About IHN

Our Mission
The mission of the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Washtenaw County (IHN) at Alpha House is to provide temporary shelter, food and support services in a caring atmosphere of dignity and safety. More than providing just a bed and a roof for families, our goal at IHN is to support the families in securing and maintaining their own home.

Our History
IHN was established in 1992 by a group of volunteers as a rotating shelter to address the increasing issue of homelessness among families in our community. Area religious congregations provided space in their buildings for the families to sleep and volunteers provided dinner and support. Each week families were moved from one congregation to the next. While not a perfect system, we were able to operate this way for over nine years.
Our dream of a permanent shelter, capable of serving even more local families in need, came true in March of 2001, when Saint Joseph Mercy Health System offered IHN the use of Alpha House, a building on a beautiful, wooded spot in western Ann Arbor. Now families have a safe, solid place to re-group and focus on moving towards their new home. Instead of families rotating through congregation homes, hosting and support congregations now rotate into Alpha House continuing to provide daily meals and on-site support instead of the families moving each week. Even with a stable shelter site, IHN has a strong grassroots component and we depend on the support of dedicated volunteers to partner with us in the critical work of providing options to homeless and at-risk families.

Our Leadership
Under the guidance of an independent board of directors and executive director, professional staff works with each family, providing intensive, family-centered planning (Family Wraparound) to assist families in moving from homelessness to affordable housing. Additionally, representative volunteer coordinators from each of our supporting congregations and organizations meet on a regular basis to evaluate and plan the volunteer activities.

Our Program
Our work with families is comprehensive, addressing all aspects of the families' needs. IHN staff work from a “can-do” perspective to help each family overcome barriers and move into permanent housing. A Family Wraparound Team is created shortly after a family takes up residence at Alpha House. The Wraparound Team is composed of key professionals employed at IHN, and natural supports from the community identified by the family, such as family members, clergy or other agency staff. Teams not only address family needs but also model problem-solving techniques. The family and their team work together to develop an individualized plan based on the strengths, skills and assets of each family member. The teams meet weekly, constantly updating the plan, celebrating successes, finding new strategies when something doesn't work and addressing new needs as they come up. Once the family moves into their own housing, our Home-Based Family Support Worker continues to work with the family to focus on their long term goals to ensure stability. 60-70% of the families with whom we work find affordable housing within 3 months of engaging with our program.

Our Families
IHN is able to provide shelter for up to six families at a time for 90 days. Approximately 35 families stay at Alpha House each year. That's about 120 children and adults. All families at Alpha House either live or work in Washtenaw County. At any given time, we have a waiting list with an average of 25 families waiting to gain access to Alpha House.

Our Community

• Families are generally comprised of single-woman headed households although about 20% are two-parent households; the average number of children is 3.
• Roughly 60-70% of the families that work with IHN move into housing after their stay. A year later, 90% are still housed.
• IHN estimates that nearly 35% of the heads of household have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives, including childhood.
• In 2004, nearly 50% of the families entering Alpha House had at least one head of household employed. Currently, the families entering Alpha House have reflected the state of the Michigan economy and less than 10% of the heads of household enter with stable employment.

A Year at Alpha House Means

• A safe place for 120 children and adults.
• 24,000 home-cooked meals.
• Intensive support services for 35 families in shelter.
• 24 hour response to more than 400 calls from families seeking shelter.
• Coordination of more than 2,000 volunteers representing more than 30 local congregations and civic organizations.
• Home-based support services to build on families' stability after they leave the shelter.