Open Houses at Father Bill’s & MainSpring’s new site

Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FBMS) is inviting the community to tour its much-anticipated, soon-to-open new development in Brockton with a pair of open houses during the month of March. Open houses will be held at the Smith Family Housing Resource Center and Yawkey Hall, located at 124 Manley St., on the following dates:

• • Thursday, March 20, 2025, 3 p.m to 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 22, 2025, 10 a.m. to noon

Members of the public can RSVP at helpfbms.org/openhouse. While RSVPs for the Open Houses are encouraged, they are not required.

The $20 million project, set to open for operation in April,will replace the MainSpring House, a 131-year-old building in downtown Brockton that has operated asanemergency shelter for the past 40 years. Replicating the Yawkey Housing Resource Center in Quincy,which opened in late 2023, the Smith Family Housing Resource Center will be home to FBMS’ new service-delivery model, which aims to transform how communities assist individual adults who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

“We are excited to open our doors and welcome the public toseeour bold plan to end homelessness,” said FBMS President & CEO John Yazwinski. “These services are designed to reduce reliance on emergency shelters among individuals experiencing a housing crisis in Plymouth County. This is a compassionate and cost-effective model that supports the people we serve andthe community at large.”

The project, which broke ground in spring 2023, is located on the siteofa former U.S. Army Reserve Center next to the Brockton VA Medical Campus. FBMS purchasedthe propertythrough Title V of the McKinney-Vento Act, which allows eligible entities to apply forunneeded federal property for uses that assist individuals experiencing homelessness.

The 16,500-square-footSmith Family Housing Resource Center (HRC) will provide a campus-like setting offering daytime services, not currently provided by traditional overnight shelters, with co-located programs and short-term housing assistance. The HRC will include a full-service health clinic operated by Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, a commercial kitchen and dining space, showers, laundry services, lockers, and two dormitories with 128 shelter beds, with capacity for additional beds as needed.

Yawkey Hall provides an adjacent 15,000-square-foot permanent supportive housing building with 32 individual units for residents who are long-term shelter residents, often needing extended financial and support services to overcome homelessness.