Supportive Housing

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)

Permanent, Affordable Housing in a Recovery-Oriented Community

Supportive housing provides residents with a safe, recovery-oriented environment to call home.

Casa Esperanza’s Supportive Housing Program provides 37 units of permanent supportive housing. Residents in early recovery receive fully bilingual Spanish-English supportive case management services. We are a fair housing provider offering 15 SRO units, 14 studios, and 8 family units all located on our Roxbury campus. The units are adjacent to our outpatient behavioral health clinic with co-located
primary care and two residential substance use disorder treatment programs. The program provides a supportive living environment to help tenants’ build independence, resilience, and recovery. Our services empower individuals in recovery to develop essential living skills. Tenants are part of a recovery community where they can receive and provide peer support. They have access community-based resources that promote treatment goals and bolster long-term recovery.

All housing units are non-smoking, and most are Section 8 subsidized. We do provide some unsubsidized units for individuals who are not eligible for Section 8. Units are spacious and well maintained. Our campus is close to schools, parks, and public transit. Residents can walk to South Bay Shopping Plaza, Dudley Branch Library, and many other local attractions. All tenants receive opioid overdose prevention, recognition, and response training. Tenants have access to naloxone kits in their respective buildings.

Eligibility Criteria:

Written documentation that a Section 8 voucher is approved for the applicant
Must be 18+
Tenant, or at least one member of the household, must have successfully completed at least six months of residential SUD treatment at a state-licensed program
Must have maintained sobriety for at least six months at point of admission
Must show capacity and commitment to participate in and engage in recovery-based supportive housing services
If there is a change of income, loss of employment, etc. tenants must show evidence of change of wages to request a rent adjustment
Must engage in Support Services for at least the first year of tenancy

Supportive Services:
Our case management services focus on providing individuals and families with the skills and resources they need to retain housing and achieve long-term recovery.

Housing Case Managers help tenants develop individual service plans. Service plans outline short- and long-term goals for recovery, housing stability, and self-sufficiency. Tenants make an explicit contract with their Case Manager for relapse risk reduction and crisis response plans.

Case managers also assist tenants with financial management, household management, domestic conflict resolution, and other essential needs. They refer tenants to other community-based organizations as needed, including Casa’s Familias Unidas Outpatient Clinic, which offers tenants:

Counseling including group, family, and individual psychotherapy
Spanish-language Structured Outpatient Addictions Program (SOAP)
Peer recovery coaching and mentoring
Health and Wellness Services
Psychiatric Services
On-site primary care including diabetes management, MAT
Supported Employment job counseling, referrals to vocational training, and educational opportunities
Sober social activities
Transportation assistance
Insurance Counseling

Casa operates five other fully bilingual and bicultural treatment and support programs including: Our Men’s Program which provides residential recovery services for up to 30 adult men. Latinas y Niños which supports up to 20 adult women in residential treatment and houses up to 12 children ages 9 and under. Familias Unidas Outpatient Services, a CARF accredited, licensed outpatient mental health clinic offers client-centered, integrated services to support the complex, long-term needs of individuals and families with co-occurring disorders. Familias Unidas is co-located with primary care through our partnership with Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. Recovery Support Services, including peer recovery coaching, intensive case management, HIV services, education and employment counseling and readiness, sober social activities and access to leadership opportunities. And Conexiones Stabilization Services, a 32-bed program that provides 24-hour inpatient clinical stabilization services for individuals who benefit from additional time to stabilize.

Our integrated care model quickly identifies tenants at risk of relapse or struggling to maintain housing. Those in need of further support are provided with higher-intensity crisis
management services.

Application:

To apply to Supportive Housing, please fill out this form and fax it to (617) 318-1148. Please also schedule an appointment to discuss your case at (617) 445-1123