Hey BridgeDetroit readers!
A new housing campus for people experiencing homelessness is open in Detroit’s Core City and it has some unique features.
There are heated sidewalks for those whose trauma is so severe they are unable to come inside. Upon entering the building, there is a “hot room” that disinfects blankets and clothing as people move in. Residents will have access to wraparound services on-site, including social workers and addiction specialists.
The sprawling, 60,000-square-foot Pope Francis Center’s new Bridge Housing Campus reflects best practices from across the country to address chronic homelessness, under one roof.
The $40 million facility has calming colors and wide hallways for those dealing with mental illnesses for whom small spaces cause anxiety.
The campus has 40 studio apartments, an eight-bed respite center for those discharged from the hospital and a free health clinic — including a dental wing — for community members.
In a city that has seen around 200 people facing homelessness in the streets on a given night and as the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether cities can fine and arrest people for sleeping outdoors when there are no shelter beds available, the campus could be a “game changer” and spur a national conversation for how cities address chronic homelessness.
On Your Radar
FOOD FOR KIDS: Between June and August, Oak Park-based Forgotten Harvest is providing meals throughout metro Detroit for children who out of school on summer break and facing food insecurity. The lunches are available through participating programs and camps. Meals will also be available at 12 mobile pantries, including:
- Straight Gate Church in Detroit: First and fourth Thursday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon
- Alternatives for Girls in Detroit: First and third Thursday of the month from 9-11 a.m.
- Gompers/Brightmoor Alliance in Detroit: Second and fourth Friday of the month from 9-11 a.m.
- Oakland Church of Christ in Southfield: Second and fourth Thursday of the month from 2-5 p.m.
- Kensington Church in Clinton Township: Thursdays from 9-11 a.m.
- Woodside Bible Church in Lake Orion: Mondays from 9 a.m. to noon
- Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan – La Casa Amiga in Pontiac: First and third Tuesday of the month from 9-11 a.m.
- St. Clemente in Romeo: Mondays from 9 a.m. to noon
- Metropolitan Church of the Nazarene in Roseville: Second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon
- Bethesda Christian Church in Sterling Heights: First and third Monday of the month from 4-5:30 p.m.
- Anne Visger Preparatory Academy in River Rouge: Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon
- Hand Up Inc. in Romulus: Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
FOOD FOR SENIORS: Focus: HOPE has re-opened its remodeled Westside Food Center located at 1300 Oakman Boulevard. The Detroit-based nonprofit had shifted to drive through services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The center is open Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to noon. Residents must be registered for Focus: HOPE’s Food for Seniors program for ages 60 and above living in Macomb, Wayne, Oakland or Washtenaw County.
HOMELESS SERVICES: Guests who frequent the Pope Francis Center in downtown Detroit will now be able to access the Coordinated Assessment Model, or CAM, in person. On Fridays, from 8-11 a.m., CAM — the main way for people experiencing homelessness to access shelter and other housing help — will now be available at the Pope Francis Center at 438 Saint Antoine St. The Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency will be staffing the service. William Kangas, executive director of the Pope Francis Center, told BridgeDetroit that CAM is a “critical service to meet the growing need of shelter and housing within the City of Detroit and is a significant step” in helping the more than 200 homeless men and women the center sees daily. The additional in-person hours came about after the Pope Francis Center hosted the CAM service during the NFL Draft in April and Wayne Metro found that many clients had not accessed CAM recently, according to the nonprofit.
Thank you for reading! As always, you can reach me at nrahman@freepress.com.
Nushrat Rahman
Economic Mobility Reporter, BridgeDetroit and Detroit Free Press
