Annual grant program offers new funding for initiatives in public housing
Special to the Journal
The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced funding awarded through the Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initiative, including new funds to support violence prevention in public housing sites. The grant program is an important tool in helping communities build collaborative programs to improve safety and reduce gang activity.
“Preventing violence among young people is critical to ensuring the future wellbeing of our youth and the safety of our communities,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This work requires collaboration among law enforcement, state and local officials, youth-serving nonprofits, and research partners to help ensure funds have the greatest positive impact. The partnerships built through the Shannon Community Safety Initiative are among the strongest tools we have to prevent youth and gang-related violence in Massachusetts.”
“The lasting success of grant-funded program sites demonstrates the remarkable outcomes we can achieve when collaborating to support our youth,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Each program site has forged strong partnerships across disciplines while applying evidence-based approaches to ensure young people can access beneficial programming and essential services that enhance their wellbeing and ensure the safety of Massachusetts communities.”
The FY25 Shannon Community Safety Initiative (Shannon CSI) is a state-funded grant program that awards yearly funds to support regional, multi-disciplinary program sites that take collaborative and evidence-based approaches to reduce youth and gang violence. The funds are managed and administered by the Office of Grants and Research (OGR). A total of 15 program sites were awarded grants totaling approximately $11,179,673. Each program site will receive support from a Local Action Research Partner (LARP), which will assist with strategic planning, critical analysis and continuous feedback to support program operations and ensure that funded programs remain within scope, on schedule and within budget. Researchers interested in serving as a LARP were required to submit applications separate from the Shannon CSI program site applicants. The selected LARPs will share approximately $785,543 in additional funding.
This marks the first year the Shannon CSI has incorporated the new Housing Site Initiative, which allocates a portion of the program’s funds to support violence prevention in publicly funded housing. In accordance with the Legislative language authorizing the Shannon CSI, housing sites that have been subject to enforcement actions by the US Department of Justice were given preference for this funding.
“Youth violence significantly affects victims, their families, and entire communities. Building strong partnerships and implementing collaborative, results-oriented solutions are the most effective ways to tackle the complex issues that contribute to gun violence,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy. “The Shannon CSI reflects the administration’s deep commitment to offering resources that support the steadfast efforts and community collaborations aimed at enhancing safety, decreasing gun violence, and fostering youth engagement.”
The Shannon CSI incorporates key elements of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Comprehensive Gang Model. It utilizes a multi-pronged approach to gang violence prevention, which includes providing social interventions, suppressing acts of violence, providing positive opportunities, creating organizational change and mobilizing communities to prevent and reduce gang activity.
The annual grant program has been proven successful in addressing violence in communities experiencing high rates of gang activity. The program’s Statewide Research Partner (SRP), Northeastern University, earlier this year released a statewide brief as well as site-specific findings highlighting the program’s success in 2023. The SRP is also funded through Shannon CSI and is selected through a competitive application process each year. The SRP application process has not yet opened.
“This program utilizes nationally recognized best practices to support youth and communities that are impacted by gang violence. By partnering nonprofits, police, public housing officials and other local leaders with researchers and support from the Office of Grants and Research, we’ve achieved long term success preventing youth violence in Massachusetts communities,” said OGR Executive Director Kevin Stanton.
The City of Lynn received a total award amount of $446,354, with $69,421 of that slated for Housing Site Initiative Funding.
Program sites will receive support from the following research partners, who were awarded funds through the FY25 Shannon CSI LARP program:
North Shore Community College will receieve $42,000.