Angela came to us after being homeless for 3 months. She’d had a steady full-time job for over 50 years, but the death of her son, pandemic cutbacks and rising rents caused her to fall behind. Like so many others, she could no longer afford the home she’d lived in for years.
By the time she came to the Hub, Angela had exhausted all of her savings. “I didn’t know what the Hub was at that moment, but what I do know is that day was the first time someone looked me in the eye and really saw me,” remembers Angela.
Angela is one of the many guests the Hospitality Hub helps every day on their path out of homelessness. Through our innovative programs, we provide human-centric, barrier-free, trauma-informed services to all of our guests. The Hub has trained case counselors, clinical supervisors, and referral services to help. Even so, the path toward stable housing can be long and is unique to each person. We work to create emergency, temporary, and transitional shelter solutions to fit a variety of needs.
Hub Hotel, with over 50 hotel-style beds, is the region’s only barrier-free emergency shelter for women and children. Hub Studios, intentionally designed studio homes sized for an individual, couple or small family, provide a cozy, individualized space when traditional group shelter is not an option. Hub Hall, a successful example of the federal Youth Housing Demonstration Project, helps young adults aged 18-24 with stable, temporary housing while they attend adulting classes, find their first jobs, and build their own supportive network of friends and family.
Hub Village, the Hub’s first satellite project planned to take root in 2024, is our newest path to healing and stability. Evidence shows that while homelessness is a county-wide issue, the majority of the existing shelter beds are clustered downtown. Hub Village places independent studios and cottages into a village-style setting with adjacency to an existing community. Locating support services within the community works to keep neighborhoods intact when the impacts of housing shortages, evictions and homelessness can weaken the community fabric.
As with all Hospitality Hub programs, Hub Village will provide onsite case management, transportation, meals, and referral services to assist with employment, medical care, and eventually, stable, long-term housing. The Hub’s commitment to human-centered care allows our team to meet individuals where they are, rather than focusing on prerequisites that create barriers to access. Every space throughout our campuses, including bedrooms, dining rooms, program offices and gardens, promotes rest and healing through adherence to trauma-informed design principles. Hub Village leverages connectivity to nature to further encourage healing and growth.
Learn more about the Hospitality Hub and Hub Village by visiting our demonstration studio installed on the Crosstown Concourse Plaza through mid-June. Opening reception is Friday, May 3rd, from 4-6 p.m.
Every journey out of homelessness starts with the first step. You can support that step by donating to our Hub Village capital campaign. Gifts of all sizes are welcome. Naming opportunities start at $1,000. Click here or contact Su Hartline at su@dragonflycollective.co to learn more.
