HISTORY MADE: PETE BUTTIGIEG OPENS AMERICA’S FIRST FULLY FREE HOSPITAL FOR THE HOMELESS

South Bend, Indiana – November 30, 2025 – In a historic and deeply emotional moment, former Transportation Secretary and 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg officially opened the Horizon Haven Medical Center — the first federally-funded hospital in U.S. history built entirely to provide world-class healthcare to people experiencing homelessness.

The $38 million, 70,000-square-foot facility stands on the site of the old Studebaker plant, a location Buttigieg once helped redevelop during his tenure as South Bend mayor. Now, decades later, the same grounds are being transformed into a beacon of hope, combining cutting-edge medicine with compassion and accessibility. Horizon Haven is funded through a combination of ARPA grants, private donations, and Buttigieg’s veteran-focused foundation, making it a uniquely public-private initiative with a mission unlike any hospital before it.

Walking through the facility, visitors see a fully integrated approach to healthcare. Level II trauma bays, oncology suites, mental health stabilization units, dental and vision clinics, and a 50-bed detox wing are all fully operational, offering the highest standard of care. The hospital also includes 60 transitional apartments for patients ready to reintegrate into society, ensuring that treatment extends beyond immediate medical needs. For many, Horizon Haven is more than a hospital; it is a lifeline, offering stability, dignity, and hope in a society that has often overlooked them.

Speaking to a crowd of veterans, shelter residents, nurses, and supporters, Buttigieg was visibly moved. “I’ve met too many Americans sleeping under bridges, struggling with broken bones, cancer, and illnesses they can’t treat,” he said. “No zip code, no insurance card, no past mistake should ever block someone from healing.” His words were met with applause, tears, and nods from those who have long felt forgotten by a system that prioritizes insurance over humanity.

The hospital operates 24/7 and requires no identification, breaking down one of the most pervasive barriers to care for people experiencing homelessness. Horizon Haven employs 200 staff members, including dozens of formerly homeless peer navigators who provide guidance, support, and encouragement to patients navigating both the healthcare system and the challenges of daily life. This peer model ensures that care is not only professional but deeply empathetic, informed by lived experience.

The first patient to walk through Horizon Haven’s doors was 62-year-old Army veteran Michael Torres, who received a same-day knee replacement surgery. Torres had been living on the streets for years, unable to access treatment. Today, he walked out of the hospital with the promise of mobility restored, a testament to what compassionate, accessible care can achieve. His story quickly went viral, symbolizing the larger mission of Horizon Haven: to heal bodies, restore dignity, and offer a second chance to those society often overlooks.

Within hours of the opening, #HorizonHaven became a nationwide trending topic, inspiring $7 million in additional donations from individuals and organizations eager to support the unprecedented initiative. Social media was filled with praise, admiration, and awe at the scale, vision, and humanity of the project. People across the country shared stories of loved ones who could benefit from such care, sparking conversations about equity, healthcare access, and the moral obligations of society.

Buttigieg emphasized that Horizon Haven is not charity; it is a statement of national values. “This isn’t charity. It’s what a country that keeps its promises looks like,” he said. In that statement, he captured the essence of the hospital’s mission: care as a right, not a privilege; compassion as policy, not suggestion.

The facility also represents a model for future healthcare initiatives, combining federal funding, philanthropic support, and local leadership to address social inequities. By offering trauma care, preventive medicine, mental health treatment, dental services, and transitional housing all under one roof, Horizon Haven exemplifies holistic, patient-centered healthcare — and a vision for a society where no one is left behind.

For the residents of South Bend, veterans, and those experiencing homelessness, Horizon Haven is more than bricks and mortar. It is hope. It is proof that leadership, when combined with empathy and courage, can change lives. It is a reminder that healthcare is a human right, and that with resources, vision, and determination, systemic barriers can be dismantled.

As the sun set over South Bend on opening day, Horizon Haven stood as a shining symbol of what is possible when society chooses to invest in its most vulnerable. Patients will begin care at 6 a.m. tomorrow, but the impact is already being felt worldwide. From the first knee surgery to the first patient intake form, every action within its walls represents a broader commitment to justice, dignity, and healing.

In a world often divided by access, income, and circumstance, Pete Buttigieg’s Horizon Haven Medical Center is a historic step toward equity, compassion, and accountability. It proves that leadership matters, vision matters, and above all, that humanity matters.

This opening is a reminder: when courage meets empathy, and policy meets purpose, the impossible becomes reality. For the thousands of Americans who have been waiting for a second chance at life, Horizon Haven isn’t just a hospital — it is a revolution in care, hope, and possibility.