How the Hospitality Hub is working to end homelessness in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Homelessness continues to rise in the Mid-South, affecting thousands of men, women, and children each year.

Many in Memphis are working to turn that around.

Located on Washington Ave in the heart of Downtown Memphis is the Hospitality Hub, a deluxe hotel-style facility that serves residents for free year-round.

The Hub is a free facility that has no time restriction for those in need of a roof over their head.

It all began 16 years ago with four Downtown churches that saw a need for Memphis’ unhoused.

The center allows residents to receive free counseling and offers assistance in applying for disability and food.

The Hub also helps residents get a driver’s license and birth certificate — all things needed to apply for jobs.

All someone has to do to receive help is make up their mind that they’re ready.

“All they have to do is walk through the front door and say, ‘I’m homeless,’ or, ‘What do I need to do?’... or ‘I’m homeless, somebody told me to come here.’ And that’s how a lot of people come here is because someone else told them that this is a place to get started,” said Kelcey Johnson, executive director of the Hospitality Hub.

Holly Owens is a resident who says the Hub has become more than a facility, it’s become her family.

A simple conversation with an employee changed her life for the better.

“One of the workers for the Hub, he bought me here and help me get into it. They have been tremendous, helping me trying to find a job or try to find housing,” Owens says.

The goal of the Hub is simple yet life-changing: To end homelessness in Memphis by connecting individuals with the resources they need to achieve stable housing and better health outcomes.

If you would like to help support the hub, visit their website for more information.

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