Housing & Homelessness Services
Clinical & Support Options’ Friends of the Homeless (FOH) program provides much more than “just” emergency shelter. While FOH does provide a warm bed and hot shower to more than 1,200 individual men and women (18 years and older) each year, it also assigns case workers to each guest. Case workers help shelter guests find work and permanent homes, navigate state and federal assistance programs and, of course, access behavioral and mental health supports, and address other obstacles to sustainable independence.
Emergency Shelter
CSO’s FOH program provides overnight shelter for adult men and women (18+) in Springfield, Northampton, and Greenfield. Shower and laundry facilities are available to our shelter guests. An FOH Resource Center is open during the day in each location. Guests can visit to gain information and assistance in obtaining work, housing, or healthcare — or simply to stay warm or cool.
Meals and Food
CSO’s Friends of the Homeless program provides nutritious and satiating meals at all its locations. Meals are planned and prepared by trained FOH culinary staff. Food is primarily served, however, by volunteers.
If you or your organization are interested in supplying volunteer hours, please contact CSO’s Volunteer Coordinator by email at volunteer@csoinc.org.
At its Worthington Street location in Springfield, CSO’s FOH program serves three community meals each and every day — 365 days a year — to anyone needing food. The fully licensed kitchen serves over 150,000 meals a year. Meals there are served:
Breakfast: 8–9 a.m. Lunch: 12 Noon–1 p.m. Dinner: 4:30–5:30 p.m.
Permanent Housing
CSO owns and operates 110 low-income housing units on the FOH Worthington Street campus in Springfield. These units are subsidized by either the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) or Section 8.
For more information on qualification criteria for housing services, please contact Friends of the Homeless staff at 413.732.3069.
In addition, CSO’s “Low Threshold Housing and Services” (LTHS) program funded by the Mass. Dept. of Public Health provides further access to housing for Western Mass. individuals who meet certain eligibility criteria. Information about this particular program can be obtained by calling 413-732-3069, Ext. 7052 or by sending email to lthsreferrals@csoinc.org.
SPRINGFIELD Resource Center
The FOH Resource Center in Springfield provides access to a fully-licensed, on-site health clinic, a resource room with computer availability and trainings, and case managers working with clients daily to remove barriers to permanent housing and employment. Our Resource Center is handicap-accessible and is conveniently located on a PVTA line (Worthington/Sackett 1 bus stop).
MEDICAL RESPITE
The FOH Medical Respite program in Northampton provides attended bednights to guests experiencing homelessness following discharge from a hospital. The respite program provides a safe space to recuperate and also coordinates follow-up medical care and navigation toward permanent housing.
Locations
Hampden County
755 Worthington St.
Springfield 413.732.3069
Hampshire County
91 Grove St.
Northampton
413.586.6750
413.584.0709
29 Industrial Dr. E.
Northampton
413.835.4630
Franklin County
60 Wells St.
Greenfield
413.772.6100