Macomb County opens new homeless shelter for women, children

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A new shelter in Macomb County will help women and children facing homelessness.

"This was something that was well overdue," said County Executive Mark Hackel. "Unfortunately, sometimes we deal with it where sometimes people end up in the county jail as a result of it. Inappropriate. That’s not where they belong."

More than 1,000 children in the county experience homelessness yearly.

"They're people, everyday people like yourselves and myself, that sometimes fall on hard times," Hackel said.

The Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter will provide support services, child care, job placement assistance, and more. The shelter will allow the county to help more people, upping capacity from 30 to 46 or more.

"We're embarking on the women and children’s shelter today, but we have plans, I want you to know, for the future. The building that you see next door here, we're purchasing that building and that building will be the men's shelter," said John Johnson, a board member with the shelter. 

Until the men's shelter is built, the church network will continue to provide support for men in need.

The women's and children's shelter is at 215 S. Main St. in Mount Clemens.