About us Magnificat Houses, Inc.

Since 1968, we have housed more than 20,000 adults
experiencing homelessness and served
over 10 million meals.

About us Magnificat Houses

Since 1968, we have housed more than 20,000 adults experiencing homelessness and served over 10 million meals

Magnificat Houses, Inc. A refuge of hope and healing in the heart of Houston.

Magnificat Houses, Inc. (MHI) is a Texas nonprofit organization that addresses the interconnected issues of homelessness, hunger, and mental illness by providing dignified housing and comprehensive support services to the unsheltered. 

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Our Mission

A welcoming community where those needing housing, food, and mental health programs can stabilize and grow in productivity and independence.

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Our history One woman’s calling became a citywide movement.

In 1968, RoseMary Badami, a visionary social worker, founded Magnificat House in response to a growing crisis: the release of thousands from shuttered mental institutions with nowhere to go. Starting with one rehabbed house in the Second Ward of Houston, she welcomed women experiencing homelessness into a shared home where mutual support and dignity prevailed.

Soon, more homes were added for women, then men, and eventually for families. In 1972, she opened Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen to feed the chronically hungry. Her innovative community-based model, staffed by guests, volunteers, and religious partners, earned national praise from the National Institute of Mental Health and the American Psychiatric Association.

RoseMary led Magnificat Houses for 46 years. Her legacy lives on in the lives transformed, the streets made safer, and the community of healing she helped build. She was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of St. Thomas in 1986.

Our Services Explore our services

Housing

Safe, supportive housing in Midtown Houston helps men and women experiencing homelessness regain stability and rebuild their lives.

Meals

We provide hundreds of hot, home-cooked meals each day to meet the basic needs of Houston’s chronically hungry.

SJC Community Gathering-12 (6)

St. Joseph Clubhouse

St. Joseph Clubhouse empowers adults with mental health diagnoses through community, purpose-driven work, and peer support.

Housing

Safe, supportive housing in Midtown Houston helps men and women experiencing homelessness regain stability and rebuild their lives.

Meals

We provide hundreds of hot, home-cooked meals each day to meet the basic needs of Houston’s chronically hungry.

SJC Community Gathering-12 (1)

St. Joseph Clubhouse

St. Joseph Clubhouse empowers adults with mental health diagnoses through community, purpose-driven work, and peer support.

About us Meet Our Leadership