Room to Breathe

Room to Breathe

The Room to Breathe Initiative was launched by the Coalition in 2013 to assist low-income families and individuals who are living with chronic respiratory diagnoses to improve their home environment to lessen environmental triggers with a goal of improving their quality of life. 

Annually, thousands of men, women and children have breathing problems because of chronic respiratory disease including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, cancer, and lung disease related to HIV/AIDS. For low-income families and individuals living with some form of chronic respiratory disease, making the necessary changes and adaptations to their homes is economically out of reach for them. The results for these households are often devastating, making it difficult to carry out ordinary daily tasks, go to work and attend school. For elders, this can mean no longer being able remain in their home. 

The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless has focused its work with a lens on how it can assist those that are living in poverty. With a disproportion of this population being affected by COPD, asthma and other respiratory diseases, it launched the Room to Breathe Project, which focuses on assisting low-income households a cost-free resource to remove environmental triggers as a means to controlling respiratory attacks.  

The initial seed grant was made possible through a generous grant by North Shore Medical Center and Factor 9 funding from a Massachusetts Department of Public Health Determination of Need process.

The Room to Breathe is grateful for a generous grant from the Cummings Foundation as part of their 100K for 100 program. 

Click here for our Room to Breathe brochure, which is in English and Spanish, and here for our Room to Breathe referral form.

Please follow these links to find Asthma Action Plan forms, be filled out and signed by your doctor:

Sign up now for our This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to learn more about upcoming events and to receive seasonal updates to help your family members manage chronic respiratory conditions.  

Click here to read the fall 2015 newsletter from the Prevention & Wellness Trust Fund Lynn Partnership and Room to Breathe (in English and Spanish).