Housing instability
Students lose stable housing and experience frequent moves between shelters, doubled-up apartments, and motels.
The Challenge
A statewide crisis with a sharper edge in Brockton.
0+
Students experiencing homelessness in Massachusetts
0+
Students identified in Brockton Public Schools
0%
Of Brockton students experience homelessness
0
Students at Brockton High School each year
Why this matters
Three forces compound the harm.
Educational disruption
Higher absenteeism, lower graduation, and increased mobility — 55% of BHS students experiencing homelessness are chronically absent.
Fragmented systems
Schools, housing, healthcare, and nonprofits work in silos. High school students fall between family and youth services.
Why BE&HC exists
Brockton is not lacking resources.
Brockton is lacking coordination.
Vision
A Brockton where every young person has stable housing, equitable education, and the coordinated support to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Mission
A cross-sector partnership for stability and belonging.
BE&HC is committed to dismantling the systemic and institutional barriers faced by students experiencing homelessness. By strengthening coordination among schools, city agencies, and community-based organizations, we build responsive, culturally grounded systems of support that promote stability, belonging, and long-term success for Brockton's youth.
Our Framework
Six pillars. Twelve initiatives.
Filter by pillar to see the initiatives building it out.
Pillar 1
Initiative 01
College & Career Pipeline
Full program pageGoal
Build a clear pipeline from Brockton High to college and career through tutoring, mentoring, summer programming, and family engagement.
Partners
Boston College LSEHD, Brockton High School, SPORVO Mentoring
Success measure
Postsecondary enrollment rate for students experiencing homelessness.
Pillar 1
Initiative 02
School-Based Tutoring & Mentorship
Goal
Provide consistent in-school academic support so students can recover credits and stay on grade level.
Partners
School on Wheels of MA & BHS leadership
Success measure
Course pass rates, GPA improvement, attendance gains.
Pillar 2
Initiative 03
McKinney-Vento Flex Fund (Thrive Stipend)
Goal
Provide rapid, flexible funding for transportation, basic needs, and stabilization expenses.
Partners
Brockton Public Schools, Haitian Community Partners Foundation
Success measure
Funds distributed; students stabilized in housing/school.
Pillar 2
Initiative 04
Full-Time BHS Integrated Services Liaison
Goal
Hire a dedicated integrated services liaison inside Brockton High School to support students experiencing homelessness.
Partners
Brockton Public Schools, City Connects
Success measure
Caseload served, attendance, graduation outcomes.
Pillar 3
Initiative 05
Paid Work Opportunities
Goal
Create paid internships and work-based learning that build income, skills, and adult mentorship.
Partners
Sporvo, BAMSI, City of Brockton.
Success measure
Number of paid placements; sustained employment.
Pillar 3
Initiative 06
Belonging & Engagement Opportunities
Goal
Connect students to clubs, sports, arts, and wellness programs that build belonging.
Partners
Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, SABURA Youth Programs.
Success measure
Enrichment participation rates.
Pillar 4
Initiative 07
Know Your Housing Rights Convenings
Goal
Host community meetings so families understand McKinney-Vento, tenant, and housing rights.
Partners
Justice Center of Southeast MA, Haitian Community Partners Foundation.
Success measure
Families reached; cases resolved.
Pillar 4
Initiative 08
Student & Family Resource Directory
Goal
Launch an accessible online directory of trusted services for students and families.
Partners
Brockton Public Schools, BE&HC partners.
Success measure
Directory use; referrals completed.
Pillar 5
Initiative 09
Champions Compact for Youth Housing & Education Stability
Goal
Formalize cross-sector commitments through a signed Champions Compact.
Partners
Collective BE&HC leadership.
Success measure
50 organizations signing on.
Pillar 5
Initiative 10
McKinney-Vento Professional Development
Goal
Train educators, partners, and providers in identifying and supporting students experiencing homelessness.
Partners
Brockton Public Schools, Youth Advisory Committee.
Success measure
Staff trained; identification accuracy.
Pillar 6
Initiative 11
Landlord & Housing Provider Partnerships
Goal
Build relationships with landlords and providers to expand stable placements.
