And you’ll hear from Executive Director Sarah Porter as she reflects on 50 years of Victory. We follow a low-barrier housing-first clinically driven approach to guide clients towards health and safety. All classes are geared toward the message of hope through Christ and the reshaping of the paradigm of how to handle the pressures and pains of life. Visit our Connect to Services page for an updated list of the BLC’s services.
- Residents will continue to receive 24/7 wraparound services by trained Granada House staff, including case management, residential assistance, and medical and mental health services.
- Residents currently living in the site will have the option to remain as the property transitions, with new placements being coordinated through the City’s Coordinated Entry system, which ensures equitable access to housing resources for residents most in need.
- Art, fitness, wellness, and job readiness classes are always useful to our clients.
- Granada House also recognizes the benefits of hiring people with lived experience who can play an important role in bridging the gap between services and the people who use them.
- For many, Granada House represents the last possibility for hope and the first chance for sustained success in their battles with substance use or illness.
Residents will continue to receive 24/7 wraparound services by trained Granada House staff, including case management, residential assistance, and medical and mental health services. On the streets, at our Boston Living Center, and across programs, we work to prevent chronic conditions and overdoses. We provide HIV, Hepatitis C, and STI testing and counseling; a healthy meals program; syringe and naloxone distribution; and an array of education, navigation, and support services. When folks are safely housed, they’re much more likely to address their health, addictions, and other issues. It’s a “housing first” approach that includes stabilization services, emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing, housing search and advocacy, case management, and more. We provide community-based outreach and services including integrated testing, linkages to healthcare services, harm reduction counseling and supplies, transgender peer support, and more.
Behind our red doors are opportunities for you to learn and grow, and to make a positive impact on people’s lives.
Permanent supportive housing is a proven approach to addressing chronic homelessness by combining affordable housing with on-site services such as case management, mental health support, and substance use treatment. This model provides stability for individuals who face significant barriers to maintaining housing. Residents currently living in the site will have the option to remain as the property transitions, with new placements being coordinated through the City’s Coordinated Entry system, which ensures equitable access to housing resources for residents most in need. The program is designed to enhance neighborhood security and public health by providing reliable housing for individuals previously experiencing homelessness. This reduces strain on emergency services and helps residents reintegrate as active and positive members of the community. This major acquisition secures a vital resource for individuals experiencing homelessness and addresses the need for long-term supportive housing in Boston.
Peer Support Groups are facilitated discussions in a “safe place” led by Peer Support staff. Much evidence supports that peer support is a crucial and Granada House Review effective strategy for ongoing health care and sustained behavior change for people with chronic diseases and other conditions. The nutrition department at the BLC also offers cooking classes, food demonstrations, food pantry bags filled with nutritious items for a balanced meal, and other food resources. The BLC’s focus on nutrition improves the health of individuals living with HIV and AIDS, and those who are experiencing other chronic illnesses and food insecurity. Good nutrition has the power to reduce symptoms and it can minimize medication side effects.
If you’d like to schedule a tour of one of our programs to decide the right volunteer opportunity for your group, please email You’ll meet Rashawn, a man who found support and community in an unlikely place, and Brenda, one of our Supportive Case Managers who is a force to be reckoned with. You’ll learn more about the growth Granada House has experienced this past year.
Search for Transitional Housing
In addition to focusing on immediate needs, the permanent supportive housing model helps residents rebuild their lives on their path toward long-term recovery. Founded in 1989, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, the Boston Living Center (BLC) is New England’s largest drop-in community and resource center for people living with HIV/AIDS. The BLC seeks to enrich the lives of people living with HIV and responds to the changing needs of the community by offering members free services and resources including peer support, meals, wellness, and education. The model combines affordable housing with on-site supportive services to encourage residents to build life skills, pursue personal goals and gradually reintegrate themselves as contributing members of the community.
House the person
In the time that Granada House has operated this program in this location, there have been few issues with neighbors, and in each instance, we have addressed any concerns. Previous projects indicate that permanent supportive housing is effective in helping individuals achieve stability and long-term independence by demonstrating what it feels like to have a sense of belonging. Located at the heart of the Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Blvd. neighborhood, the Victory Connector is a crucial harm reduction program designed to engage the most entrenched, street-based homeless individuals who are reluctant to connect with other systems of care.
