Advocates and organizations gather on Beacon Hill for homeless legislative action day
BOSTON (WWLP) – Dozens of activists, providers, and organizations gathered in the Great Hall of Flags on Monday, pushing for resources that prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless and resources for those who are actively experiencing homelessness.
This legislative session, advocates are focusing on a rental assistance homelessness prevention program and eliminating fiscal barriers to getting Massachusetts ID cards, as concerns deepen about the impact of federal funding cuts.
'I think given the difficult federal situation that we're in, we really are counting on Massachusetts to be the values-driven place that we all expect it to be,' Andrea Park, a housing and homelessness lawyer for the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, told 22News.
One organization, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, provides resources spanning from rent subsidies to behavioral health counseling to career development for homeless young adults. While the organization is based in Boston, it welcomes young adults from across the states to take advantage of its programs and services.
'Any young people in Springfield, don't give up on yourself…please keep your head up…and call, there are safe places programs all over,' said Bridge Over Troubled Waters' President and CEO, Elisabeth Jackson. Jackson told 22News that the best thing homeless young adults can do for themselves is ask for help and make use of the available resources.
Advocates pushed for budget funding and state support for homeless individuals of all ages and emphasized the additional challenges facing the very young and the very old.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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