Partners
Mayor's Office, Boston Higher Ground.
Success measure
Units made available to families.
Pillar 6
Initiative 12
Regional Network for Student Homelessness Response
Goal
Connect Brockton's work to a regional network with shared data and advocacy.
Partners
South Shore CoC, Boston Higher Ground.
Success measure
Regional members; policy wins.
Our Approach
Theory of Action.
Building integrated systems of care for high school students experiencing housing instability in Brockton.
01 — Drivers & Context
Why now.
Students experiencing homelessness graduate at rates 14 points lower than housed peers in Massachusetts, and face poor mental health at higher rates. Funding is uncertain, and no single system can respond alone, especially with budget cuts occurring at the local, state, and federal level.
02 — Collaborative Dynamics
How we work.
Partners engage through principled engagement: coalition convenings, shared decision-making, and youth advisory input that help define problems and align strategies. This builds shared motivation and the capacity for joint action, including aligned resources, formal partnerships, and pooled institutional expertise.
03 — Action → Impacts
What changes.
Coordinated supports, including a school-based integrated services liaison, targeted tutoring and mentorship, and flexible funding, expand access to mental-health and academic supports, improve engagement, and reduce systemic fragmentation. From the start, BE&HC works to change how local youth organizations in Brockton collaborate, a shift that deepens over time into adaptive, systems-level change.
References
- Edwards, E. J. (2026). Student Homelessness in a County Governance Landscape: Fragmented Systems, Disconnected Schools. Educational Policy | https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08959048261425926
- Emerson, K., Nabatchi, T., & Balogh, S. (2012). An Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 22(1), 1–29.
- Ishimaru, A. M. (2019). Just Schools: Building Equitable Collaborations with Families and Communities. Teachers College Press.
Impact Goals
What success looks like.
0
Paid internships for students
0%
Students connected to enrichment
$0K
Thrive Fund raised
0
Families trained on housing rights
0
Organizations signing the Compact
Get Involved
Four ways to move with us.
Donate
Fuel the Thrive Fund — rapid, flexible support for students in crisis.
Learn more
Volunteer
Become a mentor, tutor, or convening volunteer.
Learn more
Partner
Join the coalition as an organization aligned with our mission.
Learn more
Advocate
Sign the Champions Compact and speak up for housing-stable youth.
Learn more
Meet the Coalition
A cross-sector partnership.
JZ
Jane Zucco
Education
McKinney-Vento Education Liaison
Brockton Public Schools
Kevin McCaskill
Education
Principal
Brockton High School
CP
Choyoah Pennyfeather
Education
Community Partnerships Coordinator
Brockton Public Schools
Jazmine Bradsher
Government
Director of Social Services
City of Brockton Mayor's Office
Jeff Charnell
Government
City Council Member
City of Brockton
Earl J. Edwards, PhD
Higher Education
Assistant Professor
Boston College
Aaron Coleman, PhD
Higher Education
Assistant Professor
Bridgewater State University
Elianny C. Edwards, PhD
Higher Education
Assistant Professor
Holy Cross
Andrew Hurley
Higher Education
Doctoral Student
Boston College
Marline Amedee
Community
CEO
Haitian Community Partners Foundation
Belynda Cesar
Community
Project Coordinator
Haitian Community Partners Foundation
Athena Giannaros
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Executive Director
School on Wheels of MA
Sana Ismail Ahmed
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Director of Tutoring
SOWMA
CF
Curtis Felix
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Program Director
BAMSI Young Adult Access Center
Richard Johnson
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Executive Director
Sporvo Youth Mentoring
Kenny Monteiro
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Executive Director
Friends and Mentors Inc.
AM
Anita Monteiro (Leny)
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Director
SABURA Youth Programs
MJ
Michael Joseph
Community
Recruitment & Engagement Liaison
BE&HC
Laritza Perez
Health
Youth Program Manager
Brockton Neighborhood Health Center
AS
Ashley Straker, Esq.
Legal
Supervising Attorney
Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts
Laura Striese
Community
Executive Director
The Charity Guild
BV
Brianna Verelien
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Program Development Associate
South Shore Continuum of Care