State of Homelessness Event Archive
The State of Homelessness
& Affordable Housing
A Washtenaw Housing Alliance annual event.
2025 State of Homelessness Event
On November 21, 2025 the Washtenaw Housing Alliance hosted its annual breakfast and keynote program in recognition of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Thank you to our speakers for coming to present and thank you to everyone who joined us!
Our education and advocacy event included panel speakers from Food Gatherers, Packard Health, Trinity Health Michigan, and Washtenaw Health Project who are integral in providing food and health care access to those in the county. They shared how they are responding to the current challenges caused by federal cuts to their programs and the impact their services have on housing security for many in the county. We also took time to celebrate WHA’s 25th anniversary as well as the 5th anniversary of the City of Ann Arbor’s Affordable Housing Millage featuring speakers from Ann Arbor Housing Commission and Breyko. Known in 2020 as Proposal C, its passage marked the most significant expansion of affordable housing in the region in over 40 years.
Take another look at our speaker presentations shared at the event:
2024 State of Homelessness Event
On November 18, 2024 the Washtenaw Housing Alliance hosted its annual breakfast and keynote program in recognition of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Thank you to our speakers for coming to present and thank you to everyone who joined us! If you missed joining us in person you can watch the full event here.
We were joined by keynote speaker Christine Haley, Chief of the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, who talked about her work with 16 state agencies to implement a strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness for Illinois residents. We were also joined by panel speakers who talked about our community’s coordinated and collaborative work in preventing and ending homelessness for youth and families.
During the event the WHA premiered a new short video created by members of the Washtenaw Continuum of Care Youth Advisory Board. Check out What is the Youth Advisory Board and its mission? to find out more about the board and their goals to improve youth housing and services in Washtenaw.
2023 State of Homelessness Event
On Thursday, November 16, 2023 the Washtenaw Housing Alliance hosted its annual breakfast and program event in recognition of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Thank you to our speakers for coming to present and thank you to everyone who joined us! If you missed joining us in person you can watch the full event here.
During the event the WHA premiered a short video which we created in partnership with area service providers and those living in our county impacted by homelessness.
A lot was discussed at the event - from what the State plans are on housing and homelessness to what’s happening for winter sheltering in Washtenaw County. Take another look at our speaker presentations and additional videos shared:
2022 State of Homelessness Event
In 2022, our first in-person event since the pandemic, we were joined by several speakers sharing federal, state, and local housing updates. Also joining us was Keynote Speaker, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who spoke on how housing is linked to not only healthcare but also, at the core, to so many social issues affecting one’s wellbeing. During the event the WHA premiered two short videos which we created in partnership with area service providers and those living in our county impacted by homelessness. Thank you to the United Way of Washtenaw County's Justice Fund for funding this project. The videos can be viewed here (provider experiences) and here (lived experiences with homelessness).
Our 2022 speakers shared a lot of information and data at the event. Take another look at our speaker presentations:
U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness presentation slides
Interactive Resource: Washtenaw County Affordable Housing Dashboard
Learn more about WHA member agencies and the roles they play to address hunger and homelessness in our community.
Past Event Highlights & Press Coverage
Above images are of speakers from the 2018 Voices of Homelessness storytelling event.
Courtesy of MLive. Ypsilanti teens Sakinah Rahman and Zakiyyah Rahman performed “Scattered Thoughts” at a Voices of Homelessness storytelling event Nov. 9, 2018, at Ypsilanti Freighthouse.
In recognition of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week 2018, WHA and the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County hosted an evening of art and storytelling.
Courtesy of CTN Ann Arbor. Coverage of 2021 Hustle for Housing with the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County and WHA.