Transformational gift will help create 400-500 permanent housing units
BOSTON – December 7, 2021 – Today, Pine Street Inn, New England’s largest homeless services organization, announced that it has received a transformational gift of $15 million from the Yawkey Foundation to advance Pine Street Inn’s goal of ending homelessness by making permanent housing a reality for the most vulnerable individuals. This announcement will be celebrated with an event today, December 7, at 1:00 p.m. at the Women’s Inn at Pine Street, 363 Albany Street, Boston.
“The impact of this gift and partnership cannot be overstated,” said Pine Street Inn’s Board Chair,
Patrick T. Jones. “Permanent supportive housing is a proven solution to homelessness and the Yawkey Foundation’s gift will make a meaningful difference in the lives of hundreds of the city’s most vulnerable residents.”
Representing the largest single gift received in Pine Street Inn’s 50+-year history, the Yawkey Foundation grant will help accelerate expansion of the organization’s housing program by creating 400-500 new units of permanent supportive housing during the next five years, effectively increasing Pine Street Inn’s total units by approximately 50%. Pine Street Inn’s housing programs provide highly-skilled, trained support staff who work with tenants in accessing medical and behavioral healthcare, job training and jobs, volunteer opportunities and more to help them remain safe, stable and housed.
“Pine Street Inn is beyond grateful for this transformational gift,” said Lyndia Downie, President and Executive Director of Pine Street Inn. “Having had the pleasure of personally meeting Mrs. Yawkey in 1989, I know that she believed in Pine Street’s mission and it’s very meaningful to have this 34-year long partnership evolve into a transformative grant that will make it possible to impact the dynamic of homelessness in Greater Boston to an extent beyond anything we could have imagined.”
The Yawkey Foundation grant will enable Pine Street Inn to enhance its ability to identify and develop permanent housing with responsive, supportive services for the individuals the organization serves. Additionally, the grant will provide much-needed major capital improvements at the Women’s Inn. Pine Street serves more than 1,300 homeless or housing-insecure women each year through its women’s shelter and a variety of other critical programs and services. In recognition of this gift and the Foundation’s previous support which spans more than three decades, Pine Street Inn will dedicate and name the Women’s Inn the “Yawkey House.”
“Our Trustees deeply admire the critical work taking place 24/7 by the dedicated Pine Street Inn team working with Boston’s most vulnerable men and women,” said Maureen H. Bleday, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee. “It is our hope and belief that this grant will help individuals access the unique, responsive, and compassionate programs and services they need in order to rebuild their lives by reconnecting with families and communities, and successfully navigate their journey from the streets and shelter to a home of their own.”
Since its founding in 1977 by Tom Yawkey, the Yawkey Foundation has been committed to supporting nonprofits in achieving their mission of helping others. Jean Yawkey was an ardent supporter of providing opportunities for those most in need, and the Yawkey Foundation continues the relationship she began with Pine Street Inn in 1988.
About Pine Street Inn
Supporting close to 2,000 men and women daily, Pine Street Inn is the largest homeless services provider in New England. PSI programs include permanent housing, job training, emergency shelter and street outreach, with a goal of moving individuals off the street, out of shelter and back to a home and community.
With a housing retention rate of 95%, PSI’s strategy to scale up supportive housing builds on the success of its current program, which includes 850 tenants living in buildings it owns, leases and/or manages in Boston and Brookline, as well as rental units throughout Boston.
For more information, please visit www.pinestreetinn.org. Follow @PineStreetInn on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Yawkey Foundation
The Yawkey Foundation is dedicated to perpetuating the philanthropic legacy of Tom Yawkey and Jean Yawkey, whose eight decades of quiet generosity supported individuals and families in the communities that were closest to their hearts – Massachusetts and Georgetown County, South Carolina. Having awarded more than $500 million to-date in charitable grants to organizations focused on Health Care, Education, Human Services, Youth and Amateur Athletics, Arts and Culture, and Conservation and Wildlife, Yawkey Foundation is committed to preserving and sustaining the charitable values of the Yawkeys by investing in impactful nonprofits providing resources, opportunity, and dignity to the vulnerable and underserved.
For more information, please visit www.yawkeyfoundation.org or follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook for the latest announcements.