homelessness

The Washtenaw Housing Alliance is one of many groups working in our community to end homelessness in Washtenaw County. The latest tool in its mission is the Yvonne Fund, which is designed to create lasting systemic solutions to homelessness. The fund's development director, Madeline Garcia, and the fund's cabinet chair, Norman Herbert, explained the project in more detail with Decky Alexander.

The leading cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing, and that's especially true here in Washtenaw County. Avalon Housing in Ann Arbor works to solve this problem by building more supportive housing communities. The group's co-executive directors, Scott Ellis and Molly Smith, joined Decky Alexander to talk about Avalon's ongoing mission and what may lie ahead for the organization.

For many years, the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County has provided food, shelter and hope for those who need it. And yet in recent months, the number of resources the association provides our community has lessened. Decky Alexander discussed this new reality with the association's chief development officer, Versell Smith Jr.

Residents have been raising concerns about the increasing number of homeless people and incidents related to them in the local area. The Shelter Association of Washtenaw County sees this as a crisis that needs community solutions. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

School is a month away for many students here in Washtenaw County. Ypsilanti Community Schools (YCS) are helping them get the supplies they need. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the story.

Ann Arbor businesses are feeling the impact of people suffering homelessness and mental health challenges. For this month's "Washtenaw Business Lens," WEMU's Caroline MacGregor and Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber Executive Vice President and Director of Government Relations, Andy LaBarre discussed these economic impacts with the Executive Director of Washtenaw County Community Mental Health, Trish Cortes.

"The Road Home" by Emmy award-winner, director & cinematographer Kameron Donald is a documentary on housing and homelessness in Washtenaw County. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor talks to the City of Ann Arbor Housing Commission's Jennifer Hall and Kameron Donald of Breyko about how our local housing and homeless systems work.

Organizations in the Washtenaw County Continuum of Care have launched a new effort to address youth homelessness after receiving $4.2 million in federal funding. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

SOS Community Services is raising concerns that homelessness and hunger are on the rise in Ypsilanti as the effects of funding cuts continue to reverberate. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the story.

At Ypsilanti Community Schools, the Resiliency Center has grown into one of these spaces that really is making a difference in our community. Since its start, the center has expanded from a single room into a multi-room resource hub, offering clothing, hygiene supplies, internet access, and connections to community services for hundreds of families each year. Lee Van Roth talked about the Resiliency Center's history and the work it does today with its director, Cherisa Allen.