Street Outreach Efforts Help Detroit’s Homeless Find Hope, Shelter
On a typical day in Detroit, Covenant House Michigan’s outreach coordinator, Stephanie Taylor, scours the city. She seeks to help individuals in distress at locations like Detroit’s Greyhound station on Howard Street.
Taylor, 52, has spent 25 years of her career working for Covenant House, which operates a 65-bed shelter in Detroit. The nonprofit shelter assists young adults ages 18 to 24 who are facing homelessness. Organized by Taylor, Covenant House’s outreach team is out from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., offering help for those in need. The outreach team will soon add three new members, allowing staff to serve the community seven days a week.
According to a Detroit News report, the increase in street outreach comes as homelessness has risen in the United States at a staggering rate. National figures released in late 2024 reveal an 18% increase due largely to a lack of affordable housing, skyrocketing rent, and the ending of COVID-19 pandemic aid. Michigan’s Interagency Council on Homelessness reports a 2% increase in homelessness statewide from 2022 to 2022, up by about 1,500 individuals.
According to a five-year action plan released last summer by the city government, Detroit would need to add a minimum of 295 emergency shelter beds for individuals and families with children, 870 units of permanent support-based housing, and 975 other permanent housing units to support those who are homeless in the community.
In addition to Covenant House, several Detroit-area organizations also engage in street outreach. The St. Clairs Shore-based Motor City Mitten Mission delivers food, warm blankets, coats, hygiene kits, and other essentials to people experiencing homelessness. The Pope Francis Center in Detroit has also organized volunteers to connect with those who are homeless, encouraging them to seek shelter during the region’s bitterly cold temperatures in January 2025.
