BOSTON — State Senator Brendan Crighton of Lynn will be honored next month by the Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance for his dedication to people who have become homeless due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Crighton will receive the Canon Brian S. Kelley Public Service Award at the MHSA’s annual meeting Dec. 10, which will be virtual this year as a result of the continuing social restrictions due to the pandemic.
“While Sen. Crighton has always been a leader in addressing the issue of homelessness, he stepped up in a big way from the outset of the pandemic,” said MHSA President & Executive Director Joe Finn. “Sen. Crighton recognized the impact that COVID-19 would have on people experiencing homelessness and, in his role as Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, ensured that the needs of those living in permanent supportive housing did not go unnoticed.”
Crighton said he was humbled to receive the award.
“It has been an absolute honor to work with Joe Finn and the outstanding staff at the Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance,” he said. “Their decades of commitment and dedicated service assisting people who are experiencing homelessness are truly remarkable.
“COVID-19 has had devastating effects on housing-insecure families and individuals throughout the Commonwealth. MHSA works to meet people where they are, to maintain and recognize their dignity and to help them get back on their feet. I am proud to call them a partner and I am deeply moved and greatly appreciate this recognition.”
Crighton was elected to the State Senate in 2018, representing the Third Essex District that includes Lynn, Nahant, Swampscott, Saugus, Lynnfield and Marblehead. As chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, Senator, Crighton advocates for legislation and programs that prevent homelessness, promote housing affordability, incentivize transit-oriented development, and help build diverse housing stock, the MHSA said.
The award is named in honor of Canon Brian S. Kelley, a longtime advocate committed to ending homelessness through his work at Boston’s Cathedral Church of St. Paul.
The MHSA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homelessness in Massachusetts. It focuses on evidence-based solutions that reduce public reliance on emergency resources and prioritize access to stable housing and individualized support services. The association draws on the on-the-ground experience of its 89 member agencies from across Massachusetts to inform its advocacy and program development. The MHSA’s position as an intermediary between public agencies and homeless service providers enables it to create solutions to homelessness that have the greatest impact.
More information about the MHSA Annual Meeting is available at https://www.mhsa.net/AM2020 or by contacting Meg Hoffman Calleja at [email protected].
