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Community Housing Network •

Not One-Size-Fits-All: Why Knowing the Types of Homelessness Can Change Everything

Recognizing all forms of homelessness is essential. Only then can people get the proper support they need to rebuild their lives.


When most people hear the word “homeless,” a very specific image often comes to mind: a single person, possibly struggling with substance use or mental illness, living on the streets or in a shelter. While this image reflects a real and urgent part of the homelessness crisis, it’s far from the whole story.


At Community Housing Network, we work every day with ind...
Community Housing Network •

Homelessness Fact vs Fiction  

There are many myths about the causes of and solutions to homelessness, particularly the “Housing First” approach that has been proven by decades of research to be effective and cost-effective.  


A recent data and trends report by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness lists some of the most common myths – and the reality surrounding them:  


Myth: People experiencing homelessness just need to get a job.   


Fact: While employment helps people stay housed, it does not guarantee hous...
Community Housing Network •

The Human-Animal Bond: A Lifeline for People Experiencing Homelessness

The human-animal bond is a powerful and enduring connection that transcends circumstances. For many people experiencing homelessness, their pets are not just companions; they are family. This bond is so strong that many individuals facing homelessness will choose to remain unsheltered rather than be separated from their beloved pets.


In 2024, homelessness in the U.S. reached a historic high. On a single night, 771,480 individuals were unhoused—an 18 percent increase from 2023, according to th...
Community Housing Network •

From Homelessness to Housing: Understanding the Coordinated Entry System

Have you ever wondered how individuals experiencing homelessness begin their journey towards stable housing? The process can seem daunting, but in Michigan, the Coordinated Entry System (CES) is designed to streamline this transition.


In essence, the CES streamlines access to resources by ensuring that all entry points—whether through shelters, the Housing Assessment and Resource Agency (HARA), or other agencies—connect to a centralized system. This ensures that every individual and household...
Community Housing Network •

Community Housing Network President Calls Grants Pass Decision ‘Deeply Disappointing and Unkind’

CHN calls for moving away from criminalization as an approach to end homelessness towards proven housing-based solutions


It’s hard to imagine fining and jailing a person for the basic human act of sleeping while in public places, but the unhoused community has been facing that kind of excessive punishment for decades.


The U.S. Supreme Court’s momentous June ruling has opened the door for local governments to continue criminalizing homelessness – now more aggressively by giving them the aut...
Community Housing Network •

Community Housing Network Implements Critical Time Intervention into Its Rapid Rehousing Services

Evidence-based practice helps prevent recurrent homelessness by ensuring access to resources, supports needed for long-term housing stability


When a person transitions from homelessness to stable housing, they often face immense challenges. Securing a place to live is just the first step on the path towards long-term stability, which requires more than just a roof over one’s head.


After leaving a hospital, a shelter or transitional housing, sleeping in a car or abandoned building, being in...
Community Housing Network •

Lived Experience Helps Kirsten Elliott to Better Support the Disability Community

CHN’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer gives her talents to a movement that made an impact on her family.





It dawned on Kirsten Elliott while taking a Women’s Studies class at Wayne State University in 1997 that her son, Max, will never fully be a part of society.


“We were talking about inequities and discrimination, and it hit me in such a visceral way, in my chest,” she said about her realization that day, more than 25 years ago, when her son with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebr...