Melanie Racine

Melanie Racine is Managing Director of the Institute for Research, Quality, and Policy in Homeless Health Care at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP). In this role, Melanie leads a multidisciplinary team devoted to using research, evaluation, and quality improvement expertise to study and advocate for policies and practices that promote dignified, compassionate care for people who are unhoused. Drug overdose is the leading cause of death among people experiencing homelessness in Boston. Through legislative testimony, narrative essays, and research, Melanie has shaped BHCHP’s policy advocacy at a city, state, and federal level, seeking the removal of barriers to addiction treatment. Her interests are in mental health, addiction, and the practice, history, and power of community health. 

Founded in 1985, Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program is a federally qualified health center whose mission is to provide or assure access to the highest quality health care for all individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our community. The program operates an extensive network of clinics within homeless shelters, soup kitchens, hospitals, the street, and other settings where people are trying to meet basic survival needs. Over half of patients at BHCHP have a diagnosed substance use disorder. BHCHP seeks to expand on-demand access to all types of addiction treatment, with overarching aims to stop overdose deaths and end stigma.