As the nation observes Homelessness Awareness Month, local leaders are spotlighting the ongoing challenges of housing insecurity. 

Fr. Tim McCabe, President and CEO of Pope Francis Center, and Courtney Smith, Founder and CEO of Detroit Phoenix Center, join host Stephen Henderson to discuss the state of homelessness in metro Detroit and their organizations’ efforts to address it. Both leaders stressed the complex factors driving homelessness, including a lack of affordable housing, mental health challenges, and substance abuse. 

Fr. McCabe highlights the recent opening of Pope Francis Center’s Bridge Housing Campus, a $30 million facility designed to end chronic homelessness. The campus offers 40 studio apartments and provides trauma-informed care, including medical, psychological, addiction, and social services. Guests can stay for 90 to 120 days while receiving intensive wraparound support to help them transition to permanent housing. 

Smith, whose Detroit Phoenix Center focuses on youth homelessness, shares that the center has designated November as Youth H.O.P.E. (Homelessness Outreach, Prevention, and Education) Month. Through a series of events, the center is raising awareness about the specific needs of young people facing homelessness and the services provided by the center.