GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Michigan's first housing program for women experiencing chronic homelessness is opening in Grand Rapids next week.
Dégagé Ministries celebrated the opening Thursday at its Complex Care Housing program, located at the former location of the Hope Lodge hospitality house near Trinity Health in Grand Rapids.
The program will open on Jan. 16 and uses the 20-room facility to provide transitional housing and support services for women to work towards permanent housing. They expect this pilot program to facilitate up to 25 women.
“Housing these women will not only transform their lives but will also allow Dégagé to provide better service to the current patrons in the Open Door Women’s shelter,” said Thelma Ensink, executive director of Degage Ministries. “While women with these complex needs are 10% of our total shelter population, they often utilize 60% of our staff time. This project will also provide valuable data which will help our community reduce the number of people who experience chronic homelessness.”
Dégagé Ministries believes that this program is the first of its kind in the state to "target people with significant medical and mental health needs who are high consumers of EMS, police and ER services."
"The women this program serves are those that are often brought to shelters or hospital emergency rooms by police or EMT services as there is no other place to go," Ensink adds. "One of our goals is to alleviate unnecessary ER visits and police and EMT dispatches by providing the appropriate care and housing environment for women who require special attention."
Dégagé Ministries was joined by Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Network 180, Catherine’s Care Center and the City of Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss at the ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday.
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