Established in 1994, Homes for Families seeks to end family homelessness through a statewide campaign for housing, education and jobs.

We believe that family homelessness is caused by the high cost of housing and incomes that do not keep up with housing costs. We also believe that family homeless is solvable.

MISSION

Homes for Families is a statewide advocacy organization committed to ending family homelessness through permanent and emergency solutions. We are a collaborative of families who have experienced homelessness, service providers and advocates. Together we educate, organize
and advocate for improved public policies to address the root causes of family homelessness
with holistic and community-based solutions.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Several values guide us in our work. We believe in

Partnership and collaboration : We seek to involve all the relevant parties in our work to end family homelessness: parents who have been homeless, shelter providers, advocates, policy makers, developers, universities and others. Our approach is to listen to and engage our community in defining and implementing solutions.

Parent participation/perspective : Families who have experienced homelessness are the experts on homelessness. We ensure that parents are at the table as, together, we define the problem, the solutions, and our policy agenda.

Holistic approach: We look at the root causes of homelessness, not just the immediate emergency, and define solutions. The solutions must involve systemic policy analysis, change to public policy and the empowerment and leadership development of families who have directly experienced homelessness. Our holistic approach means we seek to end homelessness by working for solutions that link housing, education, and jobs.

OUR PARTNERSHIPS

We work for realistic long-term, permanent solutions based on leveraging existing models,
practices and expertise. Our partnerships with parents, providers, academics, coalitions, policy makers, developers, and advocates are the foundation of our work to end family homelessness.

Each stakeholder has an important contribution to make in this work to end family homelessness.
As solution and coalition builders, we bring together partners to:

• Examine and understand the root causes of family homelessness;
• Gain multiple perspectives and learn from each partner's expertise;
• Build effective, permanent solutions.

Our next steps in this work include the creation of an Advisory Board in which strategic partners
will work to develop the next generation of solutions. We are also working to strengthen and
expand our leadership development initiatives with parents.

PARENT PARTICIPATION/PERSPECTIVE

Because we believe that families are the experts on homelessness, we facilitate the growth, development and empowerment of homeless parents. The path that we follow—our policy agenda, priorities and governance—is defined directly by including the voices and views of parents who have experienced homelessness.

Our continuum of leadership development initiatives empower parents who have been or are currently homeless, and engage them to become stronger leaders and activists in both their own lives and in our collective fight to end homelessness and poverty. Building a partnership means organizing parents who have been homeless and creating opportunities for them to develop their leadership potential and to play leading roles in advocacy and in HFF governance.

We meet with parents in shelters to understand their perspective and what brought them there. We hold workshops and trainings for parents to hone their policy analysis, systems change, facilitation and public speaking skills. In essence, we help parents articulate their experiences, analyze them through a lens of systems change, identify solutions, and work with them as they advocate for those solutions to family homelessness.

Of the parents with whom we work intensively, most have begun to lead others in our work for social change and in their own lives. One mother is now an case manager and advocate for people living with HIV. Others have been asked by legislators and the Mayor of Boston to speak publicly at forums and press conferences. Click here to read a speech by Cheryl Middleton at a legislative forum on homelessness. And because their voices and experiences are so vital to this work and our organization, half of our staff and board directors are parents who have experienced homelessness.

HOLISTIC APPROACH

We bring together stakeholders from across the state to make common cause in our work to end family homelessness. Our partnerships enable us to understand the root causes of family homelessness, and to develop realistic, effective, permanent solutions to ensure that all children and their parents have a place to call home.

• We believe that family homelessness is caused by a lack of affordable housing and because jobs do not keep up with the cost of living. And we believe that the solutions are rooted in access to housing, education and jobs.

• We are committed to applying a range of strategies in our work, including: problem analysis and advocacy; outreach and organizing at shelters; leadership development among parents who have been homeless; and reaching out and engaging stakeholders.

• Our solutions leverage existing expertise, practices and models.

• We do not seek to create another service system of care or to replicate the work of other organizations.

Through our efforts, our partners created and implemented the statewide homelessness prevention rogram, RAFT, in 2004. Between September and January, over 1,250 families' homelessness was averted due to this program. For more on our accomplishments, click here.