Organization
Humble Design
TL;DR
The nonprofit in our film. It furnishes empty homes for families leaving homelessness, and about 99% of those families are still housed a year later.
Humble Design furnishes empty living spaces for families coming out of homelessness, free of charge and with real attention to how each family wants their home to feel. It began in Detroit in 2009, when founder Treger Strasberg learned a friend and her children were sleeping on the floor of an unfurnished home. She collected furniture from her own house and her neighbors' until the place was full, and the donations never stopped coming.
The organization now works in Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, and San Diego, and has furnished thousands of homes. The number that matters most. While roughly half of families nationally return to homelessness within a year of being housed, around 99% of Humble Design's families are still in their homes a year later.
Featured In
Related Resources
Ways To Get Involved
Donate money or furniture, volunteer on move-in days, or sponsor a home through a company day of service. Details at humbledesign.org.
Key Takeaways
- Furnishing a home is homelessness prevention. About 99% of Humble Design families are still housed a year later, against a national return rate near 50%.
- It started with one friend. The founder furnished the home of a friend whose family had lost everything, and donations kept arriving.
- Humble Design works in Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, and San Diego.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Humble Design operate?
Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, and San Diego.
Does furnishing a home really help families stay housed?
Humble Design’s numbers say yes. About 99% of the families it serves are still housed a year later.
Who founded Humble Design?
Treger Strasberg, after she furnished a friend’s empty house and saw what it changed.
What does Humble Design do?
It furnishes empty homes for families and individuals moving out of homelessness. About 99% of the families it serves are still housed a year later.