Joseph and Mary’s Home: Cleveland’s lifeline for homeless patients after hospitalization

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A Cleveland man who lost his toes to frostbite found a path to recovery and stability through Joseph and Mary’s Home, Northeast Ohio’s only medical respite facility for homeless adults.

The nonprofit provides a compassionate and cost-effective alternative to recuperating on the streets, preventing costly hospital readmissions.

Here are the five takeaways from the original article:

1. A $2.4 Million Renovation Enhances Care and Accessibility

Sisters of Charity Health System completed a $2.4 million renovation of Joseph’s Home, the 11-bed men’s portion of its respite care ministry. The project moved the men’s facility into a newly gutted and remodeled one-story space, making it fully ADA-accessible for residents who often have mobility issues following amputations or other medical procedures.

This move co-locates it with Mary’s Home, the 10-bed facility for women, creating a unified campus on Community College Avenue. The new space features individual rooms, new flooring, windows, and accessible bathrooms, with residents expected to move in by the end of the year.

2. Public and Private Funding Fueled the Expansion

The renovation and ongoing operations were made possible by a broad mix of public and private funding. A capital campaign launched in June 2024 successfully raised $3 million for the renovation, operating support, and an endowment.

The project also received significant government backing, including about $400,000 from the City of Cleveland’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and a combined $855,000 from Cuyahoga County and the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health.

3. The Home Provides Holistic Recovery Services

Joseph and Mary’s Home offers more than just a safe place to heal. During an average 80-day stay, residents receive comprehensive support designed to ensure long-term stability. This includes medical oversight for wounds and chronic illnesses, transportation to appointments, and referrals for behavioral health and substance use disorder services.

A key component is housing assistance, where staff help clients navigate landlords’ reluctance to rent to them. The “Journey Home Fund,” supported by philanthropy, provides stipends for security deposits, and an alumni program offers follow-up services even after residents have moved out.

4. The Model is Considered Effective

Serving approximately 120 adults annually on a $1.44 million budget, the nonprofit reports that 90% of its residents have stable housing when they leave, and 70% are medically stable upon discharge.

Success stories highlight the program’s life-changing impact, including a man who achieved sobriety for the first time since his teens and a woman who, after losing her toes to frostbite, is now moving into subsidized housing.

5. It Addresses a Critical Gap in Healthcare for the Homeless

Joseph and Mary’s Home fills a crucial need for post-hospitalization recovery care that is often unavailable to the homeless population. Without a safe place to recuperate, take medication, and keep wounds clean, patients are far more likely to be readmitted to a hospital, which costs an average of $3,200 per day.

By providing a safe, medically supervised environment, the facility prevents these costly readmissions while offering a humane path to recovery. The program accepts individuals referred from hospitals and other nonprofits who are stable enough to manage their daily needs with the help of a wheelchair or walker.