BOSTON – March 8, 2021 – MassHousing has awarded a total of $72,750 in grant funding to Link House, Inc. to modernize 65 affordable sober housing units in Salisbury and Amesbury for women and men in recovery.
The grants come from the Center for Community Recovery Innovations, Inc. (CCRI), a nonprofit subsidiary corporation of MassHousing that helps nonprofits create or preserve affordable sober housing in Massachusetts for individuals in recovery.
To date, CCRI has awarded more than $12 million in grants for the creation or preservation of more than 2,600 units of substance-free housing, in 54 communities, serving recovery populations that include men, women, families, veterans, the homeless and ex-offenders.
"We are pleased that this CCRI funding will help renovate these two important sober homes in Salisbury and Amesbury for the women and men living there who are working to overcome substance misuse," said MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay. "Having a supportive, sober home is a major factor in overcoming addiction and these two facilities will now be modernized for the residents moving forward."
"Link House, Inc. is excited and grateful to have received this generous award from CCRI/MassHousing. We are fortunate to have such supportive partners," said Link House Executive Director Gary Gastman. "These funds will greatly assist in our ability to make necessary repairs to our buildings that house 65 individuals who reside in safe, sober, and well-preserved properties. Our buildings are more than 70 years old and require constant upkeep, and the funds received from CCRI will help to directly preserve the number of beds available to adults seeking long-term sobriety in the Commonwealth."
The CCRI grants to Link House are:
Marist Center for Women, Salisbury, $45,000: MassHousing grant funds will help replace the roof on the building with 40 units of affordable sober housing for women in recovery.
Progress House, Amesbury, $27,750: Grant funds will help replace the 25-unit building's heating system, upgrade the sprinkler system and complete other improvements for the men in recovery there.
About CCRI
The Center for Community Recovery Innovations, Inc., issues an annual Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit projects for funding. The proposals that are selected need to meet CCRI's current priorities and eligibility categories. The grants are typically used as one-time gap funding for capital projects that increase or improve the stock of affordable sober housing in Massachusetts. Other proposals that provide services for residents in MassHousing-financed rental housing, specifically those that address alcohol and/or drug abuse or addiction, are also considered for funding. CCRI grant recipients must be 501c3 non-profit organizations and matching funds must be provided. All proposals and applicant qualifications are stringently reviewed and vetted by MassHousing.
About Link House, Inc.
Link House, Inc. has been in operation for almost 50 years, and has five residential sites housing 126 men and women. In addition, Link House operates a large outpatient mental health and substance-use treatment center. Fore more information please visit www.linkhouse.org.
About MassHousing
MassHousing (The Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency) is an independent, quasi-public agency created in 1966 and charged with providing financing for affordable housing in Massachusetts. The Agency raises capital by selling bonds and lends the proceeds to low- and moderate-income homebuyers and homeowners, and to developers who build or preserve affordable and/or mixed-income rental housing. MassHousing does not use taxpayer dollars to sustain its operations, although it administers some publicly funded programs on behalf of the Commonwealth. Since its inception, MassHousing has provided more than $27 billion for affordable housing. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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