New program will focus on chronic homelessness in Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Dégagé Ministries in Grand Rapids is starting a new housing program to help women experiencing chronic homelessness.

The nonprofit held a ribbon-cutting Thursday morning at its newest site inside the former American Cancer Society Hope Lodge on Jefferson Avenue near the Trinity Health Grand Rapids campus.

With space to house 25 women, the program will offer transitional housing for those with challenging physical or mental health needs. The building has a verity of amenities like a community kitchen, library and even a billiards room. Network180 will provide mental health support on site and Catherine’s Health Center will offer basic medical care.

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Future residents, like Brie, are excited for a fresh start.

“They gave me a tour and it is beautiful here. It really feels like home,” Brie, who asked to be identified only by her first name, said. “It’s not easy being homeless, but I can tell you it’s amazing when we come up with things like this. We really do change lives and save lives here.”

Trinity Health Grand Rapids reacquired the property in spring of 2021. It was used as a COVID-19 isolation area during the pandemic, according to Jennifer Chaffer, Trinity’s director of community health and well-being. As the pandemic eased, Dégagé reached out with the idea to use it for housing.

“Given that it was designed as an overnight facility, it has rooms, it has common areas, dining rooms. It’s been meant to be, a place like this, to be housing for someone,” Chaffer said. “It seemed like a perfect fit for this space that was sitting here empty, and we were able to coordinate the lease with them and donate the furniture.”

Thelma Ensink, the executive director of Dégagé, said the program would be the first of its kind in the state and focus on those who are chronically homeless.

“They often have a really serious mental health diagnosis coupled with often substances use addiction and a really heavy history of trauma,” Ensink said. “We see that there’s about 10% of the people we serve that are chronically homeless. And we identified that they were individuals who are very difficult to house and that they would need a really special space of supportive housing.”

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She hopes the new approach can help more people in the community find a safe place to live.

“Some of them may transition to permanent supportive housing right within the program. Some of the rooms might become permanent housing, some may stay transitional housing or some of them may transition to permanent housing in a different apartment building in our city,” Ensink said.

The women are scheduled to move in Tuesday.

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