At Jessie’s House, over 40 families a year receive supportive shelter, food, case-management, life skills education, and referrals to other community services–Amherst Family Center, The Literacy Project, and Everywoman’s Center, to name a few. Through our outreach program, we also assist families in the transition out of shelter and provide extensive stabilization supports once they find permanent homes.

Jessie’s House is located in a Victorian-era home at 17 Seelye Street in Amherst. The building is leased from the First Congregational Church of Amherst, which is our next door neighbor. The shelter can serve six families at a time and is full nearly every night. Jessie’s House is funded in part by the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance. Statewide, the DTA supports shelters that house approximately 1,320 families on any given night.

Jessie’s House is a program of the Center for Human Development. CHD serves more than 4,000 children, adults and families in Massachusetts and Connecticut with 1,000 caring human service professionals in 45 programs. CHD has been serving the most vulnerable people in our region for over 30 years.