Affordable and safe housing for women in New Bedford: YWCA buys County Street property
NEW BEDFORD — The women who will be able to call the YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts’ new property in New Bedford their home will receive the assistance they need to attain self-sufficiency in a supportive environment.
Executive Director Gail Fortes said the Residential Services program provides not only a place to live but also provides supportive services and case management services for the women. A residential services coordinator and an assistant work one-on-one with each of the women who each have individual service plans.
“We’re helping them accept resources whether it’s employment, job training, work readiness programs,” Fortes said. “We teach financial literacy, digital literacy, racial justice and make any referrals for them if they need other services we don’t provide so we really try to support them as much as possible so they can be successful and self-sufficient.”
Affordable housing in New Bedford for women
With two residential permanent housing programs in New Bedford already, the YWCA has been looking for a third location in the city as part of its strategic plan with housing for its programs a top priority. Fortes said they hope to do so in the near future as well.
“We know that finding safe and secure affordable housing is a challenge in our community and we want to provide as many as possible,” she said. “Right now we have two programs that we’ve been running – one property has seven women and one has eight women – so now we’ll be providing services to 27 women in total.”
The third home providing supportive services for women ages 18 and over is located at 549 County St., and was previously run as a boardinghouse.
Fortest said two of the existing residents will remain in the home to be part of the YWCA’s housing program, and 10 new residents will be moving in to join them for a total of 12 residents. The program provides for single-room occupancy.
“Each woman would have her own fully furnished bedroom, and then there would be shared common spaces like the living room, kitchen and bathrooms,” she said.
How much did the YWCA pay for that house?
The YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts purchased the large Victorian house built in the 1800s, otherwise known as Elizabeth’s House, from owner Theodore Peris for $1,025,000, according to real estate records. The 5,656-square-foot home with 13 beds and five baths was sold Feb. 28.
Fortes said there will be some minor renovations to the home that may take about three months before they start accepting new residents. They are already receiving calls.
How to apply for a room at the YWCA residential house
Applications are available by email at info@ywcasema.org and on the website at https://ywcasema.org/residential-services or by calling the YWCA at 508-999-3255.
Who does the YWCA serve?
The YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts, located at 20 South Sixth St. In New Bedford, was founded in 1911, and its mission speaks to the elimination of racism and the empowerment of women.
Run by a board of directors and staff that reflects the diversity of the area, the YWCA serves an area that stretches from the Rhode Island border east to Provincetown, south to the Islands and north to Attleboro, Brockton and Plymouth.
In a press release, YWCA Board President Lindsay Carter-Monteiro said they saw a need for more affordable housing and made purchasing new property a priority in their strategic plan.
“I am looking forward to the major renovation of our new building,” she said. “Our YWCA has been dedicated to providing more residential and supportive housing for women and families in our community. Substandard housing quality is more likely to be experienced by people of color, our LGBTQIA plus, and immigrant communities. Our YWCA saw the need and we are called to action. We know this renovation isn’t going to be easy, however we are motivated and up for the challenge.”
Most of the members and the vast majority of the participants in programs and services reside in the Greater New Bedford area.
Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kgallreporter. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Job training, lessons in financial literacy are part of the package
