Brookview House announced Dranaya Owens has joined the organization as director of Community-Based Services. In this role, Owens will oversee the activities and operations of Community-Based Services which focus on empowering individuals and families to achieve long-term stability in the city of Boston with special concentration in the neighborhoods of Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan.
The Jamaica Plain resident joins Brookview from Community Resources for Justice (CRJ), a long-standing New England organization that advances policy and delivers individualized services that promote safety, justice and inclusion. There, Owens most recently served as an assistant director within CRJ’s Social Justice Services division, which supports people leaving incarceration to make positive, sustainable life transitions. She led the team that oversaw the intake, release, and employment department of the program.
“Dranaya brings a great deal of experience in establishing productive relationships with community organizations and in working with sensitive populations in need of services,” said Deborah Hughes, president and CEO of Brookview House. “She is an ideal addition to our team, we are fortunate and delighted to have her.”
Each year, Brookview House provides 270 women and children experiencing homelessness with a safe, supportive environment in which to live and acquire and practice skills to pursue education, job training and employment in order to achieve long-term stability and economic independence. At-risk women and children who live in the community are also invited to participate in Brookview’s programs. Recognized nationally for its successful model, 92 percent of mothers who have lived at Brookview maintain permanent housing after leaving, and 88 percent of the children who participate in Brookview’s Youth Development Program graduate high school, compared to the national average of 64 percent.
