Kendra Deja is proud that everything is free for residents.
What happens when unhoused people get the diagnosis of a terminal illness? Madison is one of the rare cities in the United States where they can live out their last days comfortably in a group home, where they’re cared for and receive hospice services.
Solace Friends opened Solace Home, 4142 Monona Drive, in April 2024 and welcomed its first resident in May. Since then, 18 residents have been cared for before passing away, says executive director Kendra Deja. Solace Home accommodates four residents at a time. They must have received a diagnosis of six months or less to live, which makes them eligible for hospice, and be unhoused or experiencing housing insecurity.
“All of our residents have come from different circumstances — 18 different wildly different stories,” says Deja. These range from “someone who had a job and an apartment and was evicted after her cancer became unmanageable” to “people who lived on State Street for the better part of 30 years.”…