Case Study

Bethel Suites: from dilapidated motel to a stepping stone to stability

How one stalled property in Howell became 14 units of transitional housing, and an opportunity to love and serve neighbors who have become homeless.

The community celebrates the Bethel Suites ribbon cutting
The challenge

No shelter, nowhere to land

Livingston County had no homeless shelter. Every week brought calls from neighbors who had lost their housing: people sleeping in their cars, one pregnant woman sleeping in a U‑Haul trailer. Most had jobs. They just needed a place to live that they could afford.

On Grand River Avenue in Howell Township sat the former Crest Motel: a building in extreme disrepair, and an opportunity waiting for a catalyst.

The Bethel Suites sign on the renovated building
Watch

Bethel Suites: Before and After

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The Bethel Suites sign on Grand River Avenue, decorated for opening day
Rocking chairs line the covered porch outside the units
A shared meal on the lawn at the grand opening
Two young children splash in a wading pool on the walkway outside the units
Unit doors with rocking chairs along the renovated exterior
A furnished efficiency kitchen with an island
The pergola and gathering patio outside Bethel Suites
Neighbors tour the new units on Bethel Suites opening day
A bright common room with a hand-painted leaf mural
Adirondack chairs tucked among new landscaping
A clean, fully finished unit bathroom
A furnished bedroom with a cheerful accent wall
A full range and cooktop in a furnished unit
A comfortable furnished living space inside a unit
70%
Bethel Suites
The result

70% of our guests move into housing they can afford

Nationally, 10% of people who are homeless and transitionally housed move on to a permanent home that they can afford. At Bethel Suites, we blow that statistic out of the water - because guests get nine months of stability, food, and wraparound support instead of a bed for the night, and because there is attainable housing waiting for them at the other end.

Bethel Suites 70%
National average ~30%

Food access and personal care

Guests have access to a small freezer of grab-and-go meals, along with fresh food and meals delivered daily by generous community partners, an on-site food pantry, a personal care pantry, and cooking appliances they can take to their new home upon transition.

Partners onsite

Community partners help our guests find jobs, receive weekly counseling, access childcare and healthcare, build a budget, and transition into housing they can afford.

Weekly fellowship

In the summer, community partners host a weekly barbecue under the Bethel Suites pergola. This is a time for guests to meet their neighbors, enjoy a hot meal, and build community.
Jenny Allen, Bethel Suites Manager

"Over 60% of the people who come to stay with us have jobs. They just need a place to live that they can afford."

Jennifer Allen
Bethel Suites Manager

Be the catalyst for the next
Bethel Suites

Bethel Suites happened because neighbors gave, volunteered, and partnered. The next project starts the same way.

Donate now
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