Homelessness, Housing Instability, and Fatherhood: Bishop Ferguson on Men, Shelter, and Dignity

In this episode of I Am Dad Podcast, host Kenneth Braswell travels to East New York, Brooklyn, for an on-location conversation with Bishop Ferguson, board chair of Fathers Incorporated and program director at the Liberty Avenue Men’s Shelter. This conversation asks a question we do not ask often enough: What does housing instability mean for men and fathers? Too often, conversations about homelessness focus on women and children, while men, especially fathers, are treated as an afterthought. But many unhoused men are fathers. Many are sons, grandfathers, uncles, veterans, returning citizens, men living with mental health challenges, and men trying to hold on to dignity in systems that often see them only as cases, beds, risks, or numbers. Bishop Ferguson offers a deeply honest look inside a men’s shelter serving 150 men in East New York. He explains the realities of working with men who are unhoused, men returning from incarceration, men with mental health needs, men who have been couch surfing, men who have lost relationships or caregivers, and men who are trying to rebuild their lives one step at a time. This episode explores: • The difference between being unhoused and being homeless • Why many men in shelters are also fathers • How housing systems often fail to account for fatherhood • Why some fathers refuse studio apartments because they need space for their children • The importance of dignity, respect, and agency for men in shelter settings • How mental health, reentry, aging, and housing instability intersect • Why some men have been in shelters for 10, 15, or even 17 years • The need for case management, medical care, psychiatric care, housing specialists, and follow-up support • Why men’s shelters are often underfunded and misunderstood • How staff safety, compassion, and structure all matter in shelter environments • Why housing men is also fatherhood work One of the most powerful moments in the conversation comes when Bishop Ferguson describes a father who refused to leave shelter until he could secure a one-bedroom apartment because he wanted a place where his children could visit. That story reminds us that housing is not just about having a roof. It is about belonging, dignity, family, identity, and the possibility of being a father in a real and present way. Kenneth and Bishop Ferguson also explore how society responds differently to women’s homelessness than men’s homelessness. They challenge listeners to remember that every unhoused man is also someone’s son, someone’s father, someone’s uncle, someone’s brother, and someone whose humanity deserves to be seen. This episode is a necessary conversation for fatherhood practitioners, housing advocates, faith leaders, policymakers, social service providers, reentry programs, and anyone committed to strengthening families by addressing the full reality of men’s lives.

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