Cross Street Housing in Malden, a project developed by Tri-City Family Housing, opened in the fall of last year.
Tri-City Family Housing is a Malden-based organization committed to helping families get their feet on the ground by putting a roof over their head. The company, originally established by concerned community members of Everett, Malden and Medford, has been providing assistance since 1986 by finding families affordable housing and arming them with the necessary knowledge and skills to break the cycle of homelessness. But although the organization’s history is long, it is presently suffering from the same plight as the people it serves: an unstable economic outlook.
The initial manifestation of Tri-City Family Housing involved a single shelter for four needy families in Malden, most of whom would stay for a relatively short three or four weeks. The organization has evolved significantly in the almost two decades since.
“We’ve changed a lot since then. Now we can provide temporary housing for 48 families with two different types of housing: congregate [multi-unit] and scattered-site apartments,” said Judy Perlman, Tri-City’s executive director. “Families are now also more involved. We have a lot of services to get them ready to be re-housed and make a smoother transition.”
Four units of housing are located on Broadway in Malden, with another four located on Salem Street. Though the “Tri-City” name refers to Everett, Malden and Medford, one of its largest facilities is sited in Revere: 15 units on Walnut Place.
In addition to those locations, Tri-City also owns two three-decker units that provide affordable housing to six low-income families, one on Fellsway West in Medford, the other on Richardson Street in Malden.
A larger part of Tri-City’s evolutionary process came with the fall 2004 opening of Cross Street Housing, the agency’s most sizable development in the organization’s history. Over $6 million was raised to develop 19 new units of affordable housing on Cross Street in Malden. A 20th unit is in place for a live-in care taker. Tri-City’s offices are also located on site.
“The three buildings are all located on a small parcel of land, located right across the street from a nice park. This was a big step for Tri-City and the families we assist,” said Perlman.
An ‘Incessant Need’
Tri-City does a great deal of work finding people homes, but the organization’s assistance extends further. Its family support services include a successful stabilization program, economic advancement initiatives and a program for children and families that provides one-on-one counseling, academic support and a therapeutic arts group. Those services work not only to help those who are currently in need, but also to prevent a return into extreme poverty and homelessness.
“We averted 21 evictions in the last few years by creating a relationship between landlord, tenant and ourselves. Relapse is something that happens, but we want to prevent that at all costs. The fabric of lower-income families’ lives is very fragile,” said Perlman.
While Tri-City is helping families escape exposure to the elements, its lack of exposure to the public at large seems to be posing a possible impediment to the organization’s future. With expansion of services and scope in mind and a defined need in the areas Tri-City serves, the mission of helping others may be contingent upon help from the community.
“The one challenge families are facing now is how hard it is to make it economically in Greater Boston. It’s huge,” said Perlman. “In parallel, I’d say our greatest challenge is also money. We’ve grown and we’re much more complicated than when we began, or even when I got here in 2001. You gave us $5 of government money and we’d spend it on $5 of shelter. But now it’s much more complex. We need to raise more money than we’ve ever had in order to just stand still. And we want to grow. The families’ problem is our problem, too.”
In order to increase public awareness, Tri-City is now embarking upon a renaming and re-branding strategy in partnership with Cambridge-based Nickerson PR, Marketing & Events.
“We’ve been living in obscurity for much of our life. We’ve been working hard to have our public profile catch up with our footprint,” said Perlman. “People locally don’t really know who we are, and sometimes the term ‘Tri-City’ can be confusing because that phrase is involved in a lot of names. By renaming we can pull down some limitations, not only by confusing us with other organizations, but by planting us solely within those three cities. We’re already beyond that.”
Since the aforementioned facility in Revere is outside of the implicated tri-city area of Malden, Medford and Everett, expansion is a natural, and necessary, next step.
“We are open to spreading out into other communities. We’re trying to catch up with the incredibly rapid growth and the incessant need,” said Perlman. “Within the next 12 to 18 months we’ll most likely be launching some new real estate projects. If we don’t, we’re just going to disappear. Our little number of units is nothing against what we’re facing.”
Currently, Tri-City’s housing portfolio is about two-thirds shelter and one-third affordable units, although it is looking to shift that ratio.
“We want to change our makeup to half shelter and half affordable units. We see affordable housing paired with support services as the solution to homelessness,” said Perlman.
Looking to the future, Tri-City is hoping that its name change and public image campaign will help it spread the word to the outside world, which in turn will help those whose world needs changing.
“We’ve always been here, but we’ve been quiet,” said Perlman. “We’re really part of the community and now we want people to know. And perhaps more importantly, we want people to get involved.”
