Homelessness & shelter
Shelter, transitional housing and basic services for people experiencing homelessness.
Residents consistently ask for more shelter beds, day centers with hygiene and food, and housing with support for youth and people with addiction.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
117 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 48 | 3.9% | 14 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 36 | 3.0% | 15 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 33 | 2.5% | 17 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
More shelters and shelter beds
Residents in every cycle ask for more places to sleep indoors, including overnight, winter and neighborhood-based shelters.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Day centers and hygiene services
Residents ask for walk-in spaces with showers, restrooms, laundry, health services and links to other help, including in Allston/Brighton and near Mass and Cass.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Food and meals
Residents repeatedly ask for meals, food banks or food programs for people experiencing homelessness, alone or alongside shelter.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Housing with addiction support
Residents ask for housing, transitional housing or rehab-linked shelter for people who are homeless and struggling with addiction.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26
Housing for homeless youth
Residents ask for supportive or transitional housing and shelter beds for youth and young adults who are homeless or aging out of care.
Raised in 2024–25, 2026–27
2024–25
Youth and family housing dominated, often paired with calls to spend the full $5 million, alongside ideas for converting vacant buildings and building tiny homes.
2025–26
Residents emphasized overnight shelters with food and hygiene supplies, and several raised safety concerns about street homelessness and addiction, with some proposing day centers instead of enforcement.
2026–27
Ideas were fewer and shorter, centered on more shelter beds, meals, outreach and service centers, with some specific asks for young adult beds and shelter grants.
New in 2026–27
New or more specific asks include funding existing shelters' daily needs, grants for shelter beds and renovations, heating and cooling centers, mobile outreach workers, a permanent soup kitchen in East Boston and bank accounts for people who are homeless.
Funding so far
The funded Bridging the Gap housing assistance pool addresses housing stability, but no winning project yet covers recurring asks for more shelter beds, day centers with hygiene services, meals, addiction-linked housing or youth-specific housing.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
Bridging the Gap: Assistance for Housing Stability
2025–26 · $200,000
This proposal establishes a flexible funding pool to help Boston residents at risk of or experiencing homelessness to secure or maintain housing.
Departments that often lead this work
- Mayor's Office of Housing
- Boston Public Health Commission
Suggested with AI; not an official assignment of responsibility.
Ideas in Homelessness & shelter
117 ideas
2024–25: 48 · 2025–26: 36 · 2026–27: 33
- One-stop center for addiction, homelessness and hungerResident proposes a single location, called Change S.O.S., where people can get help with addiction, homelessness, hunger and other needs, with participants helping one another.2025–26City-wide
- More shelters and places to stayResident asks for more shelters and places for homeless people to stay.2025–26City-wide
- Welcoming safe houses for people in crisisResident proposes free, judgment-free safe houses for people facing homelessness, domestic violence, drug abuse or mental health issues, offering counseling, food and practical resources to get back on their feet.2025–26City-wide
- Shelter for the homeless and donations to adoption centersResident asks the City to shelter homeless people and donate money to adoption centers.2025–26City-wide
- Monthly basic income for homeless residentsResident proposes giving homeless people in Boston $500 to $1,000 monthly with no strings attached to help them stay fed, clothed and possibly find housing.2025–26City-wide
- Shelter and services for homeless in RoxburyThe resident proposes sheltering homeless men and women in Roxbury with beds, showers, meals, drug prevention, and access to advocates, housing counselors and case managers.2025–26Roxbury
- Turn closed school buildings into temporary family housingThe resident asks the City to convert one closed or merged BPS building per region into temporary housing for homeless families so students avoid long commutes to distant shelters.2025–26City-wide
- Housing for homeless, rat control, food gardensThe resident would spend $2M on housing to get people off the street, rodent control for a cleaner community, and food gardens for residents who cannot afford store prices.2025–26City-wide
- Address homeless people with addiction near residencesResident says homeless people with addiction make the city feel dangerous and report being harassed outside their building, asking for action to improve safety.2025–26City-wide
- Long-term shelter with stipends for ages 16-28Resident asks for shelters serving a wider age range of 16 to 28 and long-term stays with a monthly stipend, noting young adults over 23 get little help.2024–25City-wide
- Address street homelessness at Mass Ave and Melnea CassResident is concerned about people experiencing homelessness, drug use and trash near Mass Ave and Melnea Cass Blvd and says the area feels unsafe and unsightly.2024–25City-wide
- Support shelters, housing and community buildingsResident asks the City to support shelters, housing and local community buildings.2024–25City-wide
- More rehab centers and sheltersResident asks for more rehab centers and shelters offering beds, showers, food, entertainment and job transition services, prioritizing ages 20 to 40.2024–25City-wide
- Halfway houses for reentry beyond substance useResident asks for halfway houses not limited to substance use so people returning from prison without addiction issues still get housing support.2024–25City-wide
- Build more homeless shelters and food banksResident asks for more homeless shelters and food banks to improve life for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.2024–25City-wide
- Shelter and essential supplies for people living on streetsCreate a shelter for people living on the street, buy essential items for them, and seek company support, available to all regardless of origin or color.2024–25City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Safe spaces for homeless people with mental health needsThe resident asks for locations where homeless and indigenous people with mental health issues can be safe and receive services.2024–25City-wide
- Help for evicted homeless familiesThe resident asks for support for Massachusetts families who are homeless after eviction and not eligible for existing help.2024–25City-wide
- Tiny homes or repurposed MBTA vehicles as housingThe resident asks to turn unused MBTA trains or buses, or tiny homes, into housing for people experiencing homelessness, to quickly address the housing crisis for families.2024–25City-wide
- Convert old train cars and build tiny homesThe resident proposes using retired train cars, which have heat and AC, as housing, along with tiny homes, similar to trailer homes.2024–25City-wide