UnHoused & UnFiltered | MCAH's Podcast on Homelessness & Housing

Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Non-Profit

UnHoused and UnFiltered — Podcast Overview UnHoused and UnFiltered is a Michigan-based podcast that tackles the real issues surrounding housing insecurity and homelessness across the state. It brings together a range of voices — from policy experts and advocates to individuals who have lived through homelessness — to explore both systemic causes and practical responses. Episodes are frank, in-depth conversations that go beyond surface-level discussion to highlight nuanced perspectives and lived realities. Hosts & Perspective Hosted by Nick Cook, Director of Public Policy at the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness (MCAH), and Sarah Prout-Rennie, Senior Director of Advocacy and Engagement at MCAH. These leaders bring a mix of:Public policy analysisAdvocacy insightsCommunity engagement strategiesTheir work with MCAH — a statewide organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in Michigan — informs the show’s focus on housing justice, structural challenges, and supportive policies.

Episodes

  1. From Surviving to Leading: Youth Homelessness Through the Eyes of Experience

    3d ago

    From Surviving to Leading: Youth Homelessness Through the Eyes of Experience

    In Episode 8 of UnHoused and UnFiltered, we sit down with youth homelessness advocate and leader Azaria Terrell to explore the realities facing young people experiencing homelessness in Michigan and beyond. Drawing from both her lived experience and her extensive work on youth advisory boards and advocacy initiatives, Azaria offers a powerful perspective on the barriers young people face while navigating homelessness, housing instability, and systems designed to support them. The conversation examines the connection between foster care involvement and youth homelessness, the challenges created by limited transitional supports, and the critical importance of ensuring young people have access to stable housing, trusted adults, education, employment opportunities, and community connections. But this episode is also about hope. Azaria highlights the resilience, innovation, and leadership of young people who are shaping solutions and changing systems. As a recognized leader across Michigan, she shares lessons learned, promising practices, and what policymakers, service providers, and communities can do to better support youth on their path to stability and success. This is a candid and inspiring conversation about lived experience, leadership, and why investing in young people today creates stronger communities tomorrow. Listen, learn, and join us as we elevate the voices of youth who are not only surviving homelessness—but helping lead the movement to end it.

    44 min
  2. HUD Watch: Faith, Funding, and the Future of Homeless Services

    May 27

    HUD Watch: Faith, Funding, and the Future of Homeless Services

    This episode of UnHoused and UnFiltered takes a hard look at the increasingly alarming statements and policy signals emerging from HUD surrounding the delayed Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process and what many providers fear could become a dramatic reshaping of federal homelessness response systems. Hosts unpack recent rhetoric questioning long-standing evidence-based practices like Housing First, alongside growing emphasis on faith-based service delivery providers and new priorities that could fundamentally alter how homelessness services are funded and delivered.

    46 min
  3. Budget Battles: Defense Dollars and Domestic Cuts

    May 19

    Budget Battles: Defense Dollars and Domestic Cuts

    This episode breaks down the latest federal budget proposals and what they could mean for communities across the country. Director of Public Policy Nick Cook unpacks the unprecedented increase in defense spending alongside the proposed 10% reductions across nearly every other area of federal funding, exploring how these shifts reflect changing national priorities. The conversation reviews the housing related line items expected and examines what these cuts could mean for local governments, nonprofits, and everyday people already navigating economic instability.

    44 min
  4. Surviving Outside: Street Outreach, Injury, and Isolation

    May 9

    Surviving Outside: Street Outreach, Injury, and Isolation

    What does unsheltered homelessness look like right now on the ground? In this episode, Khadja Erickson (https://trcmm.org) joins the pod to discuss direct street outreach, the changing landscape of encampments, the growing health risks and other challenges facing people surviving outdoors. From chronic injuries and untreated medical conditions, Khadja explains how street outreach teams are responding to increasingly isolated situations with limited resources. The conversation also highlights the rise in young families and children experiencing homelessness and the growing challenges communities face in meeting their needs via street outreach (with very limited funding). This episode offers an honest look at the realities many communities never see — and why the need for housing, outreach support, and coordinated solutions continues to grow.

    43 min
  5. From Support to Surveillance: The Expanding Role of Veteran Guardianship in Homelessness Response System

    Apr 22

    From Support to Surveillance: The Expanding Role of Veteran Guardianship in Homelessness Response System

    This episode unpacks a controversial new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Veterans Affairs—and what it signals for the future of homelessness policy, particularly for veterans. At the heart of this conversation is a fundamental policy question: should homelessness and disability-related vulnerability be met with expanded systems of care and housing support, or with increased legal control over individuals’ lives? Director of Public Policy (and former Army Major Nick Cook) uses his 13 years of active duty to share his unique military perspective. Senior Director of Advocacy and Engagement (and attorney) also maps out the legal implications and clarifications. Summary of Memo of Understanding from the National Low Income Housing Coalition

    45 min
  6. No Safe Place to Stay: How Abuse Drives Women and Children Into Homelessness

    Mar 29

    No Safe Place to Stay: How Abuse Drives Women and Children Into Homelessness

    In this episode, guest Johanna Kononen (Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence) explores the critical link between domestic abuse and sexual assault and the disproportionate rates of homelessness among women and children. She discusses how unsafe home environments often force individuals to flee with little to no resources, leaving them vulnerable to housing instability. The conversation highlights the systemic gaps in support services, the challenges survivors face in securing safe and stable housing, and the importance of trauma-informed approaches. Johanna also underscores the need for stronger community responses and policy solutions to prevent homelessness before it begins.

    45 min
  7. How Does The Public Benefits Changes In H.R. 1 Impact You & Your Clients?

    Mar 18

    How Does The Public Benefits Changes In H.R. 1 Impact You & Your Clients?

    Join attorney Elly Jordon from the Michigan Poverty Law Center as she outlines the public benefits changes as a result of the 2025 H.R. 1 (formerly the Big Beautiful Bill) and how these changes impacts you and your clients.

    47 min
  8. Season One: Episode 1. The Launch of MCAH's Podcast

    Mar 16

    Season One: Episode 1. The Launch of MCAH's Podcast

    Meet hosts Sarah Prout Rennie, Director of Advocacy and Engagement and Nick Cook, Director of Public Policy. They will introduce themselves and their vision for this podcast. And why the time is NOW for MCAH's newest offering!

    42 min
  • 8 Episodes

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

UnHoused and UnFiltered — Podcast Overview UnHoused and UnFiltered is a Michigan-based podcast that tackles the real issues surrounding housing insecurity and homelessness across the state. It brings together a range of voices — from policy experts and advocates to individuals who have lived through homelessness — to explore both systemic causes and practical responses. Episodes are frank, in-depth conversations that go beyond surface-level discussion to highlight nuanced perspectives and lived realities. Hosts & Perspective Hosted by Nick Cook, Director of Public Policy at the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness (MCAH), and Sarah Prout-Rennie, Senior Director of Advocacy and Engagement at MCAH. These leaders bring a mix of:Public policy analysisAdvocacy insightsCommunity engagement strategiesTheir work with MCAH — a statewide organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in Michigan — informs the show’s focus on housing justice, structural challenges, and supportive policies.

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