St Francis House is the largest day shelter in Massachusetts, supporting over 7,000 people experiencing homelessness each year.

As well as meeting people’s basic needs for food, clothing and shelter, St Francis House transforms lives by taking a holistic approach to behavioural, health, housing and employment needs.
The charity is based in the heart of downtown Boston, near John Laing’s MBTA AFC 2.0 project. John Laing is a 90 per cent equity shareholder of Boston AFC 2.0 OpCo, which is responsible for upgrading and modernising the fare collection and ticketing system for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

St Francis House

John Laing has supported St Francis House since 2020, helping the charity to remain open and ensure the health and safety of its guests during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. As well as providing financial support, colleagues have also taken part in various activities including a fundraising run and sorting clothes for Fresh Threads, is a St Francis House clothing programme under which around 40 people a day can receive any clothing they need, based on availability.

In December, John Laing agreed to support St Francis House for another three years. The charity is also supported by the John Laing Charitable Trust, an independent charity established in 1962 to care for the welfare of former and current employees of the John Laing group of companies and to improve the lives of people in need.

St Francis House has exciting plans, including developing an onsite intensive outpatient programme to treat substance abuse disorder, building and staffing upwards of 200 affordable, supportive housing units and upgrading their building.
Karen LaFrazia, President and CEO of St Francis House, said: “We are grateful to John Laing and the John Laing Charitable Trust for their support in making our refuge services possible. Their generosity helps makes sure guests can rely on us 365 days a year.”