Founded in 2001, the Congregate Shelter program serves the needs of homeless families throughout the Commonwealth, assisting them in obtaining permanent housing and economic self-sufficiency. The Program consists of two houses in Roxbury—Millennium House, located at 471 Dudley Street and the Cottage, at 2 Miller Park—and houses up to 21 families at any time. Each family lives in their own room at the shelter (a larger family is given two rooms) and shares communal space such as living room, dining room and kitchen with the other resident families.

The Congregate Shelters have 24-hour, on-site, coverage 365 days a year. Case managers are on site daily to assist families with their search for permanent housing; overcoming the obstacles that led them to be living at the Millennium House or the Cottage; and establishing links with external service providers to assist families in reaching their self-sufficiency goals. The program includes nutrition education, budgeting; parenting classes; job searches; crisis intervention; legal advocacy; counseling; case management; and tutoring for children, to ensure that families will be successful when they obtain permanent housing.

Additional information on programs that house homeless families in Massachusetts can be found at the following sites:

• Boston Resource Net
• Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless

For more information on CSR's Congregate Shelter program, contact the Director of Operations for Adult & Homeless Services, Johnny Hudson at 617-989-9625 or email jhudson@csrox.org.