Vanderburgh House Inc Job Opportunities

Since the start of the Mayor’s term, the City has built over 250 units of permanent supportive housing with 195 units currently under construction and another 200 units currently in the pipeline. The City will continue to work closely with residents, community organizations, and elected officials to address homelessness through strategic investments in housing and health services. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Addiction Services initially funded the program through December 2024. To ensure the continuation of these critical services, the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) and the Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH) intervened to support the acquisition and operations of the property, avoiding disruption to the lives of individuals being served. When individuals and families are safely housed, they’re much more likely to address their physical and mental health, addictions, and other issues. Our housing stabilization Review Vanderburgh House services, including emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing, and case management, move people off the street as quickly as possible, with as few barriers as possible.

Located at the heart of the Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Blvd. neighborhood, the Victory Connector is a crucial harm reduction program designed to engage the most entrenched, street-based homeless individuals who are reluctant to connect with other systems of care. Our services range from recovery support groups like AA or Refuge Recovery to wellness and life-skill activities like resume-building workshops or yoga classes; anything that encompasses healthy and safe choices for the mind, body, and soul. For many, Vanderburgh House represents the last possibility for hope and the first chance for sustained success in their battles with substance use or illness. Last year, 5,252 people turn to Vanderburgh House for shelter, sustenance, recovery, care, and professional, compassionate support. Our team of more than 200 staff across 28 programs works with people to develop and execute creative, safe solutions to the very real challenges they face. Peer Support Groups are facilitated discussions in a “safe place” led by Peer Support staff.

Boston Living Center

Previous projects indicate that permanent supportive housing is effective in helping individuals achieve stability and long-term independence by demonstrating what it feels like to have a sense of belonging. For many, Vanderburgh House represents the last possibility for hope and the first chance for sustained success in their battles with addiction or illness. We provide individuals and their families with the education, tools, and ongoing support they need to help them regain their health, prevent and manage relapse, and maximize their independence. During this time, residents continue to live in one of our men’s or women’s shelters in the Raleigh-Durham area while they work to obtain permanent employment, save needed start-up funds, seek affordable housing, and continue educational and vocational classes. Five days a week, we offer nutritious, hot, congregate meals in our dining room to address food insecurity and to connect members to a supportive, accepting community. 81% of BLC members use our meals program as their primary or secondary food source.

Vanderburgh House Acquires Former Hotel with Plans to Create Permanent Supportive Housing

Included in our array of Peer Support Group opportunities are a long-term survivor support group for women living with HIV/AIDS, a group led in Spanish for our LatinX community, and one for individuals balancing living with HIV with work, work re-entry, and/or higher education. Much evidence supports that peer support is a crucial and effective strategy for ongoing health care and sustained behavior change for people with chronic diseases and other conditions. The nutrition department at the BLC also offers cooking classes, food demonstrations, food pantry bags filled with nutritious items for a balanced meal, and other food resources.

Men & Women

Transitional housing is temporary housing for the working homeless population and is set up to transition their residents to permanent housing. We provide high-quality, evidence-based services based on individual needs, offering flexible, strengths-based solutions to people’s biggest challenges. The Victory Program is the Durham Rescue Mission’s 6-month holistic program designed to help people overcome a lifestyle of addictions and return to the workforce investing back into the community. Individual Nutrition ConsultationBy appointment only.Schedule an appointment with our nutritionist for help with meal planning, securing food assistance, and addressing nutrition-related issues. They also benefit from the community aspects of congregate dining – connecting with other members and staff.

Teams

A .boston.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the City of Boston. You will have a tour of the Center, an overview of the services available, and meet with staff to see how we can best meet your needs. Bring some fun and joy to a program by hosting a trivia or bingo event! Groups will be asked to provide in-kind donations of gift card prizes for event winners.

• Last year, 5,252 people turn to Vanderburgh House for shelter, sustenance, recovery, care, and professional, compassionate support.
• When folks are safely housed, they’re much more likely to address their health, addictions, and other issues.
• The Jamaica Plain Recovery Center (JPRC) is a peer-led community center in partnership with Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

• Our services range from recovery support groups like AA or Refuge Recovery to wellness and life-skill activities like resume-building workshops or yoga classes; anything that encompasses healthy and safe choices for the mind, body, and soul.
• Providing a welcoming environment, our compassionate and inspiring team is committed to helping them regain their health and restore their hope through immediate access to safe and stable housing.
• Art, fitness, wellness, and job readiness classes are always useful to our clients.

Vanderburgh House is a Boston-based organization dedicated to opening doors to hope, recovery, and community for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, addiction, or chronic health challenges. Guided by a commitment to inclusivity and second chances, Vanderburgh House provides personalized care to help clients overcome barriers to stability and independence. With a long history of addressing unmet needs, from pioneering services during the AIDS epidemic to creating alternatives to incarceration for women with substance use disorders, Vanderburgh House fosters safe, healthy, and inclusive communities. Vanderburgh House is a Boston-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals and families who are homeless and may have substance use disorders, often accompanied by chronic health issues like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and mental illness. Providing a welcoming environment, our compassionate and inspiring team is committed to helping them regain their health and restore their hope through immediate access to safe and stable housing. Mayor Wu is committed to making Boston a city for everyone and her administration has continued to work closely with partners to increase the availability of permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness around Boston.

