Rhonda Pieroni came to Hearth in 2017 after leaving a college administration career to care for her mother and her brother. Her brother was homeless at points in his life and lived with mental illness, and she saw firsthand how a homeless person gets treated in hospitals and everywhere else. When she found the job posting she knew nothing about the organization. She now says she was called there, because the supportive housing Hearth provides is exactly what her brother never had.
Hearth is the only organization in Massachusetts focused solely on ending homelessness among older adults. Full disclosure: Hearth was PR Bunker's first client, and that work has shaped everything I've done in the nonprofit space since. In this episode of The PR Bunker Podcast, Rhonda lays out what the work actually looks like.
A few takeaways from the conversation:
Hearth owns 228 units of housing in Boston with a nurse care manager, clinician and program staff on site. But outreach case managers spend most of their time in shelters and on hospital referrals, helping people get identification, verify income and secure benefits before a housing search can even start. And handing over keys isn't the finish line. Rhonda tells the story of a woman who slept on a couch in the hallway of her new building because after years on the street, a quiet apartment with a closed door was terrifying. Trauma informed care and stabilization services that never expire are what keep people housed.
Seventy percent of Hearth's current residents have been with the organization more than ten years. Older adults over 50 are now 20 to 25 percent of the homeless population in the United States, and that share is growing. Prevention cases rose 20 percent from 2024 to 2025. Rhonda leads with those figures because homelessness isn't a sexy cause and misconceptions are everywhere.
A city councilor Rhonda met recently assumed Hearth's residents were served by affordable housing at 50 or 60 percent of area median income. They aren't. Hearth's population needs housing at 30 percent AMI or below. Her ask is that residents pay attention when their town debates affordable housing and push on what those words actually mean.
Hearth's next move is expanding outreach and prevention, hiring more case managers to house people in Quincy, Brockton and Rockland while Boston stays out of reach. The Kindling Club, a monthly giving program, gives Rhonda revenue she can count on. Visit hearth-home.org.
Listen to the full episode above.
Reading is the hello. SBGA is where we get to yes.
What is Hearth?
A Boston nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness among adults age 50 and older through permanent supportive housing, outreach, prevention and advocacy. It operates 228 units of housing with on-site nursing, clinical and program staff.
Why does elder homelessness require a different approach?
Older adults often have disabilities, medication needs, fall risks and limited ability to work, so buildings and staff have to be equipped for aging in place. Standard family or youth homelessness models don't translate.
How does homelessness prevention work?
Hearth helps older adults who have fallen behind on rent or mortgage payments after a medical or personal crisis, covering arrears and connecting them to benefits so they can stay in their homes. Prevention cases rose 20 percent in 2025.
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