The Pope Francis Center in Detroit has announced a $7 million gift from the California-based Julia Burke Foundation in support of a new housing complex aimed at ending chronic homelessness in the city.

The gift will enable the center to break ground on a forty-unit bridge housing facility as soon as a site is secured. When completed, the center will provide intensive medical, respite, psychological, addiction, social, and job-readiness services and will help clients gather the documentation needed to access more permanent housing solutions. Those staying at the center also will have access to a cafeteria, gym library, health clinic, and an outdoor shelter area with heated sidewalks and overhead radiant heaters.

"The Julia Burke Foundation invests in opportunities that enable people to lead a better life," said  foundation co-founder Jerry Burke. "The more we learned about the Pope Francis Center and its commitment to serving Detroit’s poor, we knew we wanted to be a part of this transformational project that will improve the lives of so many."

(Photo credit: Pope Francis Center)