The Springfield Transforming Communities Initiative funded by Trinity Health and the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds is one of nine sites across the state funding to address health and equity disparities for community using policy, systems, and environmental approach strategies.  Utilizing the priorities of the Community Health Needs Assessment the community engaged the boarder community and advisory committee to narrow down to one issue out of thirteen to improve health and address health disparities in the city of Springfield.  Through a Root Cause analysis and facilitated priority ranking exercises the committee picked housing as the priority need of the community. Over the next five years the committee worked to address housing needs of affordable housing, housing conditions, and homeownership. 

Then narrowed down all the ways they could tackle the issue of housing to four main areas on statewide and local levels.       

Goals 

1. Advocate for the bill, “An Act Promoting Access to Counsel & Housing Stability in Massachusetts,” which will support low-income families & communities of color facing eviction or foreclosure and continue funding to build out a sustainable, long-term program. 
2. Advocate for the City of Springfield to secure funding for the Springfield Housing Trust Fund through local & state resources. 
3. Work with community partners and grassroots organizations to understand the need for a tenant support office in Springfield and residents' immediate housing support needs. Partner with grassroots organizations to advocate to improve rental conditions at Springfield Gardens and other commercial properties.  

Partnerships: 

• Arise for Social Justice 
• City of Springfield 
• Community Catalyst 
• Neighbor 2 Neighbor 
• New North Citizens’ Council 
• Partnership In Practice 
• Pioneer Valley Planning Commission 
• Springfield No One Leaves 
• Square One 
• Trinity Health of New England / Mercy Medical Center 
• Way Finders 

Learning and Evaluation Reports

As part of our work, the TCI Springfield Committee creates annual reports for our funders and community partners, showcasing the year's accomplishments. We invite you to review the Springfield Transforming Communities Initiative Annual Report, which highlights our efforts from January to December 2024.

TCI Technical Assistance Site Visit

Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) 2.0: TCI is a three-year project aimed at advancing racial justice and health equity in Springfield. The Advisory Committee has narrowed down the list of needs identified in Mercy’s 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment to two main issues significantly affecting their communities. Housing and Homelessness and Mental Health is their focus. Once they have gathered more information on both issues from the two panels, they have organized they will decide which issue they can make the biggest impact on. They are working to improve conditions and remove barriers to access. Now in their second phase of their planning process, they will do a root-cause analysis, create a logic model and community action plan to address the issue with technical assistance (TA) and support from the Georgia Health Policy Center and Community Catalyst.

Earlier this year, the TA partners met with local community-based organizations including New North Citizen's Council, Deborah Hunt Center, Arise for Social Justice, Way Finders, the City of Springfield Housing & Community Development, and resident advisors. They came together to learn, share, network, and strengthen relations as we journey to advance the goals and objectives of the initiative. Community partners shared their perspectives on the needs, resources, opportunities, and obstacles related to supporting the housing, homelessness, and mental health needs of residents living in Springfield. This is a community-level grant initiative funded by Trinity Health, working to advance racial justice and health equity in Springfield. See Trinity Health’s Newsletter here. 

Help Us Transform Springfield Communities!

We invite Springfield residents to give their feedback on the most pressing needs for the City of Springfield. Mercy Medical Center/Trinity Health of New England has funding to address health needs in Springfield and we are seeking input from residents on the top health issues. Watch the video below to learn more.

Initiatives