Homelessness in Michigan and Isabella County

Homelessness is a Traumatic Experience “ Homelessness deprives individuals of basic needs, exposing them to risky, unpredictable environments. In short, homelessness is more than the absence of physical shelter, it is a stress-filled, dehumanizing, dangerous circumstance in which individuals are at high risk of being witness to or victims of a wide range of violent events”.

[Fitzpatrick et al, 1999]

ISABELLA COUNTY SCHOOLS HAVE REPORTED THAT THERE ARE

150

HOMELESS CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.

ISABELLA COUNTY HAS 241 HOUSING VOUCHERS ASSIGNED BY MSHDA. THIS MONTH, CMA REPORTED THAT THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 245 VOUCHERS LEASED OUT IN ISABELLA COUNTY

THERE ARE CURRENTLY 82 NAMES ON THE WAITING LIST FOR A HOUSING VOUCHER IN ISABELLA COUNTY

Between 2007 and 2019, the percentage of Michiganders who are asset limited, income constrained, employed – or the working poor – increased from 19% to 25%.

According to the WHO, social determinants of health include: Income and social protection

Education

Unemployment and job insecurity

Working life conditions

Food insecurity

Early childhood development

Social inclusion and nondiscrimination

Access to affordable health services of decent quality

Housing, basic amenities and the environment

Why Do People Experience Homelessness?

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Housing

There are currently two major contributors to the housing and homelessness crises: a lack of low cost housing nationwide and the limited scale of housing assistance programs.

Nationally, the cost of rental housing greatly exceeds wages earned by low-income renter households. 

Why Do People Experience Homelessness?

Housing

There are currently two major contributors to the housing and homelessness cries: a lack of low-cost housing nationwide and the limited scale of housing assistance programs. Nationally, the cost of rental housing greatly exceeds wages earned by low-income renter households.

Poverty

Homelessness and poverty are inextricably linked. Poor people are frequently unable to pay for housing, food, childcare, health care, and education. Difficult choices must be made when limited resources cover only some of these necessities. Often it is housing, which absorbs a high proportion of income that must be dropped. If you are poor, you are essentially an illness, an accident, or a paycheck away from living on the streets.

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Other Contributing Factors:

Decline in Available Public Assistance – The declining value and availability of public assistance is another source of increasing poverty and homelessness and many families leaving welfare struggle to get medical care, food, and housing as a result of loss of benefits, low wages, and unstable employment. Additionally, most states have not replaced the old welfare system with an alternative that enables families and individuals to obtain above-poverty employment and to sustain themselves when work is not available or possible.

Lack of Affordable Health Care – For families and individuals struggling to pay the rent, a serious illness or disability can start a downward spiral into homelessness, beginning with a lost job, depletion of savings to pay for care, and eventual eviction.

Domestic Violence – Battered women who live in poverty are often forced to choose between abusive relationships and homelessness. In addition, 50% of the cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005).

Mental Illness – Approximately 16% of the single adult homeless population suffers from some form of severe and persistent mental illness (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005).

Addiction – The relationship between addiction and homelessness is complex and controversial. Many people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs never become homeless, but people who are poor and addicted are clearly at increased risk of homelessness.

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2023/2024 Season Capacity

Total Guest Capacity – 30

Maximum of 3 families

Separate Men’s and Women’s sleeping areas

ICRH Provides the Following For Our Guests

• Shelter during the cold months
• Meals, snacks, and drink items
• A place to sleep with bedding and a pillow
• A place to shower with clean towels
• Personal hygiene products
• Laundry area with detergent
• A place to store a few personal items
• Emergency clothing
• Orders for additional clothing from Clothing Inc as needed
• Help with obtaining a coat, hat, gloves, and possibly shoes or boots when needed through Clothing Inc.
• Use of a computer at the Day Shelter
• Free internet
• Tv, games, books, puzzles for activity
• A place to receive mail
• Staff and volunteers to help and encourage guests as they become self-sufficient
• A safe, secure place from harm or threats of harm
• Scheduling and payment of transportation to appointments
• Use of a public phone
• Assistance in moving toward self-sufficiency

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Guests Self-Sufficiency Includes

• Develop a plan to move toward self-sufficiency with the Case Manager
• Complete the next steps of their plan prior to meeting with the Case Manager
• Follow all established rules of ICRH
• Apply for housing voucher programs
• Behave respectfully and considerate toward staff and other guests
• Submit applications for housing
• Regularly contact housing caseworker and landlords for updates
• Follow and consider recommendations from the ICRH case manager guiding toward self-sufficiency

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A guest’s self-sufficiency plan may include:

• Take necessary steps to obtain housing
• Seek employment or a source of income such as social security
• Begin or continue medical, treatment, or counseling appointments 

Our Partners

ICRH has been serving the homeless in Isabella County for 10 years now!

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• Over the last 10 years we have worked with over 1,000 homeless individuals including 234 children
• We have had the pleasure of working with over 6,500 volunteers
• In partnership with our community partners we have provided over 29,340 meals
• Transitioned from meeting at a church for sign-in each night at 4:00 p.m. to providing a Day Shelter opening in the afternoon
• Expanded the number of hours the Day Shelter is open from 4 hours each day to 9 hours a day
• Increased staff coverage for shelter services from 10 hours a day to 24 hours a day
• Survived two years of COVID-19 with only two guests isolated with symptoms
• Partnered with Isabella Community Soup Kitchen to provide lunches for our guests
• Added case management services
• Coordinate services with 8Cap through coordinated entry
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Next Steps for ICRH

ICRH recently obtained our own building!

This means that we will:

• Stop rotating to churches each week
• Have a permanent location for our services
• Move toward year-round shelter (1-2 years)

To accomplish this, we will be launching a capital campaign to raise $2,000,000 to:

• Purchase the building
• Renovate the building to accommodate our services
• Reserve some funds to help us maintain the building
• Establish program funding to help us move to year-round services

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Keep your eyes open!