Earlier this month, two children from a family facing homelessness — ages 2 and 9 — froze to death in a van parked outside Hollywood Casino in Detroit.

The children’s mother reportedly reached out to Detroit’s homeless response team three times for help before the fatal incident, but no follow up occurred.

In a press conference, Mayor Mike Duggan shared regrets that the incident was not escalated to an emergency, noting that there were shelter beds available in the city the night the children died. Still, many residents and local organizations insist that the incident highlights how many people suffering from homelessness can fall through the cracks.

The nonprofit Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness (MCAH), first formed in 1991, advocates for a more holistic approach to ending homelessness. By engaging with over 650 homeless service agencies across the state through public awareness activities, policy advocacy at the state and federal level, and other support services, MCAH aims to address the issue at the systemic level.

Today on The Metro, we discuss some of the biggest contributing factors that lead to homelessness and what barriers people experiencing homelessness in Detroit face.

Guests:

More headlines from The Metro on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025:  

On Monday, residents of Southwest Detroit woke up to their cars submerged in water, their basements flooded, and their electricity and furnaces off after a 54-inch steel water transmission main ruptured in the area of Beard and Rowan streets, amid freezing temperatures. To provide more info about the relief efforts and how residents are holding up, WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley joined the show. We also spoke with Greg Martin, executive director of Disaster Relief at Work — an organization that’s been on the ground, supporting disaster relief efforts.

A recently announced $346 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded to the city of Detroit aims to improve the community’s climate resilience. Nick Schroeck, professor of environmental law and interim dean of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, joined The Metro on Thursday to discuss why Detroit homes are so vulnerable to flooding and how the new HUD Block Grant can help.

Also, Detroit’s mayoral race is heating up, with a number of announcements at the top of the year expanding the pool of candidates. Eight people have emerged who want a shot at claiming the city’s top job. WDET All Things Considered host Russ McNamara has been keeping a close eye on the race and he’s already spoken to a few candidates. He joined the show to share what he has learned.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.