Community Health Corps provides resources, support to Detroiters in need

DETROIT (FOX 2) - An organization in Detroit is helping people living in poverty.

Community Health Corps provides Detroiters with housing, food, mental health resources, and utility support. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has helped people find homes, repair their homes, get jobs, improve literacy, and more.

"When people first learned about our program in early November, our phones blew up," said deputy director David Bowser. "Everybody needed help and they do need help."

Executive director Sheilah Clay said the organization's funding originally came from the federal CARES Act. Community Health Corps was swamped with requests for help, she said.

"Our capacity is 200. We had over 750 clients who came to us," she said. "Everyone got served."

One family helped by the organization was the Yharbrough family. The family of nine was the victim of a rental scam and was kicked out of their home last spring.

The Yharbrough family

"I was scared, didn't know what we were going to do," Crystal Yharbrough said. "We were sitting out in our yard; They were throwing everything out in the yard and luckily by the grace of God, a lady rode up the street, part of the Stop Detroit No Eviction group."

Community Health Corps was able to partner with other organizations to help the family find housing.

Organization staff members are concerned because they are at capacity and the eviction moratorium is set to expire Saturday. They are hoping to get assistance through the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

If you are behind on rent and need help, go to detroitevictionhelp.org or call 866-313-2520.