Eight million Americans are one paycheck away from becoming homeless. In Washtenaw County, 5000 people are experiencing homelessness. The Shelter Association of Washtenaw County (SAWC) was established in 1982, and is the primary provider of services and emergency shelter for around 1200 Washtenaw County individuals each year. The SAWC is housed at the Robert J. Delonis Center in downtown Ann Arbor. The SAWC works with a diverse range of people struggling with homelessness, including first-time homelessness, veterans, domestic violence survivors, and people battling substance abuse and/or mental health issues. Services are offered through our core programs: Residential, Non-Residential/Shelter Diversion, Critical-Time Intervention, Pathways Program, The Bail Project, Recuperative Care, Rotating Shelter, Housing Crisis Stabilization, and Winter Programs.

The SAWC has an onsite kitchen run by Food Gatherers that serves meals 364 days a year; a free medical clinic run by Packard Health; and service center; and offers hope to those living on the street with a myriad of services designed to give people the dignity they deserve including showers, access to storage, laundry, and address to receive mail. Our programs and services address immediate and long-term client needs through case management, community referrals, and on-site basic needs with the goal of sustainable housing.

Our Residential Program offers beds to 56 individuals. Our Shelter Diversion program can assist an additional 95 individuals at a time. Our Recuperative Care program offers 8 beds at a time for individuals experiencing homelessness discharging from a local hospitals with an ongoing medical need.  In the cold months, the SAWC serves an additional 550 people in our Warming Center and offers survival and warmth from the coldest winter months. Warming Center clients receive an array of support that helps them move into safe, permanent housing.