Our Campaign

Hello everyone! My name is Corey Saylor. I am a second year AmeriCorps member serving with the Michigan Campaign to End Homelessness. I am currently serving my year at the South Oakland Shelter in Lathrup Village. My host agency has proven to be an AmeriCorps powerhouse. I am currently serving among two other individuals from the Michigan Campaign to End Homelessness as well as three VISTA members. I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by such great people all working towards the goal of ending homelessness.

It is the Campaign’s goal to make stable and affordable housing available to every person living in Michigan. We have a long way to go before that goal can be reached. Over the last decade, we have seen the stereotypical face of the homeless morph into the face of an eight year old child, almost half the homeless population in Michigan consists of families with children. These families have on average a total monthly income of $730.00. That dollar amount does not stretch very far for a family who has to cover the cost of rent, utility bills and groceries.

Serving at the South Oakland Shelter I encounter a wide array of individuals, all with their own stories and all facing homelessness. Each story has its own persona but some stories are too alike. One particular example is the story in which an individual is underemployed or has just been laid off from a company where they have worked for a decade or more. Another story that many parallel is one in which the individual or family had been making their rent payments to a landlord who did not own the home. Those tenants got evicted, lost their homes and ended up in the shelter.

When individuals and families come to the shelter, many for the first time, they are in a state of disbelief and are unsure what to do next. South Oakland Shelter staff and AmeriCorps members work with each individual to find them safe and affordable housing for a long duration. With the client, staff and AmeriCorps members identify needs of the client, client’s goals and the client’s potential. This sounds much simpler than it really is. Each client has their own background, needs, income and housing desires. Ultimately is the client’s decision as to what to do to obtain and retain housing. However, it is also our duty to identify resources and programs the client may qualify for to assist them in reaching their own housing goals.

There is a disconnect somewhere, whether that is underemployment, unclear tenant rights or high housing costs, that is causing individuals and families to be at an ever increasing risk of homelessness. I do not have the solution to this disconnect, however, it is my hope that my service and the service of my fellow AmeriCorps members is leading us to that answer as we strive to end homelessness in Michigan.