COVID Recovery Means Fixing
our Housing System
When William Flores first came to the Chelsea Collaborative, he was homeless, recently released from the hospital after battling COVID for three weeks, and in tears because his personal possessions were stolen from his subleased room while he was in the hospital.

William had been unstably housed for years - surviving night to night in shelters, on couches, and in subleased rooms. Two days before being hospitalized he made a deal with a roommate to share the room and split the rent - each paying $400/month. But the roommate took off with all of his belongings, including the only photos he had of his daughter, while he was in the hospital. When William returned to the room he had rented, the landlord told him he was not authorized to be there and he had to leave. Collaborative staff helped him find emergency temporary housing in a hotel for the time being, and our work continues to find him a safer, more sustainable housing option - without success so far.

William is one of thousands of tenants in Chelsea and surrounding areas who are still falling through the cracks of a broken housing system - forced into financial and health crisis without any affordable, safe, or secure housing options available. With May 1 approaching, we are working with more than 900+ families who fear their housing is at risk. We are educating our community on Massachusetts' eviction moratorium protections and supporting hundreds of families to access the City of Chelsea's $1.2 million rental assistance program , which launched this week and is open to all residents regardless of immigration status.

While we celebrate this infusion of resources to keep our community housed, it's not enough . We expect Chelsea will need at least $2 million in rental assistance to keep all of our families in their homes once the eviction moratorium ends and rent is due.

We need your help
Join us in asking our representatives to increase funding for rental assistance and grant rental amnesty for COVID-impacted families. We must give our families a fighting chance to get back on their feet after COVID and once the eviction moratorium ends.
In the News: Chelsea Launches Rental Relief Fund
CBS Boston - Take a walk inside the Chelsea Collaborative and you’ll find an all hands on deck operation. What used to be a space for the community to gather has now become a warehouse of food. Boxes filled with staples are stacked to the ceiling. And as volunteers get ready for Tuesday’s pop-up food pantry, wellness workers call residents at risk of being displaced. More new from Chelsea here .
One Chelsea Fund
The One Chelsea Fund was established by the Chelsea Collaborative, Green Roots, and The Neighborhood Developers, with the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley to provide $250 in financial support to Chelsea families impacted by COVID-19. Families can request support by completing a short intake form, available here .