Boots on the Ground: PATH at Community Housing Network (CHN)

In downtown Royal Oak, Community Housing Network (CHN) surveys the nooks and crannies between buildings and behind foliage for evidence of life. Through canvassing, their PATH team locates people experiencing homelessness to offer housing services and support.

For the past 16 years, Mellena Martinez, director of housing resources at CHN, has been on the front lines of this outreach.

“Our goal is to walk the streets and talk to individuals to see if they are in need of housing,” said Mellena. “We hand out water, snacks, bus tickets and our resource cards to help build that rapport.”

In Royal Oak, 31% of households are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed), which means they struggle to make ends meet. The PATH team is careful not to assume anyone’s housing situation, instead they genuinely form connections, aided by their backpacks full of goodies.

“We’re walking down towards the transit center because bus routes tend to be hot spots,” said Mellena. “Buses are helpful for a few things, besides transportation, they provide a warm place in the winter and a cool place in the summer to sit down.”

At the bus stop, the team encounters a few individuals that welcome resources. One person was so surprised by the bus pass, he asked, “How much for it?” The moment he realized it was free— a wall came down, presenting a window of opportunity to offer more assistance.

“People have bad experiences with services, and they don’t want to open up again,” said Mellena. “Right away, the bus pass solidifies our relationship because we are already helping them.”

SUPPORTIVE PARTNERS

Since 2020, United Way for Southeastern Michigan has directed more than $1.3 million in funding to CHN from our personal grants and funds administered on behalf of Oakland County.

With the help of unrestricted funding, the PATH team can act quickly – responding to the immediate needs of clients for things like bus passes, hygiene items and more.

“Other funding sources can’t always support certain things so there is a vacuum,” said Mellena. “Thankfully, United Way has partnered with us to fund those gaps with unrestricted dollars.”

While federal funds only pay the rental subsidies, United Way’s unrestricted funding helps with everything, including eviction prevention.

“As unrestricted funds come through, we can pay security deposits, pet fees, bus passes and back-pay rent or utility bills,” said Shawna Reynolds, housing outreach manager at CHN. “With prevention funding, we can stop families from going through the trauma and tragedy of losing their home altogether.”

POINT-IN-TIME COUNT

As the weather cools, the small but mighty PATH team is gearing up for the annual Point-in-Time Count. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires all the homeless people in the nation to be counted on one singular winter night to determine the funding organizations will get to help.

“Across the United States, we have one night to go count every person experiencing homelessness,” said Shawna. “It’s the third Wednesday in January and it’s so cold here in Michigan— every year, it’s snowing.”

Due to the harsh winter weather, the count is always lower than it should be. This time of year, people without housing shelter with family and friends as much as possible to escape the cold.

“I oversee the call center, the outreach staff and the housing counseling department,” said Mellena. “Around the holidays we don’t get as many calls because family members let people stay, but soon, they decide it’s time to go.”

According to the 2024 Point-in-Time Count, there are 5,490 people experiencing homelessness in Oakland County.

“We are out counting late at night, because that is how we get funding to help,” said Shawna. “If you are interested in coming out in January to help with the count, please join us.”

Interested in volunteering? CHN needs you for their Point in Time Count! Check out the opportunity on our volunteer portal or CHN’s site.