As Mellena Martinez ascended into leadership with the Community Housing Network, she has remained the “boots on the ground,” physically present and engaged with program participants served by her team.
Since beginning her career with the organization as Program Manager for Community Programs and Outreach in 2008, Mellena has immersed herself in the community to connect with those in crisis, linking them to mental health services while helping them navigate the affordable housing process.
This mentality – never being above getting into the trenches – has built trust and camaraderie amongst her team, empowers them to grow, and motivates them to continue helping hundreds of thousands of individuals to experience a safe home for the first time in their lives.
For this, and her commitment to helping individuals meet their behavioral health needs, Mellena was recognized as the “2023 Advocate Champion” by Macomb County Community Mental Health.
It’s with a firm belief in the vision and mission of the Community Housing Network that Mellena guides her team through a trauma-informed lens as the Director of Housing Resources.
Her team provides a variety of resources and services in both Oakland and Macomb Counties that can help individuals with disabilities, individuals and families with low incomes, or those who are at-risk of, or are experiencing homelessness. She oversees the organization’s Housing Resource Center as well as the PATH (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness) Program, and the Housing Counseling Program, among others.
Mellena has performed several duties in her previous roles that make her the ideal person for leadership with the Community Housing Network.
While working directly with the offender population at the Boys and Girls Juvenile Residential Facility in Iowa and the Missouri Department of Corrections, she developed cross-functional skills and underwent advanced training in conflict resolution.