Closest Area Transitional Housing
Our Peer Leaders help other members empower themselves and develop effective strategies for living healthy lives. Our specialized, short-term treatment programs are for individuals diagnosed with substance use disorder who have additional treatment needs. This new transitional housing program will provide a safe, LGBTQ+ affirming environment for young adults (ages 18-24) transitioning from homelessness. Helping others overcome addictions has always been a priority for the ministry of the Durham Rescue Mission. Dr. Ernie Mills’ personal experience with the alcohol addiction of his father led him to Durham in 1973 with a hope of reaching the addicted.
You will have a tour of the Center, an overview of the services available, and meet with staff to see how we can best meet your needs. Bring some fun and joy to a program by hosting a trivia or bingo event! Groups will be asked to provide in-kind donations of gift card prizes for event winners. Up to 20 people in a group for two-hour shifts in Back Bay and Roxbury.
- The BLC responds to the changing needs of its community through education, treatment information, and support services.
- Inside, the former hotel rooms will be converted into efficiency apartments equipped with kitchenettes, private bathrooms and living spaces.
- Graduates may choose to attend school or receive vocational training, with financial assistance provided through the Durham Rescue Mission and the GlaxoSmithKline educational endowment.
- “I just want to continue.” Giving the individuals that she counsels at The Victory Connector, a low-threshold navigation center in the neighborhood run by the nonprofit Granada House, a feeling of care, a sense of calm and peace, is what she aims for each day.
- Mayor Michelle Wu today announced that Granada House, Inc. (VPI), with support from the City of Boston and state partners, has acquired the enVision Hotel at 81 South Huntington Avenue.
Below are just some of the services offered at the Victory Connector. For a more robust look of what we offer, visit our Victory Connector Connect to Services page. A .boston.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the City of Boston.
Today, the Victory Program helps restore the lives of dozens of men and women throughout the Triangle suffering from alcohol addiction and drug addiction. The Boston Living Center (BLC) responds to the changing needs of its community through education, treatment information, and support services. For a more robust look at our offerings, visit our BLC Connect to Services page. Wrapping services around a congregate meal, investing in community and social capital, professionalizing peers, providing a safe, non-medical place to reconnect and/or remain connected to care, have been key components of what many have found helpful, if not transformative.
They also benefit from the community aspects of congregate dining – connecting with other members and staff. Don’t hesitate to apply if your work experience doesn’t align with every qualification in the job description. Granada House also recognizes the benefits of hiring people with lived experience who can play an important role in bridging the gap between services and the people who use them. We are committed to providing opportunities for people with lived experience to develop the skills and experience they need to achieve their career goals.
Connect
Last year, 5,252 people turn to Granada House for shelter, sustenance, recovery, care, and professional, compassionate support. Our team of more than 200 staff across 28 programs works with people to develop and execute creative, safe solutions to the very real challenges they face. During this time, residents continue to live in one of our men’s or women’s shelters in the Raleigh-Durham area while they work to obtain permanent employment, save needed start-up funds, seek affordable housing, and continue educational and vocational classes.
Mayor Wu is committed to making Boston a city for everyone and her administration has continued to work closely with partners to increase the availability of permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness around Boston. Since the start of the Mayor’s term, the City has built over 250 units of permanent supportive housing with 195 units currently under construction and another 200 units currently in the pipeline. The City will continue to work closely with residents, community organizations, and elected officials to address homelessness through strategic investments in housing and health services. The BLC responds to the changing needs of its community through education, treatment information, and support services. When individuals and families are safely housed, they’re much more likely to address their physical and mental health, addictions, and other issues. Our housing stabilization services, including emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing, and case management, move people off the street as quickly as possible, with as few barriers as possible.
That is why the BLC is expanding to serve people living with chronic health conditions including and beyond HIV, people who are experiencing housing and/or food insecurity, and those who are isolated, as examples. It’s why the 46-year-old loves her job, working as a harm reduction specialist with individuals experiencing addiction, homelessness, and mental health issues in the area of Mass. and Cass in Boston. The transformation to permanent supportive housing will be done in phases, beginning with renovations designed to convert hotel rooms into efficiency-style apartments.