Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How long do families live at Jessie's House?
A. On average, a family will live in the shelter for four to six months. As housing for low-income people becomes scarcer and scarcer, the average length of shelter stay keeps extending.

Q. Does Jessie's House shelter men?
A. Jessie's House shelters intact families as well as single head of household (including fathers). Although most of our families consist of single mothers and their children, we do provide shelter for single fathers with children and couples with children. Jessie's House acknowledges that homeless families include all types of households. The common link among all the families that stays at Jessie's House is that they include adults and children who need a safe, secure place to stay while they locate permanent housing.

Q. Does Jessie's House shelter teenage boys?
A. We do shelter teenage boys as part of the family unit. Jessie's House does not require a family to split up or separate because of a child's age. We believe our families are facing enough challenges, and to separate a family would only add to those challenges.

Q. Are families required to participate in household responsibilities and meetings?
A. All families are expected to participate in all household activities, including house-cleaning, meetings, workshops and participation in their Individualized Self Sufficiency Plan.

Q. Do children at the shelter attend school?
A. All school-age children attend school while they are living at Jessie's House. Some children attend school in their town of origin, while others are enrolled and attend the Amherst School System.

Q. Where do families go when they leave Jessie's House?
A. Most families move to permanent housing, generally within the tri-county area.

Q. What process do families go through to receive shelter at Jessie's House?
A. To stay at Jessie's House, families must meet certain income limits and other criteria set by the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance. Our residents work with the DTA's office in Holyoke to apply for Emergency Assistance. To learn more about how to qualify for shelter, please call that office at (413) 552-5400. Office hours are 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Jessie's House staff members also can provide information on this topic; simply call us at (413) 658-0060. We welcome calls on this or any other topic concerning the welfare of homeless families.