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"When I liberate myself, I liberate others." - Fannie Lou Hamer

January 20, 2024

CAM Call Line Operating hours:

Monday through Friday, 8am - 6pm

Visit camdetroit.org for the latest information on CAM services and any upcoming closures.

Other ways to access CAM services. Call CAM at (313) 305 - 0311 or go to one of the following Access Points for in-person assessments.

DHC Public Housing Waitlists Open

The Detroit Housing Commission's Public Housing Waiting Lists opened October 1, 2024. All applicants must apply online at www.dhcmi.org. Applicants must be 18 years of age or a legally emancipated minor at the time of wait list application. You MUST have an active email address in order to apply.

New System Reports

The 2024 CAM Quarterly System Reports are now available for quarters 3 through 1. System reports detail the operational performance of our local Coordinated Entry process. They cover engagement and access metrics, intake and referral numbers, and housing program participation. You can access the reports at camdetroit.org/reports.

Temporary Closure of HCV Waitlists

HAND received notification from MSHDA that, effective July 1, 2024, all Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) waitlists have been temporarily closed. The Detroit Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program will be closed until further notice. Please note that this closure does not impact the following MSHDA programs: Project-Based Vouchers and Stability Voucher program. For more information, please go to MSHDA's website.

For any questions or further assistance, please email info@camdetroit.org

For regular updates, subscribe to the CAM newsletter.

General Membership Meeting

January 21, 2025 | 1:30pm - 3pm EST

Join us at our upcoming General Membership meeting! This meeting will cover the new governance charter draft, which includes proposed changes and comments on the document. These changes will be put to a vote during the meeting. Click here to review the draft, the matrix, and responses to the public comments.

Attendance is strongly encouraged for all General Membership voting members. 

Register for the meeting here.

CoC Board Meeting

February 3, 2025 | 2pm - 4pm EST

Join us at the next Detroit CoC Board Meeting! Our monthly Detroit CoC board meetings focus on strategies to end homelessness in Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramck. Each meeting is a chance for our CoC members to share updates, make decisions on funding, and review progress on CoC initiatives. They also create opportunities for public feedback, bringing the community into the conversation to shape solutions together. Meetings take place on the first Monday of every 

month.  

Register for the meeting series here.

What would it take to end homelessness in Detroit?

"Eleanor Bradford, HAND's systems coordinator for housing resources, says she's also encouraged by seeing better collaboration and communication among the myriad players in homelessness response, which include city and state government, nonprofits, and private developers. She attributes that both to the ongoing Region O Regional Housing Partnership, which brings together diverse stakeholders from across those groups, as well as new state housing funding programs that require developers to get sign-off from local community organizations on certain projects."

From the Model D Medica article, "What would it take to end homelessness in Detroit?"

Read the full article on Model D Media's website

New law bans landlords from rejecting renters over income source, like Section 8

"A new Michigan law bans many landlords from rejecting tenants based on source of income, like housing vouchers, veterans’ benefits or Social Security.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed three Senate bills of a five-bill package Monday, Dec. 30, that prohibits landlords from discriminating based on source of income. Two remaining House bills have not yet been presented to the governor.

Whitmer said the law could help 34,290 families “afford a roof over their heads.”

Read the full article on MLive's website.

Detroit Unsheltered Homeless Census (DUHC)

The City of Detroit Department of Housing and Revitalization (HRD) is hosting its first Detroit Unsheltered Homeless Census (DUHC) Wednesday, January 29 with Next Day Interviews occurring the following day January 30.

The Detroit Continuum of Care carries out the HUD-mandated unsheltered count, known as the PIT count, biannually. The city of Detroit's Housing and Revitalization Department (HRD) census will be for planning shelter capacity, understanding community needs, advocating for additional resources, and creating new and revised policies, etc.

HRD is asking for volunteers to assist in preparation activities, carry out the count, and next day interviews. 

Schedule of Activities:

• Preparation Activities – Monday, January 27 
• Register for preparation activities here.
• Register for your team (must include names of individuals)
• Unsheltered Street Census – Wednesday, January 29
• Register for the Street Census here
• Next Day Interviews – Thursday, January 30  
• Register for Next Day Interviews here

More information about the census will be provided over the coming weeks. For questions and concerns please contact Candace Morgan candace.morgan@detroitmi.gov.

Housing for the People: How Local Governments are Building Social Housing Solutions for Public Good

This report from PolicyLink offers principles for how we achieve a different world, and a snapshot of how emerging local policies are working toward those principles. It presents a history of how the real estate industry has worked for a century to distort our housing choices in favor of their profit interests, and dissects how real proposals to build and manage housing in the public interest can guide us out of a housing crisis.

Read the full report on PolicyLink's website.

Urge Congress to Invest in Affordable Homes in FY 2025

To address the growing crisis of affordable housing and homelessness, federal investment in affordable housing, homelessness, and community development is crucial. By supporting these programs, we can ensure more robust solutions for communities across the country. Join the effort by signing on to this petition to encourage Congress to fund these critical initiatives and help drive meaningful change for those in need.

