Somerville Homeless Coalition awarded

$105,000 Cummings grant

June 1, 2023

Somerville Homeless Coalition is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. The Somerville-based organization was selected from a total of 630 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $105,000 over 3 years. 

 

For nearly 40 years Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) has been providing homeless and near homeless individuals and families with supportive services and tailored housing solutions with a goal of finding  everyone a home.   They support clients with food security assistance, emergency shelter,  housing search, street outreach,  eviction prevention and permanent  supportive housing.  Additionally, SHC has also recently opened an Engagement Center.  This program offers their most vulnerable clients an invitation and opportunity to drop-in and escape the harsh elements of street life while also getting some of their most basic needs met – reflecting SHC’s values of treating everyone with dignity and respect.

Like many nonprofits they have been on the receiving end of supplemental targeted funding designed to address spikes in emergent client needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

However, as Executive Director – Mike Libby comments:

“The Cummings Grant  will have a significant impact on SUSTAINING our programs’ expansion – ensuring a footprint in an underrepresented part of our city – by assisting in maintaining the level of service and commitment to clients who have benefited from our upstream crisis prevention services over the last 12+ months.” 

Through the Cummings grant, SHC will  be able to continue to provide households, within a low-income neighborhood, with equitable and accessible wraparound case management services to prevent crises such as homelessness, eviction and food insecurity.

The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the areas where it owns commercial property. Its buildings are all managed, at no cost to the Foundation, by its affiliate, Cummings Properties. This Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages 11 million square feet of debt-free space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.

“The way the local nonprofit sector perseveres, steps up, and pivots to meet the shifting needs of the community is most impressive,” said Cummings Foundation executive director Joyce Vyriotes. “We are incredibly grateful for these tireless efforts to support people in the community and to increase equity and access to opportunities.”

The majority of the grant decisions were made by about 90 volunteers. They worked across a variety of committees to review and discuss the proposals and then, together, determine which requests would be funded. Among these community volunteers were business and nonprofit leaders, mayors, college presidents, and experts in areas such as finance and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).

This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including housing and food insecurity, workforce development, immigrant services, social justice, education, and mental health services. The nonprofits are spread across 46 different cities and towns.

Cummings Foundation has now awarded $480 million to greater Boston nonprofits. The complete list of this year’s 150 grant winners, plus nearly 1,500 previous recipients, is available at here.

Read more about Somerville Homeless Coalition