HOMELESS IN BOSTON

How do individuals dealing with homelessness and/or drug addiction spend their days?
What role does the Engagement Center, a drop-in day shelter, play in their lives?
IN BRIEF
In 2017, The City of Boston started the Engagement Center ("the EC") as a pilot program with an ostensibly straightforward mission: provide "a welcoming environment for individuals in need of a space to spend time during the day." This is one of many drop-in centers around the country that have sprouted up in the context of the national housing and opioid crises.
The City of Boston's Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics sought my help in understanding those who use the space, study their needs, and gauge the success of the pilot program.
MY ROLE IN THE PROJECT
Project Management
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Developed the client relationship
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Managed client expectations
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Hired a research partner
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Managed the project and facilitated meetings
Ethnographic Research
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Framed the research problem and proposed the research plan
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Developed interview and research protocols
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Conducted ethnographic research through the course of a month
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Analyzed and synthesized research data with a research partner
Storytelling
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Created and presented findings to stakeholders at the City of Boston
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Conducted a design workshop for the team at the Mayor's Office
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Wrote a 3,000 word piece communicating our work to a broader audience within the City of Boston
IMPACT
Inspired by the Engagement Center, the City developed guidance for overnnight low-threshold spaces.
Subsequently, the State of Massachusetts is supporting shelters across the state with increased low-threshold programming.
The City of Boston discusses the project on their website.
The entire report is accessible here.
Our work helped The City of Boston understand what needs were being met in the space & who was benefiting from its services. They subsequently built a permanent Engagement Center in 2021.