Vanderburgh House operates various programs throughout Boston, all built on our strongly held belief that no person who is struggling should be asked to do the hardest thing first, on their own, before they are offered the fundamental support they truly need. Volunteering at Vanderburgh House is a great way for your company or your community group to support Vanderburgh House while bonding with your fellow employees or group members. If you’d like to schedule a tour of one of our programs to decide the right volunteer opportunity for your group, please email You’ll meet Rashawn, a man who found support and community in an unlikely place, and Brenda, one of our Supportive Case Managers who is a force to be reckoned with.

Our Peer Leaders help other members empower themselves and develop effective strategies for living healthy lives. Our specialized, short-term treatment programs are for individuals diagnosed with substance use disorder who have additional treatment needs. The Boston Living Center (BLC) responds to the changing needs of its community through education, treatment information, and support services.

Meet Our Staff

The BLC’s focus on nutrition improves the health of individuals living with HIV and AIDS, and those who are experiencing other chronic illnesses and food insecurity. Good nutrition has the power to reduce symptoms and it can minimize medication side effects. Yes, Vanderburgh House deeply values community engagement and plans to have open dialogue with community groups and local residents. We will continue to collaborate with neighborhood organizations to foster positive relationships and ensure a smooth transition for the building, its residents, and the community. In the time that Vanderburgh House has operated this program in this location, there have been few issues with neighbors, and in each instance, we have addressed any concerns.

Learn more about our Residential Recovery and Short-Term Treatment programs. If you would like to join our mailing list to automatically receive our publications by mail, fill out the form below or email your name and address to People’s success ultimately depends on their own belief in themselves and their future. We focus on what a person is doing “well,” with a nurturing effect that fosters continued effort from the first steps toward progress and growth.

Unlike a shelter, this program provides residents with their own dedicated, private living units, thereby supporting the transition to self-sufficiency. In addition to focusing on immediate needs, the permanent supportive housing model helps residents rebuild their lives on their path toward long-term recovery. Everything a member may seek at the BLC, above and beyond their HIV diagnosis, would also be so helpful to so many others. That is why the BLC is expanding to serve people living with chronic health conditions including and beyond HIV, people who are experiencing housing and/or food insecurity, and those who are isolated, as examples.

For the past two years, the former hotel has successfully operated as a shelter, offering transitional housing to a total of 208 individuals. The shelter has improved the health, stability, and hope of residents while easing the strain on public services during the city’s homelessness crisis. Founded in 1989, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, the Boston Living Center (BLC) is New England’s largest drop-in community and resource center for people living with HIV/AIDS. The BLC seeks to enrich the lives of people living with HIV and responds to the changing needs of the community by offering members free services and resources including peer support, meals, wellness, and education. It’s why the 46-year-old loves her job, working as a harm reduction specialist with individuals experiencing addiction, homelessness, and mental health issues in the area of Mass. and Cass in Boston.

Permanent supportive housing helps residents reduce their reliance on emergency services and allows them to manage their daily needs, such as cooking and cleaning, independently. The program includes comprehensive services such as case management, mental health support, and access to medical services. These resources are tailored to help residents build skills, find employment, and achieve long-term stability. Vanderburgh House, which has managed the existing emergency shelter, will continue to oversee both the building and the new “Visions of Victory” program. Trained staff will continue to be on site 24/7 to provide support and ensure a safe environment for the residents and the neighborhood.

Residents will continue to receive 24/7 wraparound services by trained Vanderburgh House staff, including case management, residential assistance, and medical and mental health services. We provide community-based outreach and services including integrated testing, linkages to healthcare services, harm reduction counseling and supplies, transgender peer support, and more. On the streets, at our Boston Living Center, and across programs, we work to prevent chronic conditions and overdoses. We provide HIV, Hepatitis C, and STI testing and counseling; a healthy meals program; syringe and naloxone distribution; and an array of education, navigation, and support services. The model combines affordable housing with on-site supportive services to encourage residents to build life skills, pursue personal goals and gradually reintegrate themselves as contributing members of the community.

Vanderburgh House has officially acquired the former EnVision Hotel, which we have been operating as a shelter since 2022. We will continue to operate the shelter as we convert the building into permanent supportive housing. Once this is done, the building will no longer operate as a traditional shelter. Vanderburgh House’ purchase of enVision Hotel was made possible through a loan from the City of Boston using federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and a loan from the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC). With the acquisition of enVision Hotel, the City can continue shelter operations at a sustainable cost while planning a gradual transition of the property to permanent supportive housing over the next several years. Mayor Michelle Wu today announced that Vanderburgh House, Inc. (VPI), with support from the City of Boston and state partners, has acquired the enVision Hotel at 81 South Huntington Avenue.