Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC)

History and Activities

The Somerville Homeless Coalition was founded in 1985 to provide food and housing to the homeless in Somerville, Massachusetts outside Boston. While SHC received nearly 75 percent of its funding from government grants according to its 2023 tax return, the organization was reportedly founded by local advocates, religious leaders, university students, businesses, and city officials in response to a homelessness crisis. Since its founding, SHC claims to have provided services and housing to nearly 6,000 people. ^{4  1  3}

SHC provides one-on-one supports services to help homeless individuals access social services and housing, including by offering case management, housing search services, food programs, and reduced-price housing. SHC also operates a 16-bed adult homeless shelter and Project Soup, a food assistance program. SHC attempts to help those who are homeless to live independently. ³

Altogether, SHC has six programs: homelessness prevention to help people with housing access funding to pay rental and utility arrears, an outreach and shelter program for the homeless, emergency assistance for the homeless, food assistance, housing search assistance, and transition assistance to help homeless clients transition out of emergency shelters and into long-term housing. ²

To facilitate access to its programs, SHC also has an Engagement Center, a central hub for homeless people to access services provided by SHC as well as connect with other homeless service organizations and support. The Engagement Center is only available to those who meet the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) definition for Literal Homelessness. ⁵

SHC is also affiliated with the Somerville Community Agencies Network and Somerville Chamber of Commerce. ⁴

People

As of 2025, the executive director of the Somerville Homeless Coalition was Michael Libby. Libby has worked with SHC since 2000. Libby was the director of development and programs at SHC from 2000 to 2012, the deputy director from 2012 to 2019, and became the executive director in 2019. He graduated from Boston College with degrees in political science and faith, peace, and justice studies in 1997 and received a master’s degree in social work from Salem State University in 2004. ^{6  7}

Financials

According to its 2023 tax return, the Somerville Homeless Coalition reported $8,416,876 in revenue, $7,595,612 in expenses, and $6,438,116 in assets. Of its expenses, SHC spent $1,888,263 on leasing 55 apartments to then sublease to the homeless, $1,209,072 on its Project Soup emergency food service program, and $558,826 on operating an adult shelter. SHC received nearly 75 percent of its revenue in 2023 ($6,260,463) from government grants. It also received $1,710,982 from gifts, grants, and other contributions. ¹

Financial supporters of the Somerville Homeless Coalition include Rennell Capital Group and Arabella Insurance Foundation at the platinum level; Cambridge Savings Bank and Brookline Bank at the diamond level; Rockland Trust Bank, Middlesex Federal, East Cambridge Savings Bank, Eastern Bank, Park Avenue Congregational Church UCC, Tufts University, Mass General Bigham, and the Goods at the silver level; and Joy 2 Design, Velney Construction, Beth Israel Lahey Health Mount Auburn Hospital, Somer Nova, Federal 1962, and RentWise Boston at the Bronze Level. ⁴