Flexible Cash Assistance

Jan 24, 2025 | 1:00pm EST

Join Point Source Youth to explore their new brief, Flexible Cash Assistance (FCA) Models for Youth Homelessness Prevention where they will showcase community-driven solutions to address youth homelessness at its roots.  

Register here.

Using New Homelessness Data Profiles

for Education and Advocacy

Jan 29, 2025 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST

Schoolhouse Connection and Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan are excited to launch updated Data Profiles on Child and Youth Homelessness, which now include four years of federal homelessness data. Users can examine data at the state, county, local educational agency, U.S. Congressional district, and state legislative district levels. We’ve also added new features that allow users to explore which school districts are likely to be under-identifying students experiencing homelessness; which districts are likely severely under-funded to serve students experiencing homelessness; and chronic absence rates and high school graduation rates for homeless students compared to state averages. This webinar will demonstrate how the data profiles can be used to educate the public and policymakers, and to improve practices.

Register here.

The Impact of Houselessness on the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children, Youth & Families

February 4, 2025 | 3:30pm - 5:00pm EST

This panel discussion will explore the impact of houselessness on the mental health and wellbeing of children, youth, and families, from many different perspectives. The diverse panelists will explore topics ranging from the lived reality of what living on the streets does to one's mental health, the impact of the Grants Pass Supreme Court of The United States (SCOTUS) ruling, which essentially criminalizes houselessness, how houselessness disproportionately affects the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and more. The panelists will share insights and stories from their lived and living personal and professional experience being, and working with unhoused individuals, opening audience members up to new ways of supporting, advocating, and caring for children, youth, and families struggling with housing instability.

Register here.

MCHS is looking for a Housing Case Manager to join their YHDP team. Position is full-time and based in Detroit. The ideal candidate has experience in the housing field, empathy, and a demonstrated ability to serve those who have experienced trauma.

Learn more and apply here.

The Coordinated Entry (CE) Assistant Director is responsible for providing supervision, administration, and oversight of CAM staff and operations. In partnership with CAM managers and Director-level staff, the Assistant Director is responsible for monitoring the CAM for compliance, funding requirements, evaluation, and outcome data, as well as ensuring staff productivity/efficiency standards are met, completion of quarterly/annual reports as required by the funding sources, and overall monitoring all aspect of the CAM to ensure operational excellence.

Learn more and apply here.

Corktown Health Financial Assistance

The Housing and EFA programs provide emergency financial assistance to households experiencing utility shutoff (past due bills), eviction, need for assistance with first month’s rent for a new move. This type of assistance is designed to help clients living with HIV stay engaged or to reengage in medical care. When an applicant does not meet the criteria of our programs, we work with our network to connect the client to additional resources.

Must apply for "MDHHS SER" on MIBridges first.

Find out more about the program on Corktown Health's website.

Free At-⁠home COVID-⁠19 Tests Available

Residential households in the U.S. are eligible for another order of 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. Testing can help you know if you have COVID-19 so you can decide what to do next, like getting treatment to reduce your risk of severe illness and taking steps to lower your chances of spreading the virus to others.

Order your tests here.

DWIHN Mobile Crisis Unit

Call 844-IN-CRISIS (844) 462-74741, 7am to 11pm, to get you or a loved one connected to a crisis specialist and get a mobile crisis unit to their location.

My Safe Space Crisis Hotline

For young adults (313) 844-9136. The MCHS hotline connects youth experiencing housing and mental health crises to short-term mental health services.

Ride Free for Three - Detroit Transportation Program

What is this program?

The DDOT "Working in the D? Ride Free for Three" program is an incentive to assist new employees before they get their first paycheck, and guarantee transportation to/from the workplace their first three months of employment.

Who is eligible?

Eligible employees must meet the following criteria;

• Are at least eighteen (18) years of age.
• Work a permanent full-time or part-time position within the City of Detroit.
• Hired within the past thirty (30) days.
• Commute on a DDOT fixed bus route.

As a business owner, how do I and why would I participate?

All Detroit businesses can participate. Providing your new employees with a bus pass gives them a stress-free way to get to and from work - and allows you to pull talent from anywhere DDOT serves. There's no cost for employers to participate in the "Ride Free for Three" program. Click here to sign up.

Rides to Care

Whether you're pregnant, a new mom, or a caregiver, you can get free rides to doctor appointments. This new Detroit Department of Health program provides transportation for prenatal and postpartum care up to the baby's first birthday.

Rides are available

• Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Saturday, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Services are not available on holidays

To schedule a ride, call (313)876-0000

• Allow enough time to get to the appointment on time
• Rides can be scheduled up to one hour before the appointment or a week in advance
• All riders with children must bring their own car seat

For more info, visit detroitmi.gov/ridestocare

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Do you have questions about the newsletter? Want to submit an item?

Email Kimberly Benton at kimberly@handetroit.org

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