What NFL draft means for Detroiters facing homelessness

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to visit downtown Detroit for the upcoming NFL draft. What will happen to Detroiters experiencing homelessness in the area?

Reaching people amid the crowds and road closures and potential displacement is on the minds of homeless service providers. The city of Detroit says there is an existing plan in place for people facing homelessness who may be affected by the event. Over the past year, Detroit has ramped up its safety net — including 24/7 street outreach and more shelter beds — for those experiencing homelessness and that will continue long after the draft, according to the city and service providers.

The April 25 to 27 draft is slated to be one of the biggest sports events in decades in the city, officials have said. The event's footprint extends from Campus Martius to Hart Plaza and road closures have already begun.

The Homeless Action Network of Detroit (HAND) has advocated for street outreach teams, as part of their normal work, to proactively identify people who are usually in that area and encourage them to go into emergency shelter during the draft.

"Let's be proactive and let's not wait to the day of," Tasha Gray, executive director of HAND, said.

Concern for the unsheltered

At the end of March, there were 52 people living unsheltered in the downtown area based on estimates from street outreach teams, according to HAND. Gray said there is general concern about the volume of people coming downtown and how it could impact unsheltered people in the area. HAND wants to make sure people are not ticketed or arrested because they have nowhere else to go.

"I imagine that there's going to be some displacement of folks and ... that's some of the reason why we're encouraging some of the work with the outreach teams," Gray said.

Displacement and relocation is a constant concern, said Zachary Betthauser, interim outreach program manager for Cass Community Social Services. Based on the current policy in Detroit, relocation should only happen when there are clear health and safety concerns, and outreach teams must have enough time to come up with a plan to help people move and keep their personal belongings, he said.

The concern during the NFL draft is reaching people who are unsheltered in areas affected by road closures and large crowds, he said, but Cass Community Social Services is working with the city so teams can have access.

"Cass Community Social Services asks fellow Detroiters, and those visiting our city, to always regard neighbors experiencing unsheltered homelessness with dignity and respect," Betthauser said in an email.

Gray said the city has resources to avoid a sweep.

David Bowser, chief of housing solutions and supportive services, said the city doesn't have a "draft-centric" strategy because it has already been working on a plan over the past year to improve the homeless services system.

"We're already lockstep and focused on making sure that resources are available. So, we just want to make sure that, again, regardless of the time of year it is — winter, spring, summer — regardless of what activity is happening in the city, we have these needs being met and we're in the process of even further expanding the system to do so," Bowser said.

Resources aimed at homeless services

The city of Detroit increased homeless services and outreach with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, as part of the city's broader $203 million housing plan. So far, the city has launched a housing resource hotline, added emergency shelter beds and expanded street outreach.

"We have a network of outreach partners that are driving around the city within their designated areas to make sure that folks are connected to resources," Bowser said.

Five nonprofits provide street outreach services, including connecting people to shelters or helping them find permanent housing. A new midnight team, run by the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, visits emergency rooms, bus stops and transit centers — locations where people who are unsheltered may be. That 24/7 outreach means resources are also available to the Detroit Police Department so people are not criminalized, Bowser said.

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Since December, the city has added 344 emergency shelter beds and has extended two warming centers through June, and Detroit City Council must approve the extension of a third center through May, Bowser said.

Amy Brown, executive director of Noah at Central, said her organization, which provides 125 to 200 individuals a bagged lunch Monday through Thursday, will be closed on April 25 because of the crowds. Noah at Central is located near Comerica Park, just outside the official boundaries of the draft. Brown said she doesn't anticipate that the closure will impact those her nonprofit serves. Noah at Central will offer extra food the day before and people will have access to other resources, she said.

"The reality is when an event like this happens downtown, folks who normally hang out downtown often just don't come to this area because of all the people and because of ... the increase of foot traffic," Brown said.

This happens when other major events happen downtown, too, she said.

Noah at Central's street outreach team is working with the city and other teams to get people, who may be impacted by the draft, into housing.

"That's our typical approach and we'd just increase the amount of contacts that our staff and other outreach teams have had," Brown said.

Noah runs one of the in-person locations where people experiencing homelessness can get a referral for an emergency bed — if one is available — or identify alternatives. That service is through the Coordinated Assessment Model (CAM), the main way to access shelter and other housing help in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park. CAM will not be available April 25 at Noah, Brown said, but there is another location, at Cass Community Social Services, and a hotline for those who need housing assistance.

For more information and updates, go to camdetroit.org/upcoming-closures.

Cass Community Social Services offers housing help, access to food, water and clothing and transportation through its mobile outreach. That service is available by calling 313-424-2202. The hours are: 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday; 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Monday to Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday. People can also submit a request for outreach online at bit.ly/homelessnesshelp.

The Pope Francis Center is extending its hours April 25 and April 26 to provide extra services during the draft. The center, located on 438 St. Antoine, will be open from 7 a.m. to about 5 p.m. on both days. Typically, it's open until 11 a.m.

“We are working with the mayor’s office to make sure people have access to food and shelter since a number of places where people would normally go won’t be available during those two days. We want people to come down and celebrate events that showcase our city. At the same time, we need to remember that these types of activities can be hard on some members of our community," said Tim McCabe, president and CEO of the Pope Francis Center, in a statement.

The Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, in late March, said it was not planning any additional activities related to the NFL draft and would be implementing its regular process for those who need shelter and resources.

Free Press staff writers Eric D. Lawrence, Dana Afana and JC Reindl contributed to this report.

Contact Nushrat Rahman: nrahman@freepress.com; 313-348-7558. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @NushratR.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Homeless service providers want to be 'proactive' ahead of NFL draft