1. Paying for Housing: Innovative Housing Subsidy Sources and Design Lessons from Massachusetts Susanne Beaton One Family Inc. Boston, Massachusetts November 30, 2007

2. Massachusetts: Family Shelter System Right to shelter state - eligible families guaranteed shelter accommodation Annual expenditures: –Approximately $70 million/annually –At one point 599 families per night residing in motels at annual cost of $20 million

3. Setting the Environment for Change Budget constraints – investing $ differently Build political will –Education –Relationship building –Focus on solutions versus problems Small steps - pilots Evaluate & refine interventions –Success (and praise!) breeds new investments

4. Paying for Housing: Lessons Learned Providing flexible funds to community- based, housing counseling agencies –Shelter to Housing, Toolbox –Outcome focused Accessing subsidized housing – breaking through waiting lists –Creating opportunities, overcoming reluctance Generating new dollars Accessing/using existing $ differently

5. Advice Identify key stakeholders, unlikely friends, bring people together Share best practices - what’s working what is not? Where are resources now being expended? Is this the best way? Can you reach more people, in a better way, with the same or less $$?