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"To begin by always thinking of love as an action rather than a feeling is one way in which anyone using the word in this manner automatically assumes accountability and responsibility" - bell hooks

April 14, 2024

(313) 305 - 0311

CAM Call Line Operating hours:

Monday through Friday, 8am - 6pm

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

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

For regular updates, subscribe to the CAM newsletter.

Detroit CoC Board Meeting Highlights

April 7, the Detroit CoC Board met to discuss governance updates, the strategic plan goals and progress and CoC Competition funding updates.

The first presentation covered the board-approved changes to the Governance Charter which lay out expectations for member participation, transparency, and updated processes for elections, chair changes, and voting. Also mentioned was the new structure created to support leadership and oversight, including the People with Lived Experience Leadership Council and other committees focused on system improvements.

Additionally, the presentation on the Detroit Strategic Plan to End Homelessness showed the CoC's commitment in guiding important areas of work, such as shelter improvements, housing, staffing, and outreach, especially as federal policy shifts. The last section of the meeting explained the current landscape of the FY2024 CoC awards. While there was a 14.8% increase to reflect housing market conditions, new funding restrictions and uncertainty have raised concerns about long-term stability. HAND will continue to monitor changes and share updates with stakeholders as more details become available.

Register for the May 5 Detroit CoC Board Meeting here.

We are asking our legislators to:

• Use their voice and power to urge HUD to honor the FY24 funding awards that were announced in early January and expeditiously administer grant contracts and funding to our community and communities across the nation. 
• Vote no for any FY25 budget proposal that cuts HUD funding. Any cut of funding directly will result in people returning to homelessness and a shortage of resources to help them regain stability. 
• Fight against efforts to cut federal employees working for HUD as this will further slow-down the process to administer the FY24 grants that our community desperately needs.

You can help our community two ways:

Detroit CoC On Demand Training

This training is only for LMS users only. For CoC training credit you can access this through the Detroit CoC LMS. Enroll in the LMS at bit.ly/HAND-Training.

Fair Housing Deep Dive for Senior Housing Providers

May 22, 2025 | 9am - 11am EST

This targeted training is specific to housing for 55+ and 62+ older adults, including overview/updates on federal, state, and local fair housing laws as well as applicable guidance from HUD; it will also cover best practices, risk management strategies, and practical methods of compliance regarding reasonable accommodations and modifications, policies and practices, application processes, and advertising/marketing of senior properties.

Register here.

Building Transformative Facilitation in 2025

May 16, 2025 | 8:30am - 4:30pm

This in-person training introduces participants to an educational approach grounded in the Ruth Ellis Center's mission, vision, and specific principles of work: harm reduction, positive youth development, trauma-informed care, and restorative justice.

This transformation of education spaces is based in an approach that embodies; (1) engaging adult learning, which prioritizes the utilization of past experiences as an existing foundation to build upon; (2) dialectical learning, an approach that offers participants opportunities to deepen their understanding of problems, and critically linking them to previous experiences; (3) restorative approaches to the work, which allow participants to move through different values, beliefs and behaviors without facilitators freezing them in time, and (4) an engaged approach; moving away from lecture-based learning, by utilizing activities for continued reflection, analysis, and processing that supports diverse learning methods. We believe that all participants hold a piece of the truth, and participant engagement is central to a successful learning space.

Register here.

In a new report, the National Alliance to End Homelessness estimated that it would take $9.6 billion to provide Rapid Re-Housing and Permanent Supportive Housing to households staying in a homeless shelter.

Important points in the study:

1. Current Capacity: In 2022, only 16% of households in shelters were placed into permanent housing, a significant gap in the system's capacity.
2. Program Turnover: Rapid Re-Housing programs have high yearly exit rates (around 64%), reopening placements quickly. Permanent Supportive Housing has lower exit rates (around 13%), requiring larger inventories to meet demand.
3. Demand vs. Supply: The supply of Housing First* placements is insufficient to meet demand. For instance, only 9.4% of adult households experiencing temporary homelessness received Rapid Re-Housing placements in 2022.
4. Policy Recommendations: To fully fund Housing First programs, substantial increases in federal appropriations for HUD and VA programs are needed. Additionally, leveraging Medicaid and expanding targeted housing vouchers could help bridge the funding gap.

