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

Five Lives Lost: Does Lansing Have a Serial Killer Preying on the Homeless?

Listen to this special episode of Un-Housed and Unfiltered. Hosts Nick Cook and Sarah Rennie discuss the tragic deaths of five unhoused individuals in Lansing and the gro

The Right to Stay: How Legal Representation Prevents Homelessness

What happens when a missed paycheck, unexpected medical bill, or temporary financial setback puts someone at risk of losing their home? In this episode of UnHoused & UnFi

Beyond the Tent: What Street Outreach Really Looks Like

In this episode of UnHoused and UnFiltered, Sarah Prout-Rennie turns the spotlight on co-host Nick Cook and the work he does outside of the State Capitol—as a co-founder

Caring Without Burning Out: Boundaries, Resilience and Joy in Advocacy

Following the response to Why We Keep Showing Up, Nick Cook and Sarah Prout-Rennie continue the conversation by asking an equally important question: How do we keep showi

Caring Without Burning Out: Boundaries, Resilience and Joy in Advocacy

Following the response to Why We Keep Showing Up, Nick Cook and Sarah Prout-Rennie continue the conversation by asking an equally important question: How do we keep showi

When Safety Disappears: LGBTQ+ Homelessness, Trust and the Cost of Being Turned Away

In this episode of UnHoused and UnFiltered, Nick Cook and Sarah Prout-Rennie are joined by longtime national LGBTQ+ advocate Eric Stiles for a candid conversation about t

Why We Keep Showing Up: Courage, Community and the Work We Won’t Abandon

Why We Keep Showing Up: Courage, Community and the Work We Won’t Abandon How do you keep doing the work when the ground beneath you keeps shifting? In this episode of Un

The NOFO Fight Isn’t Over: Funding, the Courts, and What’s at Stake for Michigan

In this episode of UnHoused & UnFiltered, hosts Nick Cook and Sarah Prout-Rennie break down the latest developments surrounding the FY2026 HUD Continuum of Care Notice of

Get Involved: Why Michigan Needs a Strong Coalition Now More Than Ever

Join MCAH TODAY What does it take to build a statewide movement capable of responding to homelessness in a rapidly changing environment? In this episode of UnHoused and

UnHoused & UnFiltered | Criminalizing Homelessness: Do Camping Bans Solve Anything?

In this episode of UnHoused & UnFiltered, hosts Sarah Prout-Rennie and Nick Cook unpack one of the most consequential shifts in homelessness policy in decades: the growin

UnHoused & UnFiltered | Hidden Homelessness: The Rural Crisis Most People Never See

In this episode of UnHoused & UnFiltered, hosts Sarah Prout-Rennie and Nick Cook welcome Lisa Reinecke, Homeless Solutions Director at True North Community Services and a

Beyond the Numbers: How Data is Changing the Fight Against Homelessness

In this episode of UnHoused & UnFiltered, hosts Nick Cook and Sarah Prout-Rennie welcome MCAH Director of Data Initiatives Gerry Leslie for an eye-opening conversation ab

The Real Face of Homelessness: Poverty, Policy & the Myths We Must Leave Behind

What if everything you thought you knew about homelessness was incomplete? In this thought-provoking episode of UnHoused & UnFiltered, hosts Nick Cook and Sarah Prout-Ren

HUD Watch: The $108 Million Question — What the New Federal Funding Rules Mean for Michigan

In Episode 10 of UnHoused & UnFiltered, hosts Nick Cook and Sarah Prout-Rennie take an in-depth look at the newly released federal Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Fundi

Justice Beyond the Courtroom: How Street Democracy Is Changing Lives One Case at a Time

Episode Summary: A single legal mistake, unpaid fine, missed court date, or minor offense can create barriers that follow someone for years—impacting employment, housing,

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

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 o

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

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

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 signa