Harbor House

Almost half live with HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, and/or other chronic health conditions. 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. 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.

Good nutrition has the power to reduce symptoms and it can minimize medication side effects. Harbor 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. Harbor 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.

Volunteering at Harbor House is a great way for your company or your community group to support Harbor 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.

Harbor House, the nonprofit partner managing operations, has also signed a two-year contract with the City to continue site operations through 2027. This period will allow for further planning to secure additional funding to best support the transition to permanent supportive housing. The individuals and families we serve are homeless or precariously housed —but their challenges are even more complicated. The great majority have histories of trauma, chronic substance use, and mental health issues.

Meet Our Staff

• Visit our Connect to Services page for an updated list of the BLC’s services.
• Harbor 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to focusing on immediate needs, the permanent supportive housing model helps residents rebuild their lives on their path toward long-term recovery.
• 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.

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. If you’d like to connect to our services or make a referral, click here.

Yes, Harbor 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 Harbor House has operated this program in this location, there have been few issues with neighbors, and in each instance, we have addressed any concerns. 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. Helping others overcome addictions has always been a priority for the ministry of the Durham Rescue Mission.

Careers

At Harbor House, we value your time, both at work and in your personal life, ensuring you have the resources and support you need to thrive. “Sometimes I feel so happy that my heart — I feel like I’m having like a big, good pain in my heart,” she said. “I just want to continue.” Giving the individuals that she counsels at The Victory Connector, a low-threshold navigation center in the neighborhood run by the nonprofit Harbor House, a feeling of care, a sense of calm and peace, is what she aims for each day. Harbor 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.

• Our dining room also serves as an important way for our members to build community.
• Volunteering at Harbor House is a great way for your company or your community group to support Harbor House while bonding with your fellow employees or group members.
• 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.
• We are committed to providing opportunities for people with lived experience to develop the skills and experience they need to achieve their career goals.

Join Harbor House’ team of over 200 dedicated and compassionate employees who are committed to helping our community’s most vulnerable individuals and families. 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.

Connect

This model provides stability for individuals who face significant barriers to maintaining housing. Residents currently living in the site will have the option to remain as the property transitions, with new placements being coordinated through the City’s Coordinated Entry system, which ensures equitable access to housing resources for residents most in need. The program is designed to enhance neighborhood security and public health by providing reliable housing for individuals previously experiencing homelessness. This reduces strain on emergency services and helps residents reintegrate as active and positive members of the community. This major acquisition secures a vital resource for individuals experiencing homelessness and addresses the need for long-term supportive housing in Boston.

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. 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. 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.

Men & Women

The Jamaica Plain Recovery Center (JPRC) is a peer-led community center in partnership Harbor House Review with Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Our goal is to create a safe, welcoming space for individuals from all backgrounds who are navigating addiction recovery. We established a nurturing community where every member finds belonging and plays an active role in shaping their journey toward recovery. Harbor House’ Mobile Prevention Team (MPT) works to improve health outcomes, reduce mortality, and enhance overall quality of life for all by seamlessly connecting individuals to resources and knowledge through navigation, outreach, and education. Art, fitness, wellness, and job readiness classes are always useful to our clients. Transitional housing is temporary housing for the working homeless population and is set up to transition their residents to permanent housing.

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. When folks are safely housed, they’re much more likely to address their health, addictions, and other issues. It’s a “housing first” approach that includes stabilization services, emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing, housing search and advocacy, case management, and more. 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. 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.

Boston Living Center Services

Harbor 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, Harbor 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, Harbor House fosters safe, healthy, and inclusive communities. When individuals and families are safely housed, they’re much more likely to address their physical and mental health, addictions, and other issues.

You’ll learn more about the growth Harbor House has experienced this past year. And you’ll hear from Executive Director Sarah Porter as she reflects on 50 years of Victory. We follow a low-barrier housing-first clinically driven approach to guide clients towards health and safety. All classes are geared toward the message of hope through Christ and the reshaping of the paradigm of how to handle the pressures and pains of life. Visit our Connect to Services page for an updated list of the BLC’s services.