City of Detroit expands housing help for Detroiters at risk of homelessness
(CBS DETROIT) - Housing services in the City of Detroit are expanding with the launch of a new office committed to helping Detroiters find stable and affordable housing.
The office helps with everything from completing vital documents to employment assistance and finding housing leads.
"[I went from] being a homeless pregnant mother to being in more permanent housing, and I got assistance throughout the whole process," Danika Pringle said.
Pringle is one of many Detroiters who have benefited from the city's housing help while facing financial hardship.
"Going through COVID, it was like I kind of lost hope," Pringle said. "So, having that helping hand, it meant a lot."
With the launch of a new central housing services division, David Bowser, associate director of the city's Housing and Revitalization Department, says the city aims to help many more.
"This is huge," Bowser said. "We're going to have a staff of 88 individuals who are there to give customized case management assistance. One-on-one assistance to residents who are displaced or approaching a displacement."
The new office is named after Ca'Maya Davis, an eleven-month-old baby who tragically drowned in Detroit in 2018 after falling through a hole in the floor of an abandoned house. Her mother was living there because she had nowhere else to go.
"We don't want to see another baby die like little Ca'Maya Davis did," Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters said. "This is in her memory, but it will help a lot of other children in families."
Waters sponsored the creation of the Ca'Maya Davis Family Resource Center, a one-stop shop and helpline for all housing issues, including emergency placement. The new office is part of Mayor Mike Duggan's $203 million affordable housing plan, helping Detroiters like Pringle go from homelessness to a path of homeownership.
"I learned how to receive help and that if you look for it, you will find the help that you seek," Pringle said.
The Detroit Housing Services Office is one of more than 25 housing programs and partnerships available through the newly-launched Detroit Housing Resource Helpline.
If you're a Detroiter experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, call 866-313-2520 for assistance.
