Mayor Walsh, Governor Baker, Victory Programs celebrate grand opening of Joelyn's Home

Mayor Martin J. Walsh yesterday joined Governor Charlie Baker and Victory Programs to officially open Joelyn's Home, a new 24-bed residential recovery home for women. Housed in a beautifully renovated Victorian home in Roxbury, Joelyn's Home will provide housing and comprehensive direct care services to women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, while providing additional support for those with mental illness and HIV/AIDS. Seventy-five percent of those that Victory Programs serves are homeless when admitted, and twenty percent are women caring for children.

"I am proud that the City of Boston's investment helped create this beautiful new home for women and their families who are suffering from addiction," said Mayor Walsh. "When women walk in the front door of Joelyn's, they walk into the front door to their new life--a door to counseling, support, and permanent housing--that is a critical part of our strategy to end substance abuse in Boston. Together, we can make Boston a city where no one is left behind."

Brought back from disrepair through a partnership between the City of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development (DND), the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, and Victory Programs, the Roxbury Victorian underwent comprehensive exterior and interior renovations, including installation of new electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems, as well as receiving a new roof, new windows, and a new gutter system.

New Joelyn's Home is a fully functional residential treatment program for substance abuse and addiction issues, and will be staffed 24 hours a day with skilled direct-care clinicians and community case managers. In total, Victory's programs span 18 health, housing, and prevention programs that serve low-income households with supportive needs.

"It was an exciting day for substance addiction treatment in Boston," said Victory Programs President and CEO, Jonathan Scott. "If it takes a village to raise a child, it took the entire City of Boston to rebuild this magnificent program. We could not have opened this program so quickly without the full support of the City. It's a miracle, really."

Funding for the $3 million renovation was made possible through a blend of funding sources, including a loan of more than $940,000 from the City of Boston's Housing Boston 2030 housing fund. Additionally, an anonymous foundation donor provided $850,000 for acquisition of the building, and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development provided a loan of more than $940,000.  Victory also contributed more than $250,000 to the redevelopment and received a $75,000 grant from Mass Housing.

The City of Boston continues to encourage and sponsor the creation of new, transitional and permanent housing opportunities with recovery services for homeless individuals and families towards a goal of ending chronic homelessness and substance abuse.  Through partnerships like those with Victory, the City of Boston has restored full capacity to its shelter and treatment system, with as many shelter and treatment beds in the system as were formerly located on Long Island.