Open Sky awarded additional housing vouchers

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded Open Sky Community Services 39 additional mainstream housing vouchers, bringing the organization’s total to 102 vouchers. HUD made 18 awards in Massachusetts, of which only two went to non-profit organizations like Open Sky who were not traditional public housing authorities.

The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program competitively awards vouchers to public housing authorities to help non-elderly people with disabilities, particularly those transitioning from institutional or other settings, or who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The vouchers are part of Open Sky’s efforts to address social determinants of health by helping vulnerable people obtain housing.

“I am pleased to see that Open Sky’s work in the housing, healthcare and homelessness sectors continues to receive recognition and support from federal, state and local organizations,” said Ken Bates, president and CEO of Open Sky. “We know that helping people achieve stable housing greatly improves the quality of their lives and reduces costs, including healthcare costs, in the long run.”

Open Sky currently has an extensive waiting list for Section 8 Housing to which these new vouchers will be applied. If you are a landlord or a property owner that is interested in accepting Section 8 housing vouchers, contact Ron Hayes, Open Sky Director of Housing at (508) 234-6232.

For more information about Open Sky Community Services, please contact Lorie Martiska, lorie.martiska@openskycs.org

Open Sky Community Services is dba for Alternatives Unlimited, Inc. and The Bridge of Central MA. Open Sky offers a wide range of services for adults, adolescents, and children with mental health challenges, developmental and intellectual disabilities, substance use disorders, brain injury, homelessness and other challenges throughout Central Massachusetts. Open Sky Community Services has over 1,300 dedicated employees and an annual budget of $83 million with more than 100 programs throughout the region.

For more information, please visit www.openskycs.org.