Somerville Homeless Coalition

What Somerville Homeless Coalition does

Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC), doing business as SHC and legally Greater Somerville Homeless Coalition, is a Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1985 as a grassroots community response to homelessness. Headquartered at 362 Summer Street, Somerville, MA, after a recent consolidation of offices from 1 Davis Square and 255 Elm Street, the organization employs 46 staff and operates a continuum-of-care service model targeting homeless and nearly homeless individuals and families within the city of Somerville.

SHC delivers seven integrated program lines: Emergency Assistance, Food Assistance (food pantry, community meals, Project SOUP), Engagement Center drop-in services, Homelessness Prevention / Rapid Response, Housing Search Assistance, Outreach & Adult Shelter (serving 44 adult clients with bed nights), and Supportive Housing. Services are provided free of charge to qualifying clients and funded through a philanthropy-only revenue model that includes individual donations processed via the qgiv portal, Donor-Advised Fund (DAF Direct) contributions, in-kind gifts, and corporate/foundation grants (with the Cummings Foundation named as a recognized partner and Greater Boston Food Bank as a core food supplier). Operational footprint is single-jurisdiction (Somerville, MA), with no current geographic expansion signaled.

Governance is by an independent Board of Directors with no parent entity; the organization holds a Charity Navigator 4-star rating and a Candid (GuideStar) Transparency Seal, and maintains memberships in the Greater Somerville Chamber of Commerce and Somerville Community Action Network. Year-over-year impact metrics indicate accelerating programmatic throughput — an 82% increase in clients successfully housed, a 20% increase in groceries distributed, and 14,000 additional food pantry visits — serving over 5,900 individuals annually.

Name

Somerville Homeless Coalition

Legal name

Greater Somerville Homeless Coalition

Website

https://shcinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Somerville Homeless Coalition is a 1985-founded Massachusetts 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing emergency shelter, food assistance, housing search, homelessness prevention, and supportive housing to over 5,900 homeless and at-risk individuals and families annually in Somerville, MA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness and Housing Social Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Homeless services
• Housing assistance
• Food security
• Emergency shelter
• Homelessness prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Somerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization accepts individual donations through its website portal at secure.qgiv.com and in-kind gifts for clients.
2. Donor Advised Fund (DAF) Donations: Accepts DAF Direct donations through a dedicated page for donors using donor-advised fund accounts.
3. Corporate/Foundation Grants: Receives support from foundations including Cummings Foundation, with recognition as a partner/grant recipient.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Somerville Homeless Coalition is a nonprofit social services organization that provides homeless and nearly homeless individuals and families with individualized supportive services and tailored housing solutions aimed at obtaining and maintaining affordable housing. Its core offerings include Emergency Assistance, Food Security (food pantry, community meals, Project SOUP), an Engagement Center, Homelessness Prevention (rapid response/eviction prevention), Housing Search Assistance, Outreach & Shelter (44 adult shelter bed nights), and Supportive Housing.

Product overview

The Somerville Homeless Coalition is a nonprofit organization that offers a comprehensive portfolio of social service programs designed to support homeless and nearly homeless individuals and families. The organization provides a continuum of care including emergency assistance, food security programs (food pantry, community meals, Project SOUP), engagement center services, homelessness prevention with eviction prevention, housing search assistance, outreach and shelter services for 44 adult clients, and long-term supportive housing. The programs are delivered through multiple facilities including an Adult Shelter and an Engagement Center, with individualized supportive services tailored to help clients obtain and maintain affordable housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Assistance Provides immediate crisis support and emergency resources to individuals and families facing homelessness or housing instability in Somerville, MA. Accessed via walk-in or referral.
• Food Assistance Delivers food security support including groceries, food pantry access, and community meals to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.
• Engagement Center Provides a welcoming physical space where clients can access resources, receive support, and engage with services.
• Homelessness Prevention Offers rapid response services to prevent homelessness before it occurs, including eviction prevention support for households at imminent risk.
• Housing Assistance Provides housing search assistance and support to help clients find and maintain affordable housing in the community.
• Outreach & Shelter Delivers outreach services and shelter access for individuals experiencing homelessness, including 44 adult shelter bed nights.
• Supportive Housing Provides long-term supportive housing solutions for clients needing ongoing assistance to maintain housing stability.
• DAF Direct (Donor-Advised Fund Program) Enables donors to make charitable contributions to SHC through a Donor-Advised Fund program, supporting employer matching and workplace giving.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% increase in clients successfully housed year-over-year
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB)coreOthersGreater Boston Food Bank supplies food products to SHC's food pantry and food security programs, enabling distribution to clients.
• Somerville Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSHC holds active membership in the Greater Somerville Chamber of Commerce, participating in the local business community network.
• Somerville CAN (Community Action Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHC is a member/organization within the Somerville Community Action Network, a collaborative of community organizations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Heading Home: Cambridge-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, and supportive housing to homeless individuals and families in Greater Boston. Closely comparable to SHC in service model, target population, and geographic region.
• St. Francis House: Boston-based nonprofit serving homeless and low-income individuals with day services, meals, shelter, and housing support. Operates a similar continuum-of-care model targeting the same client population as SHC.
• Father Bill's & MainSpring: Massachusetts nonprofit operating emergency shelter, housing programs, and homelessness prevention across Greater Boston and the South Shore. Closely comparable service continuum and target population, making it a strong regional peer.
• HomeStart: Greater Boston nonprofit specializing in homelessness prevention, housing search, and rapid re-housing assistance. Highly comparable on the prevention and housing search assistance programs that SHC runs.
• Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Boston-based nonprofit serving homeless and at-risk youth with shelter, meals, education, and housing support. Comparable in operating model and direct-service nonprofit structure, though focused on youth rather than the general population SHC serves.

Regional players

• Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC): Cambridge-based anti-poverty nonprofit providing emergency assistance, food, and housing support to low-income residents. Comparable service mix and community-based nonprofit structure in an adjacent Greater Boston city.

Broad incumbents

• Pine Street Inn: Largest Boston-area homeless services nonprofit operating shelter, housing, and workforce programs. Directly comparable mission (ending homelessness) and overlapping service lines (emergency shelter, supportive housing), but at significantly greater scale than SHC.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston: Large regional social services organization providing housing, food, and emergency assistance across Eastern Massachusetts. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering overlapping shelter, food, and housing services.

Emerging players

• Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program: Greater Boston nonprofit providing medical and behavioral health care to homeless individuals, including shelter-based clinics. Comparable client base and co-location with shelters, though their core offering (healthcare) is distinct from SHC's housing focus.

Others

• Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance: Statewide nonprofit alliance advancing policy and programs to end homelessness in Massachusetts. Comparable because SHC operates within the policy and funding ecosystem MHSA shapes, but MHSA is an advocacy/membership organization rather than a direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shcinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Somerville Homeless Coalition