Even as one of Macomb County’s most visible nonprofit organizations, building a fixed homeless shelter was a dramatic undertaking for
MCREST.
The organization, which has been active since 1988, has historically served as an intermediary between people experiencing homelessness and churches which volunteer for a week each to house and support them. But in 2022, it opened its first fixed shelter, which houses 46 women or children and up to 9 infants or toddlers.
Adult male guests still rotate within the church settings on a weekly basis—but a fixed men’s shelter is in progress.
At the core of the organization’s programs is helping people reach the next level of stability, ideally having gainful employment and a permanent residence.
Place to call home, at least for a while
Scott Joy, MCREST’s marketing and communications manager, says building the fixed shelter cost $3 to $4 million dollars over a period of eight years. But it’s making a difference.
Instead of packing their bags and moving between volunteer churches on a weekly basis, women and children are now housed for three months or more. MCREST’s network of volunteer churches—which numbers over 60—still provides funding for residents’ shelter, food, and transportation, but the home itself is stable.
“The increased stability that it provides can’t really be measured,” says Joy. “Everyone in this field—not just homelessness services, but nonprofits in general—is trying to rub two nickels together and make sure it can happen tomorrow like it happened today. And having something where we put a flag in the ground, have a full building that will be open, that will be staffed by us without any sort of threat to that stability, is really integral to making sure these services are available."
Judy Dudek, MCREST’s support services coordinator, echoes the sentiment. “It provides some normalcy for the moms and the children. It's temporary, but it's somewhat of a stable environment.”
The difference for children is particularly notable, says Dudek. “The children get ready for school... they get on the bus, they go to school, they get home from school, they come in, they go right to their room, they put their backpack away—it's almost as if they're coming home.”
The fixed shelter has helped connect guests with MCREST's other services. Staff members in the onsite Learning and Resource Center work with residents to build resumes, find work, and more.
MCREST also provides rehousing funds for in-need residents, enrolls children in school, helps residents secure vital documentation, and more.
Extra days, supports drive long-term success
Initially, residency at the fixed shelter was limited to 90 days, but in pursuit of true stability, there is no longer a maximum duration. Instead, MCREST meets residents where they are. For some, it is a brief stop between homes. For others, Dudek says, “they might need a little bit of time to navigate paperwork or get vital documentation together.”
The 90-day maximum duration constrained what MCREST could offer. “It really limited our ability to be able to go more in depth with some individuals, because some have more barriers than others,” says Dudek. The new process is more goal-oriented. “As long as they're doing something to move forward,” she says, “we're not in a hurry.”
That doesn't mean letting people stay indefinitely. The shelter is usually at capacity, and would-be residents lining up in the mornings for a chance at a spot are a reminder of the ongoing demand for services. But sometimes extra days can mean more permanent stability after their stay.
A male guest, for example, required an extension because he was waiting for an apartment that could accommodate his disability. “If we would have made him leave at a certain time, he would have had to settle for a different apartment,” says Dudek. “That would have been unsafe for him."
Community collaborations strengthen services
Collaboration runs through MCREST's veins.
It started as an intermediary organization working with host churches. Today, MCREST’s partner churches now only directly host male guests, but they still fund women and children guest stays in the fixed shelter.
Other partner organizations include The Wave Project, which provides mobile showers to those in need; Community First Health Centers, which provide health checkups, referrals, and information for guests; God's Girls, which helps furnish apartments for people going through rapid rehousing; and many others which can be found on MCREST’s
website.
Support from public servants and law enforcement helps with community engagement.
MCREST also contributes to the
Macomb County Continuum of Care, a network of community organizations dedicated to ending homelessness. This partnership provides interconnectivity, which Joy says helps get people back on their feet: "You don't just give someone a phone number and a shove out the door, you're actually helping set up something for them on the receiving end so that they're able to have individualized, humanity-focused attention given to them."
Future plans for fixed men’s shelter
Looking forward, fixed transitional housing remains a major focus. In 2023,
MCREST purchased a building adjacent to the women and children’s shelter to convert into a men’s shelter.
It’s far from ready, but Joy is thankful for the opportunity to work on future planning: “A lot of what we do, by definition and by nature, is dealing with today’s problems. People come in crisis, and so much of our efforts and attention goes toward that, that being able to look at the big picture is really a kind of luxury.”
Even as MCREST works to end homelessness in Macomb County, economic conditions create more barriers to permanent housing. Dudek believes that a lack of affordable and fair housing is the most pressing issue the homeless population of Macomb County faces right now.
But MCREST, their collaborators, and their donors are doing what they can regardless. When asked how she quantifies the program's success, Dudek points to grant funds for housing: “We stay full and people are being served, and we’re fulfilling people getting into housing. They [funders] give me money to spend for housing, and I spend it. That’s how I quantify that it’s successful.”
This story is part of our Nonprofit Journal Project, an initiative focused on nonprofit leaders and programs across Metro Detroit. This series is made possible with the generous support of our partners, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Michigan Nonprofit Association and Co.act Detroit.