02/12/2025
Pete Buttigieg Opens America’s First Federally-Funded Free Hospital Exclusively for the Homeless
South Bend, Indiana – November 30, 2025 – Former Transportation Secretary and 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg officially opened the Horizon Haven Medical Center today: a gleaming $38 million, 70,000-square-foot hospital that provides 100% free, world-class healthcare only to people experiencing homelessness.
Built on the site of the old Studebaker plant he helped redevelop as mayor, the facility is the first in U.S. history funded entirely through a mix of ARPA grants, private donations, and Buttigieg’s own veteran-focused foundation. It features Level II trauma bays, oncology suites, mental health stabilization units, dental and vision clinics, a 50-bed detox wing, and 60 transitional apartments, all at zero cost to patients.
Buttigieg, visibly emotional, told the crowd of veterans, shelter residents, and nurses: “I’ve met too many Americans sleeping under bridges with broken bones and cancer they can’t treat. No zip code, no insurance card, and no past mistake should ever block someone from healing.”
The hospital will operate 24/7 with no ID required and employs 200 staff, including dozens of formerly homeless peer navigators. First patient: 62-year-old Army veteran Michael Torres, who received same-day knee replacement surgery after waiting years on the street.
Within hours trended nationwide, raising an extra $7 million in donations. Doors open at 6 a.m. tomorrow.
In Pete’s words: “This isn’t charity. It’s what a country that keeps its promises looks like.”
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