Updated as of 2/28/2025 at 6:00 p.m. ET
The Root previously reported that the homeless woman in Detroit who lost two of her children to freezing temperatures was finally going to receive some help from local organizers. Well, it’s official. She’s traded her vehicle for a real house.
According to CBS’ report, 29-year-old Tateona Williams was granted one year of rent-free living in a new home thanks to Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries. The report says organization CEO Chad Audi also worked with the city to make the home liveable for Williams and her children.
“We didn’t just offer her a house — we provided her with hope. We took her to her new home, where she and her children could finally breathe, sleep, and heal without fear,” Audi said per a statement.
Alongside Audi was Deputy Mayor Melia Howard and police commissioners Daryl Woods and Tamara Smith who all welcomed Williams into her new safe haven for rest of the winter. In response to the overwhelming act of kindness, Williams said it turned her sadness into joy.
“It’s a lot. I’m going through right now, so this makes me happy because I was sad today. I have been having a rough day all day today,” Williams said via CBS. “I am really happy. It might not look like it but I am, so I really appreciate everything everybody has done for me here.”
Freezing Death of Two Children Sounds Alarm
As The Root previously reported, Williams told FOX 2 Detroit she and her five kids had been sleeping in a minivan for months as she tried endlessly to seek shelter. She sought help from Detroit’s Coordinated Assistance Model, homeless solutions agencies, hotels and even the childrens’ own father but to no avail. On the night of Feb. 10, as she and her family slept, she told reporters the car’s heat stopped working, leaving them in below-freezing temperatures.
When she woke, she said her 2-year-old and 9-year-old were not breathing. They were later pronounced dead at the hospital. Though their cause of death is still being investigated, Detroit police suspect the children died due to being exposed to the freezing cold.
Thursday, little Darnell Currie Jr. and A’millah Currie were laid to rest, according to The Detroit Free Press. The New McFall Brothers Funeral Home offered to provide funeral services for the family for free, the report says. However, despite the tragedy, Williams received news that may ensure the rest of her children survive this winter and possibly the next.
Deputy Mayor Howard previously stated a local group came forward vowing to pay rent for a whole year to ensure Williams and her remaining children have housing, per MLive. She said the city’s housing and revitalization department is working to secure housing for Williams, projecting their move in for as soon as this weekend.
“It’s just important for me to let them know that we’re not just here for today. We’re going to be with them as long as they need us,” Howard said the day of the funeral via The Detroit News, with tears in her eyes.