boston #Massachusetts
Includes Gang Green, The Freeze, SIEGE, TREE, and Includes Gang Green, The Freeze, SIEGE, TREE, and many more. https://digboston.com/iconic-lineup-comes-through-to-support-nantasket-venue-through-pandemic/ #music #digital #benefit #Hull #Massachusetts
Our interview with Avi Loeb, author of “Extrater Our interview with Avi Loeb, author of “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth.” https://buff.ly/2O3nlUd #interview #book #alien #technology #astronomy #controversy #debate #science #Boston #Massachusetts
LGBTQ+ prisoners in Mass stand up to a violent sys LGBTQ+ prisoners in Mass stand up to a violent system that targets and dehumanizes vulnerable populations. https://digboston.com/special-feature-the-cruel-and-usual-violence-against-lgbtq-people-in-mass-prisons/ #prison #prisoner #humanrights #LGBT #politics #Massachusetts
Nominations now open! Vote for your favorite busin Nominations now open! Vote for your favorite businesses today. 

Are you a business? Are you the best at what you do? Encourage your fans to cast their votes! DM us to get our social media materials to promote your business and ensure your win. #bostontops #digboston
Bill sponsors, #Framingham mayor, and MA district Bill sponsors, #Framingham mayor, and MA district attorney will explain the Work & Family Mobility Act at a press conference. https://digboston.com/driving-families-forward-coalition-aims-to-help-undocumented-attain-drivers-licenses/ #politics #undocumented #immigration #driving #license #Massachusetts
Today at 4pm, cast your votes! #digboston Today at 4pm, cast your votes! #digboston
At a virtual summit, leaders sought to educate and At a virtual summit, leaders sought to educate and engage on the need for change. https://digboston.com/officials-advocates-speak-to-immigration-reform-and-economic-recovery/ #immigration #reform #economy #politics #Massachusetts
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Submissions

Advertise

Privacy Policy

Customer Service

Distribution

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial: [email protected] For internship opportunities: [email protected]