FBMS Opens Smith Family Housing Resource Center in Brockton
New site replaces MainSpring House and reflects growing, nationally recognized Housing Resource Center model
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Contact: Virginia DePina, (774) 297-7975, vdepina@helpfbms.org
[BROCKTON, Mass., May 7,2025] — Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FBMS) has officially opened the Smith Family Housing Resource Center at 124 Manley Street, marking a major milestone in the organization’s efforts to end homelessness in Southern Massachusetts. The new facility, serving individual adults facing a housing crisis, replaces the decades-old MainSpring House emergency shelter and is located adjacent to the VA Hospital (Brockton Campus), a familiar reference point for many in the community. The Smith Family Housing Resource Center (HRC) features 128 beds, a commercial kitchen, a day center offering wraparound services, and an on-site community health center that will be operated by the Brockton Neighborhood Health Center. Partial medical and behavioral health services are available now, with full-service offerings launching in the coming weeks. This project represents a local expansion of FBMS’s innovative Housing Resource Center model, which integrates shelter, healthcare, and housing navigation under one roof to support long-term stability. The Brockton facility replicates FBMS’ Yawkey Housing Resource Center in Quincy, which opened in November 2023. The model has already gained national attention for its holistic approach and measurable impact.
“This move marks a new chapter in how we respond to homelessness—with dignity, strategy, and a clear pathway toward housing,” said John Yazwinski, CEO & President of FBMS. “We are deeply grateful to our public and private partners who helped make this possible.” The $20 million project was made possible through a combination of state, federal, and private funding, including more than $5 million raised through private philanthropy.
The facility is accessible via public transit (BAT Bus Route 3). Guests receive not only meals and safe shelter but also individualized case management and healthcare support. Updated signage and multilingual materials have been distributed throughout the community to ensure guests, providers, and partners are aware of the change.
For more information, please visit: www.helpfbms.org/ShelterUpdate
About Father Bill’s & MainSpring
Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FBMS) is the leading provider of services to prevent and end homelessness in Southern Massachusetts. The agency, founded in the early 1980s by a group of interfaith and community leaders, helps more than 5,000 people annually who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. FBMS, a proud partner of the United Way of Greater Plymouth County and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency with administrative offices in Quincy and Brockton and program offices throughout Southern Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.helpfbms.org.