Mass. cities and towns work together to combat housing crisis

While a lot of work is underway to find homes for newly-arriving migrants, housing has long been an issue in Massachusetts.

A collection of towns and cities just north of Boston has banded together to help anyone in need of a place to stay or general help.

This initiative has been in the works for over a year, and thanks to almost $2 million from federal American Rescue Plan funds, it's finally becoming a reality.

Eight communities like Malden, Revere, Everett and Chelsea are joining forces to help the most vulnerable in their region and those battling housing insecurity.

Fidel Maltez, Chelsea's city manager, says this initiative will provide services and outreach to many, regardless of their immigration status.

"The goal of this program is to support our residents that are experiencing domestic violence, residents experiencing eviction or have housing insecurity in general and also, those residents struggling with addiction," Maltez said.

Organizations like Housing Families in Malden and Neighborhood Developers in Chelsea are offering help with housing search, legal support and basic necessities like food and water.

"One critical thing that we're going to provide is case management," Maltez said. "What we experience a lot in the city of Chelsea is that our residents want someone to talk to and want someone who can help them, guide them and provide legal support."

This initiative has been in the works for over a year and will be spearheaded by the city of Malden, but City Council President Stephen Winslow says this wouldn't be possible without everyone coming together to help those who need it most.

"Every community struggles with this," Winslow said. "The fact that we can come together with resources — as a small city, we struggle with having enough resources ourself to deal with this."

The program will start in April, and Malden officials say they will have more information on how to participate in the upcoming weeks.