Additional Resources for Housing & Shelter Providers

Articles, Reports, Presentations, & Briefs

Springfield Pioneer Valley Phase II housing report. Update to the Donahue Report, January 2022.

Pittsfield Report on the Needs for Housing Resource Center. Berkshire Housing Development, August, 2022.

Redlining in Pittsfield MA, A case study. A Report Commissioned by The Greylock Federal Credit Union with the support of Berkshire Bank, the Berkshire Branch of the NAACP, and the MCLA Foundation, April 2022

USICH releases principles for addressing encampments.

A must-read regarding strong city leadership, public and private partnerships and a deep commitment to housing first. How Houston moved 25,000 people from the streets into homes of their own. June, 2022.

The Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) is doing a great deal of work on Improving Housing to Improve Health (IH2 Project). This is a five year grant which seeks to answer how members of the Franklin County/North Quabbin Health Improvement Plan changes our regions's policies and systems to improve access the stable housing.

National Low Income Housing Coalition's National Shortage of Affordable Rental Housing, Report. 4.21.22

A Housing Vision for the Berkshires, 1 BERKSHIRE

Housing study sponsored by Way Finders with UMass Donahue Institute. Springfield Republican and Daily Hampshire Gazette. 3.31.22, You can see the report here.

Supporting persons leaving incarceration in securing housing, Bankrate.com

Equity Measures being required of HUD! Secretary Fudge Announces Directive to Review HUD Policies Posing Barriers to Housing for People with criminal histories, Apr 18, 2022.

Expanding access for people in the justice system! A briefing for leaders to Improve Public Safety and Health.

Coordinating with systems of care for people in the criminal justice system Justice Center, The Council of State Governments.

Housing options for re-entry, Reentry and Housing Coalition

Overview of Affordable Housing in Amherst: Facts, Trends, and Future. Presented by John Hornik, Amherst Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, September 2021

The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes. Aurand, Emmanuel, Threet, Rafi, & Yentel, National Low Income Housing Coalition, March 2021

Out of Reach 2021: Massachusetts. National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2021

Supporting Health Care Discharge Planning for patients experiencing homelessness. Resources, information and a support line to assist hospital staff in placing individuals who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability

Having the Greatest Impact on Homelessness and Racial Inequities with Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Resources, The Framework for an Equitable COVID-19 Homelessness Response, Updated July 2021

Greater Springfield Regional Housing Analysis Report: The first in-depth scan of the region in the COVID era - UMass Donahue Institute, March 2021

New Research Links Income Inequality with Increased Cost Burdens and Homelessness- The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, April 20, 2021

Rental Affordability and COVID-19 in Rural New England - New England Public Policy Center, April 21, 2021

The Lasting Impact of the Pandemic on Homelessness in the U.S.

From Wired: “Experiencing homelessness has always been a dire health risk, and COVID-19 has only worsened that danger. Unhoused people are disproportionately affected by health conditions that can make coronavirus cases more severe, and are often forced to shelter, eat, and access hygiene in congregate settings where social distance is difficult to maintain. Experts knew this from the start, and they have launched heroic efforts to create safe places for unhoused people to shelter and quarantine during the pandemic. Many of those programs, especially those that placed homeless people in empty hotel rooms, have been successful. Now, under the Biden administration, advocates are hopeful that they’ll be able to expand and improve those programs, and treat homelessness as the solvable problem it is.”

2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report Part 1

"From MHSA, 3/19/21: On Thursday HUD released the 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report Part 1. The report outlines the key findings of the Point-In-Time (PIT) count and Housing Inventory Count (HIC) conducted in January 2020.

From the HUD press release:

The report found that 580,466 people experienced homelessness in the United States on a single night in 2020, an increase of 12,751 people, or 2.2 percent, from 2019.

The report found that between 2019 and 2020, homelessness increased significantly among unsheltered populations and people experiencing chronic homelessness. Veteran homelessness did not decrease compared with 2019, and homelessness among family households did not decrease for the first time since 2010. The report also found that people of color are significantly over-represented among people experiencing homelessness.

Read the full HUD press release.

Given that the report is based on January 2020, the report does not reflect any impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the report is available at the state and CoC level here."