Citizens Inn Homes

Our Citizens Inn Homes Program works to ensure families remain stable in permanent housing after placement out of shelter. We do this by providing case management to our families placed out of shelter into permanent housing and by developing and maintaining a portfolio of affordable rental opportunities for families.

Through ongoing outreach, networking and work with landlords and affordable housing programs, our agency establishes relationships with an array of permanent housing opportunities for families. Housing placement is often combined with various housing/rental resources or subsidies as well as 12 months of follow-up supportive case management after discharge to help families transition to and stabilize in their new housing and community.

Citizens Inn is committed to ensuring that families who leave our residential programs retain housing, maintain recovery and do not need to return to the homeless shelter system or more acute treatment/levels of care. We have a team of specialists that follow each family upon discharge for 12 months and provide best-practice housing stabilization services. We also have substance abuse counseling/case management experience on this team (LADC II eligible). Each family develops a client-driven stabilization plan in collaboration with the Stabilization Case Manager. The plan focuses on housing stability and retention as well as ongoing self-sufficiency and recovery goals and outcomes.

The Stabilization Case Manager helps the family transition to housing and follow-through with their discharge plan and connect with community based supports. Monthly supportive check-ins either by phone or in-person take place as well as four (quarterly) home visits. This case management is low-intensity but can provide more intensive support as needed to help keep families stably housed. This team is skilled at making referrals and ensuring access to public and private resources and benefits such as fuel assistance, rental assistance, housing, SNAP benefits, income supports, transportation, child care, afterschool and summer camp programs, immigration and legal services, DV and trauma services, mental health and health services, education and training programs, and parenting resources. They also advocate in housing court and attend other inter-agency meetings including with DCF at the request of the family.

Citizens Inn also purchases, renovates and maintains affordable rental housing throughout the city of Peabody. We currently have five multi-family homes throughout Peabody. This program was made possible by funding received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Program eligibility is restricted only to applicant households that meet specific income limits and other criteria indicated listed in our Tenant Selection Policy.

At this time, our affordable rental units are all occupied. We do however accept applications at any time. Once a completed application is received, we will determine if the household applicant meets the eligibility requirements for program participation. If the application meets those requirements, it will be date and time stamped. We will then add the household application to our housing wait list which we maintain on an ongoing basis.