Read the full report here.

Housing First is a practice which prioritizes low-barrier entry to housing along with access to supportive services.

THE STAKES ARE HIGH: PROTECT MEDICAID IN 2025

Medicaid is facing significant federal threats despite its undeniable benefits. Right now 76% of Michigan's Medicaid spending comes from federal dollars. But federal cuts to the program, which could exceed $2 trillion over the next decade, will result in devastating consequences for our state, its health systems and everyone who is covered by Medicaid. Urge Michigan's members of Congress to protect Medicaid so that everyone has access to the healthcare they need, regardless of their age, their ZIP code, their income or their identity. 

View the full infographic and ways to contact your legislators on MLPP's website.

Housing-Focused Street Outreach: Starting with Data to Inform Decision-Making

Apr 30, 2025 | 3pm EST

Effective street outreach begins with a strong foundation in data. Quantitative data helps identify demographic and geographic patterns in unsheltered homelessness, uncover resource gaps, highlight disparities, and measure the effectiveness of interventions. Equally important, qualitative data provides critical insights that shape broader strategies and ensure outreach efforts are responsive to community needs. This webinar will explore how combining quantitative and qualitative data can be used to analyze impact, drive informed decision-making, improve outcomes, and support more strategic, housing-focused outreach efforts.

Register here.

Michigan's New Source of Income Protections

May 13, 2025 | 10am -11am

This webinar will address Michigan’s new Source of Income (SOI) requirements, both as to fair housing and landlord-tenant laws. The Center receives many SOI complaints and questions. This webinar will seek to provide concrete, specific answers to these questions. This training will provide specific guidance for not only tenants, but landlord, management companies, public housing agencies, and others who are involved in Section 8 and other rental assistance

programs.   

Register for the webinar here.

Redford Brightmoor Initiative

Brightmoor Free Store

Every Saturday 8:00am – 11:00am

12065 W. Outer Drive (in the UMC Church)

The store offers clothing, household items, linens, diapers, toys, food items & more!

Contact (313) 326-4947 or office@redfordbrightmoorinitiative.org for more information

Upcoming Events

• April 23 - Wash Wednesday
• April 26 - Stand Up Wireless & Xfinity

Download the flyer for more information and events.

Wayne Health Mobile Units offer free health screenings and services. They are staffed by registered nurses, medical/research assistants, community health workers, patient & family health advocates.

Services offered:

• Blood pressure screening
• General health screening: diabetes, cholesterol, kidney function screening
• COVID-19 and Flu vaccinations (5+ years old) available during flu season
• COVID-19 PCR testing (3+ years old) : only symptomatic or exposed individuals and no routine screening
• Linkage to care and community resources
• Other services, as requested: Point-of care lead testing, HIV testing, STI testing (13+ years old)

You can find more details and registration information 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.

DWIHN 24-Hour Helpline

1-800-241-4949

The Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN) offers 24-hour phone service for those seeking mental health support.

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.

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

For more info, visit detroitmi.gov/ridestocare

Last newsletter's riddle

I sit on your desk but I’m not a pet 🐶 ,

You stack me, flip me, but often forget 🤔.

Without me, you’d miss every task and call 📞,

But at year’s end, I’m useless to all 🤷🏽‍♀️.

What am I❓

ANSWER

A calendar!

Every Friday HAND intern, Abby Perrien, highlights Detroit Continuum of Care (CoC) organizations and their hard work and dedication to ending homelessness. You can find this series and much more by following our social media accounts.

Connect with us!

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

Email Kimberly Benton at kimberly@handetroit.org

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